#like we did see most of the bergens just genuinely wanted to be happy

[pufffinn]

blease tell us abt trollitics (troll politics) & dewdrop

OMG YES YAYYYY TYSM FOR ASKING

ok so like. basically after i watched the third movie i was thinking about how gristle was paying for the wedding venue and that’s literally what started my whole thought process here. cause the venue is. well yes it’s technically the plaza but it is RIGHT under the troll tree. so maybe it’s a popular wedding spot but it got me thinking who exactly like. owns the area under/around the troll tree?? you would think the monarchy right ( aka king gristle ) but gristle seemed pretty stressed about having to get out of the venue in time 😭 yes i know it’s all played for jokes but i’m a chronic over thinker so what were any of us expecting. so ANYWAY. surely, after the bergens and trolls make peace, wouldn’t the trolls want the tree back? and that got me thinking MORE like how did they transition the ownership of the troll tree back to the trolls. and are there now troll-bergen laws? troll protections? troll TREE protections?? reparations for literally eating trolls alive for years? THERE IS SO MUCH OPPORTUNITY HERE to make a whole thing about how the bergens and trolls learn to exist with eachother and it is so so interesting to me.

so what kind of laws and protections are there now?? how do they get established?? WHO’S establishing them?? troll and bergen lawyers?? so many questions and so many possible answers

but now that we’ve got like a bit of backstory and politics and my lead up of thoughts out of the way which i could rlly just go on forever about. we’ve got whimsy’s introduction!! basically what happens is between the events of world tour and band together, some pop trolls start wanting to move back to the troll tree ( whimsy among them ). but the main village in the forest is too big and settled for everyone to want to move, and it is still the main village, so poppy spends most of her time there and can’t go back and forth between the two places all the time ( tho she certainly tried ). so after a bit of this they need to appoint a headman for the troll tree village to help keep things runnings, to act as a spokesperson for poppy, report back to the main troll village every once in a while, etc etc. ( i could’ve grabbed an unused canon character but why do that when this gave me a chance to make another oc ). said headman for the troll tree ended up being whimsy dewdrop!! it’s a very busy troll nowadays, and ends up working a lot with the bergens to make agreements and laws regarding all the intricacies of bergen and troll cohabitation. whimsy also ends up spending quite a bit of time with poppy and occasionally branch when they come to check up on the troll tree and everyone living there. whimsy herself is a little more down to earth than some other pop trolls but she still loves all the classic pop troll activities. she also LOVES glowbug watching and was very excited when they started hanging out around the troll tree again.

also i think that later on in the game when everything is much more settled, the bergens and pop trolls work together to make the troll tree plaza more hospitable to the trolls, creating places for trolls to move around outside the immediate area of the troll tree!! trolls can generally get around pretty easily even in large spaces, but i think it would be neat for the trolls and bergens to do things like business ventures together, and for troll decoration/architecture to kind of bleed into the plaza. maybe a bit unrelated but i also hc that the troll tree grows/thrives from joy, and also that it was regularly trimmed to keep all it’s branches inside the old cage. now that it’s free to grow and has lots of joy and hope and happiness to thrive off of, it starts to spread over a very large majority of the plaza.

i really just wanted to explore how the ‘common’ trolls and bergens would learn to live with eachother and what that would entail. and ofc troll politics. who doesn’t want to think about that. anyway if you guys made it this far ily muah tysm 🫶

[xxnomadsxx]

I can only imagine your Branch giving the most disturbing gifts to show he cares. Ex:

Floyd: Oh man, I always worried Velvet and Veneer are gonna come back at some point

Branch: *Man, I wanna make him feel better hmm*

Cue the next day:

Branch: Here Floyd, this should make you feel safer (Man is covered in BLOOD and holding an even bloodier box) 😊

Floyd (about to pass out): Oh thanks B… what is it??

Branch: Velvet and Veneers vocal cords 😁 (He genuinely believes this will make him feel better)

Floyd: Oh… thank you Branch (He doesn’t want to reject the gift since it is one of the only occasions Branch has shown any of the brother’s affection)

His gifts only get worst from there. The brothers one time mention what happened to the Bergen that ate Grandma??? Branch puts Chef’s skeleton up in display for them to see that there’s nothing to worry about and that she’s been avenged. Meanwhile , BroZone: 🧍🧍🧍🧍

Poppy mentions that Creek betrayed the entire Troll kingdom??? Oh yeah, he tells the hilarious story about the time he was roasted alive and eaten by the village and even offers Poppy a tuff of his hair as proof.

He associates threats being eliminated as comforting and so he believes proof of that are the best gifts, he has good intentions but wtf he’s gotta work on better love languages.

anyways yeah BroZone loses their shit every time this happens but don’t have the heart to tell Branch to stop since it’s one of his main ways to show he cares about them and they’ll take anything at this point.

Honestly no one in the village is good at getting appropriate gifts ESPECIALLY Branch (he’s been living with the feral trolls(?) for years and their love language is violence) so you’re gonna have to forgive them on their very gruesome gifts.

All these situations are basically canon now because the idea is just so funny to me that Branch just pulled out all these corpse parts just to be like “don’t worry you’re safe😁”. Every time he does this his brother are just going through every emotion. It’s sweet that he did the gesture for them but also terrifying when you actually think about it (when he’s left the room, at least two of them puked and Floyd passed out four times) When Floyd is given the vocal cords as a gift the only thing keeping him conscious is the adoration that his baby brother got him a gift, but once Branch left the room, he immediately put the box in the closet and proceeded to puke on the floor. (Originally Branch got the vocal cords after he found out velvet and veneer took Floyd, but I find the idea of him going back for round two just so he can get a trophy for Floyd to tell him he was “safe” even better)

When he showed the skeleton to the brothers they were just too shocked to actually understand what was happening and kind of just went numb for a few minutes, all they could do was force themselves to focus on how happy Branch was so they wouldn’t have a meltdown.(when they later registered what they saw they just cried) When Poppy brought up how angry she is at Creek and how mad she is that he up and left again instead of staying to face his problems!! Branch laughed and said “OH, don’t worry we handled it😁” and he pulled out a tuff of Creeks hair, and hilariously explained the “funny story” of Creeks demise.

Everyone at this point just stops talking about people they don’t like out of fear that Branch Is just gonna come out with their body at any second. They like the gestures of the gift. It’s just the fact that they’re basically just corpse parts in a box that is handed to them with a smile 😊 saying, “I hope you like it” (he eventually stops when explained how messed up it is)

[ilikelookingatthings]

Just finished watching trolls 3 and I have so many thoughts I must share into the tumblr void!

first. It's a great movie. Ten out of ten songs. The characters are wonderful I LOVE THE FAMILY THEMES! and all the boy band puns and references are wonderfully done cans getting to see where each troll landed in life.

Now for my thoughts. I see alot of the fans being tough on the eldest brother...after all he was tough and pushed everyone to be perfect and get into roles and him snapping at his brothers and shifting the blame a bit for the failure to hit the perfect Harmony wasn't cool. And it resulted in the band and the family breaking up...not to mention him being there for branch.

But I honestly think they should have focused a bit more of WHY he was so intense about the perfect Harmony. The movie points to how this time he clearly wants to do it to save Floyd. Something ALL the brothers are on bored with...and we also know his care for Floyd is genuine as he did immediately go when he heard he was in trouble.

The brothers act like he js all bossy and controlling for no reason..

Which on the surface could parallel the sister in the veneer spaghetti siblings(the nostalgia and joy when my sister remembered what those toys were called XD) on the surface. Which the movie pointed how you shouldn't let someone restrict or guide what you will do or act. Which helped inspire the brother to at least come clean at the end and how the brothers had se p erated due to being serious about that boundary....

But I honestly think the eldest brother was that harsh about the perfect Harmony the first time because he was trying to protect his brothers. Not Just the second time in trying to save Floyd.

Think about it. The Band was together while they were still in the home tree in Bergen town where yearly the Bergens would gather around to feast on the trolls. Yearly means the Bergens knew they had to control how much they took or there wouldn't be anymore trolls to snack on.

We also know that when trolls get too sad they turn Grey and not as tasty and that the happier the troll/most talented the tastier/more valuable they are. AND WE KNOW THE BERGENS kept track to know which were the happiest trolls...hence why Poppy in particular was chosen to be the first troll the prince would get to eat...the tastiest, sweetest. happiest troll.

So I actually think the reason they were a band was because the band could serve as a distraction from the impending yearly pruning of the trolls and keep the trolls happy. Which was good for troll moral...but also meant the Bergens might keep the band alive/not choose to eat them because it meant keeping just 5 trolls alive the more happier/tastier trolls/less risk of trolls turning grey that the bergens could choose from.

Not to mention if they were perfect/special with the perfect Harmony the bergans might Have to keep them alive since the long we the live they might create more tastier talented trolls. Like letting the tastier Brussel sprouts live to procreate instead of eating them immediately. Or selective breading if you will.

And if they were perfect and well loved enough as a band the bergens might put them on the not kill list because if they were eaten it might upset too many of the trolls/risk too many if them turning grey.

They hinted a bit by having the eldest brother bring up how he had been taking care of all the brothers and the pressure it put him under.

But I really wish they had spelled out that the reason he was so fixated on them being perfect was because it was literally him trying to protect them and guarentee they wouldn't be pruned.

Even the simple titles(the sensative one, the fun one, the heartthrob, the leader, the baby ect) makes more sense in the scenerio that he was trying to make them easy to identify so the Bergens would have a easier time recognizing to not eat that specific troll and easier for other trolls to identify with at least one of the brothers to cover their bases to them becoming so popular they couldn't be touched by the Bergens.

It would also create a VERY strong parallel between the eldest brother and Branch in the first movie because Branch was also bossy and judgy and telling everyone they were doing something wrong which was actually branches way of caring for everyone and their safty...but by pushing like that when trolls naturally want to be chill and happy and not bummed out resulted in the other trolls seeing branch as bossy and disregarding branches good points and reasons because they felt he was putting down/disregarding their right to party and be positive.

Which caused other trolls to not want to. be around 'party pooper branch' and branch as a result rejecting the other trolls more in return that him pushing so hard was to keep them safe. With branch getting to the point of pretending like he doesn't care/why he was so harsh to poppy and rejecting hug time even though deep diwn he still cared as we saw him keep and rebuild all the cards he had destroyed.

In this it leads me to believe the eldest brother was bossy/being the partypooper trying to get everyone perfect and lashing out due to stress and fear. Trying to shift his stress on his brothers like branch had done with poppy to cover up the real source of his stress. And like branch,who had been surprised and upset at the other trolls being unreasonable in not realizing branch was right to have fears/that they should be more cautious, the eldest brother struggled to see why his brothers thought his advice was unreasonable when the elder brothers knew his thoughts/motives were to keep them safe by sticking to the band plan.

And him being pessimistic about the harmony note not happening must be because he had fixated on the harmony being the thing that would save his brothers/make them indispensible.

And his bros wanting to quit and blaming him felt like it made him leave himself like how branch would loudly say he doesn't need anyone else and would be alone.

Also why did no kbe adress more that he literally thoight everyone died? He couldn't find them for years and he also couldn't risk being seen by the Bergens...and how all of his brothers were just still upset with him...which made sense since their feelings were valid and he didn't take into account how ge was stressing them out and wasn't seeing them properly....but it felt a bit unfair we didn't see them realize he was that tough because he was trying to protect them and how them disregarding he cared at a must have hurt.

I think if the movie had brought it up it might have been a dark moment...but it would also create a strong thematic parallel with Viva who wanted too afraid and wanted to keep poppy and clay with her where she was going to disregard what they wanted with how he seemed to disregard some of the issues due to thinking he was right fir the greater good. And how scared viva was to risk seeing poppy hurt on the outside/why viva had stayed behind despite her wanting poppy to stay with her and be safe.

And a parallel with king peppy who hadn't reminded Peppy about her sister or the trolls who had been left behind due to his grief. But also meant poppy had a simple view of her dad and had disregarded his advice in the second movie and a bit in the first because she didn't have a full view of the situation and the complex feelings he might have.

Anyone anyone else find some of the pieces of the brothers fascinating...on one hand the fun brother has clearly been trying to over compensate and prove he isn't fun which isn't exactly healthy but does make me think of how branch enjoys some boring things as well as some darker stuff. Like a underground bunker. The safty exit parallel XD and branch not minding the sad country song with this guy being into sad book club and branch being into poetry. Nkt to mention him taking care of Viva and understanding some of her issues much like Branch had that dynamic with Poppy sometimes reversed with her being the one to be more positive and get him out of his paranoia with also him being the more practical guy providing the safty exits so to speak.

Branch and the eldest brother have survival aspects and skills and relying on that as a first resort(like branch and his whittled spears) and big brother with his weird shock starfish that didn't dissolve the Diamond and thinking of a diamond hammer. With the elder being more on the traveling side but still jumping in to help like branch did eventually with poppy. Or when he left to school when barbs letter arrived. But also both write now...branch having written lyrics or poems at least and the elder having written their past songs abd both getting a bit defense at times.

The heartthrob is clearly good at scheduals to some degree with running a restraunt and a romantic with his wife which we know branch has a heart throb romance side ;). And Branch did work out like bruce/spruce used to in the past.(which I like how comfortable the Dad was was in his body since he didn't need to work out anymore and was on a safe island after his solo career) and has his own considerate side that he knew he'd be inconviencing his wife. Not to mention both get goaded by their loved ones into the practice when both were reluctant at first.

And of course the sensative brother who is smart and more practical in knowing what would shatter the diamond and figuring out it was a trap and having that 'really?' Face when the big brother tried to save him by himself much like Branch with some of Poppy's aspects in not thinking through some of the plan and getting ahead of herself.

I'm just saying....mister leader feels to me like he has a slight missing component in tjat he was harsh to try to protect his brothers in the purge system they had going on and his brothers hadn't realized the details because he didn't explain it to them(using how he didn't jave a way with words and would touch a nerve with each brother pretty easily each time he tried to reconnect)...and it also makes the situation with poppy make even more sense because if it was prince grisle's first troll...the Bergens would break the rule of leaving the happiest most talented trolls alone so they could make even happier and tastier trolls because Poppy had a similar happy older sister.

Finding out the Bergens would take Poppy probably resulted in the trolls to come up with a desperate plan to save her(hence the tunnels) finally being thought up. And how everyone had to act natural to not Allert the Bergens.

Anyone one have any other thoughts to add about Trolls 3.

also....I found it interesting it didn't occur to John dory that his brothers would want him to stay which while kindof insensative(especially to not think of branches perspect). Make sense when he doesn't get any type of goid welcome from hjs bros and how branch had told him it was just the mission and done and had immediately shut him out at the start...but also felt like John relying on that to protect himself because his other brothers were upset with hjm again and blaming him entirely for the break up. Which deep down he probably did blame himself...but also it seems those trolls alive during that time seemed used to death...and it seemed he thought everyone died and we just kindof glossed over how that probably messed him up? And how we saw viva kindof try to pretend at times she was fine qhen she was clearly hurting real bad.

Also does anyone else think if branch had stayed on the bus then Floyd might not have almost died since they'd be taking all 4 of the other brother's talent and they could have broken out later? Hypothetical? Or no to that?

‐----------------‐-----------------------------

Though honestly it gets really interesting figuring out what each brother knows. The eldest returned and thought everyone was dead and had no way to track them down or assume they were okay after leaving for the mountain. But having no clue the survived until a month ago seeing that concert situation or at least hearing about it. And then of course how he had gone to try to save flyod and tried to find the other brother's while making it to branch...with the best guess a unmarked postcard from bruce/spruce.

Clay seemed separated during the attack or at least came across the survivors that escaped in the other tunnels and then got trapped in the golf course trying to make it safe and care for the traumatized survivors from the attack but he knew of the escape plan so at least assumed branch and grandma had gotten out...while viva didn't know if poppy or er dad was okay(specifically poppy).

Especially considering the no trolls left behind aspect might have led her to believe peppy was at strong risk of dying and how poppy had been a target...and how there was probably risk of being found in the earlier years since the cook was looking for them.

But it didn't seem to occur to him that rosiepuff might die and leave branch alone....maybe because he heard about the escape plan from viva.

Bruce/Spruce had his own family and a seemingly successful career and resteraunt so couldn't just up and leave but it seems unclear how much he knew? Like it didn't seem like he assumed they were all dead like the elder did. And he did at least send a post card to the eldest once...so maybe he also found out a way to contact or at least assume some pop trolls were alive after the second movie as more trolls stopped isolating and mixing more?

And of course we know alot of people dodn't know where to find the pop trolls in the forest anyway and how risky it can be to travel if you don't know what your doing. And how there was some common pop trolls bad/judged knowledge hovering happening previously with all the seperated troll sections.

Also..anyone else trying to piece together what thus all means for the king? Did he assume she was crushed or eaten? Or that she had escaped? Of course he couldn't leave the main group behind to go looking for personal reasons since he is a leader and tge bergen trauma was fresh and they needed to work on settling in a new place. Did the king just have the issue where he thought she died and he was shocked poppy didn't remember her but it was too painful to bring up due to his own grief? Which he couldn't linger on since he had to be the leader and didn't know how to adress it because Poppy had such a positive view of how he saved everyone since he literally went back and used the clothes off his back to save a while bunch of them. Like I have heard of the grief being so bad that some parents don't bring it up. Heck even in animation it happened in barbie with the Pegasus movie.

Anyway specifically any thoughts about

JOHN DORY

John Dory

But any others are also appreciated. Leave notes or reblog with your thoughts if your nervoous and need permission!

Also is it just me or were they using the hair less in this movie?

[bad-at-names-and-faces]

The Young Diplomat

Chapter 1: In Arendelle Harbor

Two decades after the great freeze, a new ambassador has arrived from Corona, along with his young private secretary. While the young man's family was originally from Arendelle, he knows little of his origins. They must wait to start any major business until the queen has emerged from confinement.

(picture by Anton Mauve, 1855)

His Excellency Franz Meyer, Ambassador from Corona, sat in his cabin. The ship was at anchor, awaiting permission to dock in the harbor. He knew he had time on his hands, as it was still early morning, though as far north as they were this close to midsummer, sunrise had been hours before. As many times as he was posted to northern countries, he never could get used to the hours of daylight in the summer and darkness in the winter.

Under normal circumstances with so many hours to wait, he would have called his private secretary to his cabin to take care of business, but as it happened, his cabin was facing away from the town, and as lovely as the fjord was, having the town in view would help with his instructions to the budding young diplomat in his employ.

It was a beautiful July day. The Ambassador looked at his diary, and realized the significance of the date here. It was, in fact, twenty-one years to the day. He and his colleagues didn't talk about that when they were in Arendelle. It was something of an agreed upon diplomatic taboo. No one was quite sure who exactly had agreed upon it, but none dared bring the topic up either in Arendelle or with any diplomats from Arendelle. Meyer himself had been in Corona at the time, about to embark for the Southern Isles. That trip had been delayed as his kingdom tried to decide if they needed to have a position on matters.

On this assignment and the recent voyage, Meyer had hoped his new secretary might have some more information for him about all that, as his mother had actually moved to Corona from Arendelle shortly before his birth, but on their voyage here, he had only learned that the poor Mrs. Nilsen avoided talking about the past, other than to tell stories of her late husband, the fishing boat captain. And his death had come close enough to those events that his widow was given a pension, sent all the way to Corona each year.

This struck the Ambassador as curious, though he said nothing to the young man, who seemed quite genuine in his love and trust in his mother. The man's talents were evident, though he felt somewhat guilty at how much of the unbridled naive enthusiasm would have to be broken in his chosen profession.

Lars Nilsen had only finished his training in Corona, and he had only made a few visits to neighboring islands before this. He looked even younger than his twenty years, in spite of being on the taller side of average, and trying to grow a small mustache. Meyer wondered if this attempt to look older might be backfiring, though the clean shaven red-haired boy he was at the beginning of the sea voyage looked easily five years younger. 

The Ambassador heard a tentative knock at his cabin door, and stood up to walk over and open it himself, since he had no wish of staying in his cabin for much longer. He hoped the view of the town might help his employee remember some more information, but at least he could give him some ideas for places to ask if anyone had information on his family. Mr. Meyer opened his cabin door.

“Your Excellency!” gasped the young man standing outside as the door opened, “I didn’t wish to disturb you.”

“Mr. Nilsen, as I’ve told you before, you may simply call me Mr. Meyer when we are in private,” said the Ambassador, “and do not worry about disturbing me, I was on my way up to the top deck for some fresh air. You may join me.”

“Thank you, Your... I mean, Mr. Meyer, sir,” he replied, and they walked up the narrow stairs to the top deck.

“Have you been up here to look out since we arrived?” asked Mr. Meyer.

“No, sir, I... just woke up,” admitted Mr. Nilsen, “this is the first time I’ve seen the place.”

“Do you have any family still living here?” probed the Ambassador.

“I don’t know, sir,” admitted the young man, “I don’t think so. My mother told me that her parents had moved here from... Bergen? Goodness, you’d think I remember, but she really didn’t like to talk about that. Her parents died before she got married, though, and I don’t think my father had much family, either, but he died before I was born.”

“I recall,” Mr. Meyer reminded him, “so, you will have no one to visit here, I suppose. That will make it easier to focus on your work, I imagine. Once there is actual work, naturally. The Queen, of course, doesn't take visitors during her confinement, so we may have some state dinners, which still may be useful for meeting their ministers, and perhaps if you're lucky, some of the royal family, at least, those who stay long enough for a conversation, though I suppose I shouldn't judge, as I was lower ranked the last time I was here," he glanced at his secretary, "in the meantime, perhaps you can ask around town after people who might remember your mother and father. A smaller country like this, people are bound to know everyone else."

"I suppose so, Mr. Meyer," the young man replied, "I hadn't really thought about that, though I was thinking about taking some rides around the countryside. It does look lovely."

"You could certainly do both, you know," Mr. Meyer paused to think if there was anything else that would be worth discussing now, and remembered the mail package that had already been brought aboard. "But you will be happy to hear that a package of letters was delivered to our ship this morning, and I believe there are no fewer than three for you. You’re quite a popular young man.”

Mr. Nilsen blushed a bit, but had to admit that he had gotten quite a few letters since leaving Corona, though he didn’t think letters from his mother counted as making him popular, and he felt sorry for anyone whose brother wouldn’t keep in touch while away at sea.

“You’re free to read these at your leisure, if you like,” Mr. Meyer said as he handed the bundle of three letters to his secretary, “I don’t foresee having any business to attend to for at least several hours, particularly being the day it is.”

“Which day?” Mr. Nilsen began, “Oh! Yes, sir. And we aren’t to speak of it.”

“Yes, indeed. Though, of course, no one from Arendelle is around at the moment. I hope you don’t mind speaking of it, as it was fairly close to your father’s death.”

“It was a few weeks later when that happened,” the young man said, “though perhaps he had fallen ill due to the cold. Mother said his heart was a little weak, and he worked too hard.”

“He was a fishing boat captain, you said?”

“Yes,” he said, “and now my brother is a navy lieutenant for Corona. I suppose I was expected to go into the navy, as well... but I don’t seem to take well to the sea.”

“You’ve done well enough on this voyage, though thankfully we’ve had mostly very calm seas,” the ambassador said, though it was not entirely true. Still, the young man recovered quickly enough any time the wind and waves calmed down.

“Yes, indeed, and for that I’m extremely grateful,” he said, “I do hope my future father-in-law will forgive me for being prone to seasickness.”

“Ah, yes, Captain Von der Decken, a good man. He has taken me as a guest many times, though I haven’t met any of his daughters, but as I believe you have a letter from one of them, I shall leave you to read in private. Good day.”

“Thank you, sir,” said the young man.

He watched the ambassador walk toward the front of the ship for the best panoramic views of the town and the fjord. Houses were scattered up what seemed impossibly steep and high cliffs between trees and similarly precariously perched farm fields.

Front was Forward, which meant the back was Aft. Lars could keep those straight, but no matter how many times his brother had tried to explain, he could never keep Port and Starboard straight in his head. He had been very good at languages and rhetoric, and even a bit of mathematics, and had been deciding whether to apprentice to an accountant or a lawyer, when he had been asked to come train for diplomacy. He was hesitant, but his mother told him he shouldn’t refuse. Thankfully, they lived in the city of Corona itself, so he was never very far from his mother during his training, and could see his brother every time he was home from sea.

He looked through the letters, and walked to a protected corner of the top deck. There wasn’t much of a breeze this morning, but he didn’t want to take his chances. He opened his mother’s letter first. If there were any surprises, she would tell him the most gently. He admired her neat, regular handwriting. He did his best, but for a private secretary, had remarkably questionable handwriting. He had never been considered for a clerk, that much was certain. Margit Nilsen’s letter to her son was wonderfully uneventful, with repeated statements of her admiration for his accomplishments, multiple tales of visits with his fiancee and her sisters and their mother, and a mention that his brother’s ship might be visiting Arendelle while he was stationed there.

With this news, Lars decided to look at his brother’s letter next. Lt. Karl Nilsen’s writing was similar to their mother’s, very even, though his was more masculine looking than the mother’s. His latest voyage had been uneventful, as well, with the usual ports in the Baltic. He was happy to see that in a few months’ time, they would, indeed, be visiting Arendelle. There was the usual teasing about his younger brother’s inability to tolerate sea voyages, as well as being hopeless with directions. But after that, he hinted that on their voyage westward in the fall, his captain would like to bring a family guest along. Lars skimmed the rest of the letter, and feeling sure of no other news, he quickly opened his fiancee’s letter.

Corona, July 18th, 1864

My Dearest Lars,

You may have heard by now that my father’s ship will be visiting Arendelle this fall. What you may not have heard is that in a few weeks’ time, the ship will be stopping in Corona, and Father has told me that I will be allowed to travel with him. I will see you in only a few months’ time! With that news, I will be keeping this letter short, so that I may send it out in time, and perhaps be the first to share this wonderful news with you! We shall see what the future brings.

With much love,

Elizabeth von der Decken

Lars carefully folded the letter and gave it a kiss. Before he left, they had talked about when they might have a wedding, but there was no way to settle a date with his being assigned to a post so soon. Perhaps, he could hope, she might not insist on a large wedding with her mother and sisters... He couldn’t really hope for that, but he also didn’t want to make her wait for years to get married.

He carried his letters back down to his cabin, and carefully placed the letters from his mother and brother in the drawer of what passed for a writing desk in his cramped space. It would be packed up with his trunk and moved to his quarters in the castle later that day. Elizabeth’s letter he placed in the jetted pocket on the inside of his jacket.  No matter what the day brought, if he could find a quiet spot, he could be reminded of what might come.

[vernonfielding]

Life Writes Its Own Stories

Welcome to my obsession! An Amy/Jake newspaper AU: Amy Santiago is a Brooklyn crime reporter eager to break the big story. Jake Peralta is a cynical NYPD detective who trusts no one. If they can get over themselves, they may figure out they’re on the same side.

AN: I am incredibly grateful to the amazing @fezzle for her help with this story: as a beta, a cheerleader, a title-brainstormer and a friend. She offered invaluable feedback that changed the whole tenor of this story, in a way that I think made it so much better. I am so lucky to have found her.

A note to readers wary of multi-chapter fics: This story is complete. I will be posting updates every couple of days, unless I get hit by a bus or something, in which case @fezzle has permission to post for me.

And now, onto Chapter 1 of 15! (You can read at AO3 too.)

Chapter 1

Amy took the subway stairs two at a time and sprinted into the bright morning sunshine, slowing down just enough to glance down at the cell phone in her hand and check the time. She was already one minute late.

“Damnit,” Amy said under her breath and picked up her speed again, waving over her shoulder at the taxi that honked when she darted through the traffic on Bergen. She took the turn onto 6th Avenue so fast that she had to flail her arms to keep her balance, then she put her head down and raced. She ran right up to the front entrance of the 99th Precinct and slammed to a stop, gasping for breath.

“Press conference is delayed,” said the cameraman standing beside her. “Nice day, huh?”

Amy glared at him and he laughed. It was approaching triple digits and the humidity was well over 80 percent and she could feel sweat pooling in her lower back and under her breasts. She plucked at the front of her blouse where it was stuck to her chest. At least she wasn’t late.

The other reporters were spread out in a loose ring around the front of the precinct, most of their faces familiar to Amy. There were three TV journalists, a couple of radio folks, the guy from the online newsletter who was at literally every event in Brooklyn – Amy could never tell how he managed it – and, to her surprise and displeasure, reporters from The Times and the Daily News. And she’d thought her day was already a mess – now this story was competitive.

Amy undid her ponytail and tied her hair into a slightly more secure bun, glad to get a little more air on her neck. She took out her phone again and opened the voice recording app, then pulled out her notebook and her favorite pen and her two backup pens, which she shoved into the pocket of her skirt. She was just checking her email when the precinct doors swung open and Captain Pembroke stepped out, followed closely by Scully and a handful of other cops. The reporters surged forward as one, arms thrust out with cell phones and other recording devices. Amy hit “record” on her phone and stacked her notebook on top so she could jot down every word, just in case.

“We made an arrest in the Adams case,” Pembroke said without preamble, in the same smug voice he used for every interaction with the press, no matter how grave the news. “Last night, we took Keith Jones, fiancé of Judy Adams, into custody…”

Amy took down the name of the suspect and then paused, listening as Pembroke went over all the details of the case. She was still a little confused as to why he’d called a press conference. This wasn’t an especially remarkable case, other than that the dead woman was young, blond and beautiful. (Amy had actually spent a weird amount of time studying her eyeshadow to try to figure out how she got such a fantastic daytime smoky-eye.) She’d been found strangled in Prospect Park last weekend, and for a day or so there had been concerns in the community that she was attacked by a stranger preying on women, which was probably why The Times and the Daily News were here. But that didn’t explain why the NYPD was holding a press conference.

Pembroke droned on for a while but he didn’t have much new to say – Amy had already been tipped off about the fiancé by Scully – and when he finally asked for questions, Amy let herself be nudged back by the other reporters as they yelled out their follow-ups. She glanced down at her phone, debating if she could stop recording, when a voice whispered in her ear.

“Ask about the ex.”

Amy jerked and looked back over her shoulder. A man was standing right behind her. He had dark tousled hair and he was wearing sunglasses and a plaid shirt with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows. Amy thought, out of nowhere, ‘He has nice forearms.’ He also had a detective badge around his neck.

“What did you say?” she said.

The detective nodded toward Pembroke. “Ask him about the ex-boyfriend.”

Amy gaped at him for a moment, then turned back to Pembroke, who was smirking in a self-satisfied way at the assembled journalists -- which, again, was not anything new.

“Peralta!” a voice called out.

Amy looked back over her shoulder just as the detective did the same. He glanced once more at Amy, mouthed “the ex” very dramatically, then turned on his heel and walked away.

One of the TV reporters asked if a wedding date for the dead woman and her fiance had been scheduled and Pembroke said, “That’s a stupid question, we’re done” and made for the front door. The reporters let him go, and Amy ducked through the scattering pack of them. She reached Pembroke just as he was pushing open the precinct door.

“Captain?” Pembroke turned and looked her up and down, slowly. Amy felt her skin crawl and she cleared her throat. “Amy Santiago. With the Brooklyn Bulletin. What can you tell me about Judy Adams’ ex-boyfriend?”

Pembroke’s face went suddenly hard and he narrowed his eyes. “Why? Who told you about him?”

“No one,” Amy said, quickly. “Just, I heard there was an ex and I wondered if he was a suspect.”

Pembroke stared at her long enough to make her uncomfortable, then muttered, “No comment” and disappeared into the precinct.

+++

Amy worked the story the rest of the day. A quick look on Facebook confirmed that Judy Adams did have an ex-boyfriend, and he was a cop who worked out of Queens. She tracked down family and friends and talked to the fiance’s lawyer and even got Scully to slip up and tell her that Judy had once taken out a restraining order on her ex. Finally, with just half an hour before deadline and on a last-ditch whim, she called the jail to ask if anyone with the ex-boyfriend’s name was there, and the answer was yes. He’d been booked on murder charges that very afternoon. After Amy confirmed that the birthdate and city of residence of the inmate were the same as the ex-boyfriend – she’d seen it happen before, people with the same name getting confused in the media – she topped off the article and sent it to Terry, who ran it by Holt.

They made the deadline.

“That was good work, Santiago,” Holt said later, after asking her to stop by his office.

The story was Amy’s first big scoop, and Holt had never praised her before, not even a nod the first time she made the front page. She tried to school her face into a professional facade, though based on how much her cheeks hurt from containing her grin, she probably just looked insane.

“I can’t believe they were going to try to pin the murder on her fiancé,” she said, forcing herself to sound cool and casual.

“I doubt they were going to hold him for long.” Holt leaned forward and folded his hands under his chin. “My guess was they wanted to distract us with the fiancé, then let the story blow over for a few days before they arrested the police officer. They only arrested him today because you were asking questions.”

At that, Amy didn’t even bother to fight her grin. “I’m just happy justice will be served,” she said.

Holt nodded sagely and told her to go home. “I’ll want a follow tomorrow on this cop,” he said as she headed back to her desk to pick up her things.

Amy decided to walk home instead of taking the subway. It was late enough that the heat of the day had finally dissipated a little, and anyway, she hadn’t been outside once since getting back to the newsroom. It was nice to breathe some fresh air, such as it was in New York.

Today had been by far her most successful since joining the Bulletin staff three months ago. Honestly, it had been her first successful day, period.

At 30, Amy knew she was a bit on the old side for an entry-level job covering cops at a community newspaper like the Bulletin, but she’d just switched careers after a post-college stint as an elementary school art teacher. She’d actually been surprised when Holt had offered to put her on cops -- it wasn’t the most glamorous beat, but it was a step above general assignment. And it was a beat she genuinely loved. Of course she had aspirations to make it to The Times someday, but for the moment, she was thrilled to be exactly where she was: covering the NYPD, source of the grisliest, most sensational news in the country.

But crime was a tough beat, with especially fierce competition and tight-lipped sources and a lot of gossip and misinformation to contend with. The cops themselves were sometimes the hardest part of the job. There was so much bitter history and genuine mistrust between the NYPD and the media.

Amy had been feeling overwhelmed from her first day, and though Raymond Holt was a smart, inspiring editor in chief, he was also intimidating and she badly wanted to impress him. She’d been barely keeping up with the crimes of the day and had been starting to feel like maybe she didn’t have the spark to nail the bigger stories -- the scoops that make or break a reporter.

Until today, anyway. Amy hummed to herself as she crossed through Fort Greene Park, which was still buzzing with activity even after 10 p.m. on a Friday night, though much of the noise came from the bars and restaurants on the perimeter. Her story would already be online by now, and tomorrow it would be on the front page of the newspaper. She could hardly wait to see the reaction it would get. Even The Times would have to follow her lead.

As she headed up Franklin toward her apartment, Amy replayed the events of the day all over again. It had started with that detective. He’d had an impish smile and unruly hair, but his information had been solid. She wondered why he’d picked her out of the crowd of reporters.

Peralta. That was the name he’d responded to. She’d have to look him up sometime.

+++

“Peralta, you are an idiot.”

Rosa shoved her phone in front of Jake’s face and he jerked back instinctively, sloshing beer down his shirt and into his lap.

“Rosa, what the-”

“Read,” Rosa said, shaking the phone. He took it from her and squinted at the text she’d pulled up on the screen.

“Oh, hey. I didn’t think she’d get the story that fast,” Jake said, impressed.

“What the hell were you thinking?” Rosa snatched her phone back. “The Vulture will slaughter you if he finds out this came from you.”

Jake shrugged, though in reality the very idea of being found out tipping off a reporter made him feel slightly ill. “I just didn’t want to see that asshole get off.”

“You know they were going to arrest him anyway.”

“Yeah, but only after no one gave a shit anymore, and then at least the department could save face,” Jake said. He grabbed a napkin and blotted at his wet clothes. “I’m just tired of this bullshit.”

He knew he didn’t have to explain to Rosa the bullshit he was talking about. The Vulture had taken over the Nine-Nine almost two years ago, and their jobs had been hell ever since.

Pembroke’s stated goal was not so much about catching bad guys, but making the NYPD – and more specifically Pembroke himself – look good. In theory, those were the same goals. But somehow under the Vulture the two paths diverged, and Jake and Rosa had found themselves increasingly pressured to prioritize cases that would get positive media attention and back off of the – as Pembroke put it – garbage ones.

Most of the decent cops in the Nine-Nine had left within a year of the Vulture taking over, but somehow Jake and Rosa were still there, partnered on a lonely island surrounded by cold, unfriendly, shark- (or vulture-) infested waters.

“If you’re thinking of making a habit of this, don’t,” Rosa said, tipping her beer bottle toward Jake in a weirdly threatening way. “The Vulture will find out, and if he doesn’t, Wuntch will. It’s too risky.”

“I know.” Jake sighed, and took a long pull from his beer. “I just kind of lost it today when he actually called a press conference and fed them all lies. He knowingly arrested the wrong man and made him the headline of the day. That’s messed up, Rosa.”

Rosa nodded glumly. “Yeah, that was all kinds of fucked up.”

They drank in silence for a while, ignoring the other cops and assorted locals at Shaw’s. Jake grabbed a handful of nuts from the bowl on their table and picked out the cashews before tossing the rest in his mouth.

Approaching that reporter had been a spontaneous decision. He’d snuck out the back of the precinct to watch the press conference, knowing it was going to piss him off. When the Vulture had started spelling the fiance’s name -- to make sure the journalists got it right, of course -- something in Jake had snapped.

He’d waited until the reporters converged on him to ask their questions and then sidled up right behind the young woman in the back. Her shiny brown hair had been falling out of her bun, the loose strands curling around her neck, and her pink blouse was sticking to her back with sweat. She’d clearly been startled when he’d suddenly whispered in her ear, but she’d recovered quickly. He’d watched her approach Pembroke straight away. So she was brave, or else just new.

Jake left Shaw’s on the early side, after Rosa decided to chew him out some more. At his apartment, he showered and changed into sleep clothes and climbed into bed, then he pulled up the Bulletin story and read it to the end. She’d done good work, and Jake felt an unexpected flush of pride. Rosa was right, he’d taken a big risk -- but it had been the right thing.

He scrolled back up to the top of the story and read the byline.

‘Well,’ Jake thought, as he flipped off his phone and tucked it under his pillow, ‘it was nice working with you, Amy Santiago.’

CHAPTER 2

[dreamsinger-rose]

Smacksgiving Day

So I was thinking about the Trolls Holiday Special, and how random and weird some of the holidays were. Also, how some were so in-your-face that they seemed to be intentionally annoying - and then it hit me. What if the holidays served as a kind of social pressure valve?

All holidays are supposed to be to "release the pressure", as Branch sings in the final song, but since the trolls are supposed to live in a happy, non-violent society, what happens when they get on each other's nerves?

It occurred to me that some of these “holidays” would be a great way to work off your anger at someone. Glitter-palooza - throw glitter in someone's face! Shock-A-Friend Day? Bleepy Sound Day? And one that sounded especially out-of-character for trolls - Smacksgiving Day. A holiday where they're allowed to hit each other? And then (of course) hug afterward.

Smacksgiving Day

Poppy stood nearby, looking at the long line that had formed in front of the booth Branch had built as he stood in the open space between the two side counters, which were piled high with frosting-topped jelly-brownies. "You sure you want to do this, Branch?"

He nodded stoically, his dark purple hair catching the sunlight and turning a vivid amethyst. "I do, Poppy. I know I've hurt a lot of trolls, and I'm willing to do whatever it takes to make peace with everyone."

"Well, okay…" She clapped her hands. "You heard him, everyone. Get ready to slap Branch in the face to give him some peace!”

She caught him giving her a ‘that’s not what I meant,’ look, but she simply smiled enigmatically at him.

***

Earlier that day…

“Happy Smacksgiving Day, everyone!” Poppy grinned at the vividly-colored cheeks that turned in her direction. “Ooo, Cooper, both cheeks? Someone’s popular today.”

She felt the sharp slap of a hand on her face and turned to see powder-blue Chenille beaming at her while her pink twin sister Satin put her hands on her hips. “Chenille, we agreed that I could slap her first!”

Chenille gave Poppy a quick hug, then backed away and sneered at Satin. “Oh, slap me!”

“Well…if you insist,” Satin said slyly, and swung the loop of hair that connected them around Poppy.

“Hey!” Poppy struggled to get her arms free as Satin used her as a pivot point, lifting and yanking and spinning the young queen dizzy as the twins squabbled, thoroughly engaged in what was apparently their favorite pastime aside from designing fashionable clothes.

Yodeling a mock battle cry, Guy Diamond made a wild leap for Smidge, who used her hair to zip up to the heights of a nearby giant mushroom. “Too slow, sucker!” her gravelly voice boomed.

Poppy used her magenta hair like a tripod to push her hair-wrapped body high into the air, attracting the attention of dozens of nearby trolls. “Guys, hold up a second! I have an important request to pass on!”

The watching trolls gave her mixed looks of curiosity and wariness. “For real, or is this just a trick to get us into slapping range?” Smidge asked, then shrugged. “Of course, if you need to resort to trickery, I shall have no mercy, but-”

“No, it’s a real request. It’s from Branch.” The twins loosened their hair and Poppy coiled her hair like a spring and bounced up to stand on the mushroom next to Smidge. “Can everyone come here for minute?” she called out to the brightly-colored crowd that had already begun to gather around their queen.

“Let me guess, he wants us to take it easy on him, since it’s his first Smacksgiving Day and all,” D.J. Suki suggested calmly. 

Many of the nearby trolls nodded their heads understandingly, smiling at the thought of the brave young troll who had given them all refuge in his well-stocked bunker and then left to help the princess on a rescue mission that ended up including the lives of every troll in the village.

“It figures,” Smidge began scornfully, but Poppy shook her head.

“No, just the opposite. He wants us to be hard on him.”

“What?” exclaimed a dozen trolls, with Guy Diamond’s oscillating tone rising above the general confusion. The crowd broke into a gabble of conversation, through which Poppy waited patiently while more and more trolls arrived.

When the majority of the village had gathered, she raised her hands and clapped then over her head. “Okay, listen up, everyone! Yesterday Branch asked me to let everyone know that he wants to make up for being such a buzzkill for most of his life. He’s offering to let anyone who wants to slap-hug him to go see him at the booth he’s setting up in the village square.”

“You mean he’s just going to stand there and let people slap him?” sentimental Satin asked her with wide eyes.

“Where’s the sport in that?” Smidge wrinkled her forehead.

“That doesn’t sound like much fun. It sounds like…punishment,” Cooper said slowly. “The bad kind, not funishment.”

“Poppy,” Biggie said carefully, his face creasing as he tried to understand. “Do you want us to …punish… Branch?”

The crowd gasped and Mister Dinkles mewed. “Oh my gad,” Smidge said, her eyes so huge they threatened to take up half her face.

“Noooo way!” Guy Diamond trilled indignantly. “We don’t punish. That’s not the troooll way!”

“No, no, no!” Poppy rapidly waved her hands from side to side. “It’s not – Well, I think he – I think Branch feels really bad about how mean he’s been to people over the years.”

“Why doesn’t he just apologize? We’d forgive him, wouldn’t we?” D. J. turned to look at the crowd and many of them nodded or smiled or murmured assent.

Poppy carefully noted that not everyone seemed to agree. Some trolls had a harder time forgiving and forgetting than others, including one special troll in particular who sometimes made her heart ache with sadness for him. She’d spent years trying to get through to him, and now that he was finally opening up a little, she was getting a better sense of who he was and how his mind worked. And how to finally soothe his heart.

She spoke up. “But this is Branch we’re talking about. He doesn’t think like other trolls. He takes things too seriously, and he has a tendency to feel responsible for things that maybe aren’t really his fault.” She felt the corners of her mouth turn down as her voice went a little husky. “And then he punishes himself for them.”

By the looks on their faces she knew her friends understood that she was referring to how he’d refused to allow himself to sing after his innocent childhood song had attracted the attention of the bergen that had eaten his grandmother in place of little Branch. Grief and guilt together had kept him gray and guarded for twenty long years, until the love and forgiveness Poppy and her friends had given him after his heartbreaking confession had finally begun to heal his heart. He’d smiled at her, a real smile free of sarcasm or artifice, a smile she did everything she could to bring out so that he would never fall back into the grayness.

At the uncharacteristically somber look on their queen’s face, the crowd’s chatter died down. Poppy smiled reassuringly down at everyone, explaining, “So we wouldn’t really be punishing him, we’d be helping him feel less guilty.”

“Ohhh.” The ripple of understanding caused bright smiles to spread through the crowd.

Smidge shrugged. “Fine by me. Colors or no colors; he’s still such a weirdo, but if it makes him happy…”

“Be gentle, everyone,” Poppy cautioned, watching hair of every color of the rainbow sway as they all nodded.

“Well, of course we will,” Cooper said reassuringly. “He’s our buddy!”

“Princess Poppy, what if we can’t think of anything to be mad at him for?” one of the children asked.

“Oh, you don’t have to do this. Branch just wants to give people a chance to speak their minds. If you’re not mad, it’s all good,” the rosy queen said cheerfully.

***

Most of the trolls satisfied themselves with a gentle slap to his pale aqua cheeks - which quickly became deep lavender, although Poppy suspected it was mostly due to shame rather than blunt force trauma.

Each of the gathered trolls also aired their grievances. The troll queen wasn’t sure how many were genuine and how many had been dreamed up by those trolls who felt it their duty to help lighten the burden of the brave young troll who had literally brought back the light inside all of them, but a few were so obviously fake that she slapped her forehead and groaned. She hoped he wouldn’t notice.

"You told me my singing was off-key!" "Electric blue and orange do SO go together!" "You ruined three of my parties with your bergen-warnings! Even though you turned out to be right in the end, you never apologized for those other times!" “I hate cupcakes!”

Poppy raised an eyebrow. How is that Branch’s fault?

"I'm so sorry," he said to each troll. “Please forgive me.”

How could you not forgive that sad little face? Poppy felt her heart flutter and brought her hands up to cover her chest, smiling with loving empathy at the former recluse with sincere sky-blue eyes who was so determinedly doing what he thought was right, even though his method for doing so made more than a few trolls scratch their heads.  

Branch had a soulful, troubled look that made many of them pause, mentally comparing the woebegone face of the handsome aquamarine troll with the sour, hostile gray face that was all most of them could remember. The face that all of them had witnessed gain its long-lost colors right in front of them. The face that had literally brought them all back from the awful gray pit of numb despair, touching them all with his gentle compassion, his tender hope, and his passionate devotion to their beloved princess.

No one doubted that Branch was deeply in love with her, and watching the two of them now, with Poppy standing so protectively near him made most of them feel any remaining animosity for the young troll drain away, replaced by a warm, fuzzy feeling that was much preferred by the happiest creatures in the forest.

"Of course I forgive you," each troll replied. The hugs that followed were invariably warm and affectionate, and Branch was glad to receive every one.

“Would you like a jelly-brownie?” he offered. “They’re made from my grandma’s recipe.”

Poppy stood nearby with clasped hands, so proud of him she could hardly contain herself. When the last troll had gone, she looked at his puffy lavender cheeks and giggled. "Well, no one can say now that they're still mad at you after this. How long did that take, an hour?"

He shrugged, not wanting to say anything through sore lips. She gave him a sympathetic smile and took his hand in hers. "Come on, let's go put some cold compresses on your face."

He looked down at their clasped hands and fought to control the smile that wanted to torment his sore face. Instead he squeezed her hand, glad that she had not seemed to want to join the line, in spite of all the grief he'd given her over the years. Still, ever cautious, he decided to make sure. "Poppy?" he mumbled. As she turned to him, he shifted his grip to her wrist and held her hand up in front of his face.

"Oh." For a moment Poppy seemed to consider it. It was Smackgiving Day, after all. She twisted her hand out of his grasp and he closed his eyes, tilting his cheek up in silent offering.

Nothing happened for a long moment. He opened his eye a crack to see her giving him a loving smile, and then her hand loomed in front of his face and he reflexively closed his eye. Something made contact with his face, but rather than the sharp sting he had become accustomed to, her touch was gentle, soothing, a caress that slid down his sore face and under his chin, her fingers teasing his downy skin in a way that sent tingles right down to his toes. He pulled in a deep breath and his hands clenched as he held himself still, content to remain like that as long as she cared to touch him.

He remembered the look in her eyes, and smiled slightly despite his tender face, almost sure that the love he’d seen there was more than just friendship-love, but happy to see it there all the same. As long as she loved him there was a warmth inside him, a sense of connection, driving back the dark desolation that had once made him avoid all contact with others.

He dared not open his eyes, standing there in rapt pleasure until finally her hand moved away and he opened them to see her giving him a gentle, thoughtful look. "I guess I don't feel like it this year," she said in answer to the question he’d forgotten he’d asked. The pink queen smiled wryly. "In fact, this is probably the first year I haven't felt like slapping you for all the rude things you've said.” Her voice went husky, a sure sign that she was feeling emotional. “I’m so proud of you, Branch."

He felt a surge of warmth at her praise and his cheeks hurt as the smile he was trying to contain widened. Made bold by her touch, he held up his large hand and reached toward her, making contact even as she automatically winced in anticipation, scrunching her eyes shut. Then she seemed to realize that he was only cupping her cheek gently and giving her a soft look to make his message clear.

"You neither, huh?" She placed her warm hand over his, closing her eyes and pressing her face more firmly into his hand. She took a deep, slow breath, smiling dreamily, then opened her eyes and pulled his hand away to clasp it once more. "Come on, let's go before someone else spots you." She grinned as she led him away, and he was more than willing to follow.

***

Author’s Note:

Thanks to eva-93 for her timely comment that got me thinking of revising this fic to include a good reason for the other trolls to cooperate. When I first got the idea for this fic I had seen the Holiday special but not TTBGO, so I hadn’t yet seen the Creek Week episode about the trolls’ attitude toward forgiveness.

Speaking of trolls and forgiveness, we know Branch and even Poppy finds it hard to forgive. And while we know Poppy’s friends forgave Creek in TTBGO after a simple apology, we don’t know if all the other trolls did. The majority of the village trolls were only captured due to Creek’s betrayal. Poppy, Branch and the others were spared that experience, of looking up at Creek, sitting on Chef’s shoulder like an evil demon with the same serene smile they’d once admired. Considering how terrified the rest of the villagers all were of the bergens in the first episode of TTBGO, even though they’d danced the whole night with them during the movie, I think it’s reasonable to believe that not all trolls can forgive so easily.

Did you catch the Doctor Who reference? The fourth doctor offers people “jelly-babies”. I couldn’t resist, lol.

[jenmedsbookreviews]

You have to admit – this is not a bad way to start a week huh? It was lush if somewhat sickly but highly recommended. I love Ole & Steen on Haymarket. Best Danish pastry I have tasted. If you are in London then you simply must go. Their sandwiches and coffees aren’t bad either.

After starting last week’s post with a puppy picture, I was asked for a cat this week so here you go.

Not what you were expecting? He’s still pretty cute though. For those wanting a kitty of a slighter small size and shape here’s one for you.

None of this has anything to do with books but then what is new. Well … the cake kind of links back to books as I did eat it prior to heading on over to City University and First Monday Crime last week. A wonderfully bookish night of entertainment courtesy of Barry Forshaw, Stuart Turton, Leigh Russell and john Connolly. Sadly, thanks to the sudden descent of fog upon the country Rachel Abbott didn’t make it but the panel still kept us wholly entertained with discussions on why kids don’t read much, whether Stuart Turton loves or hates Agatha Christie and whether John Connolly writes horror or crime or a hybrid. For more on the evening as a whole I recommend that you read Joy Kluver’s write up here. I was far to enthralled and entertained to take decent notes but I did grab a couple of pictures.

Now, you may or may not have worked out from my overly gushing post the other week about The Woman in the Woods that I’m a small fan of John Connolly’s Charlie Parker books. I did the thoroughly bookishly geeky thing of queuing to get my copy signed (even though I have a signed copy on the way from Goldsboro books anyway – this was personalised) and unlike me, I managed to get out more of a sentence than ‘I liked your book’. When Mr C remarked that I had already read it, I explained that I’d reviewed it the previous week. After a surprised ‘that was you!’ I got a totally unexpected and unsolicited hug of thanks from the man himself.

Now I am not prone to the old huggage, hand shakes are still somewhat of a necessary evil IMHO, even for work. I want to die when I meet my European colleagues with their strange air kiss/cheek rub ways. I can never remember which is which and who is going to fire in for one, two or even three kisses. Three!!! I mean, what the heck?Where I come from that’s borderline asking for your hand in marriage or at the very least an indecent proposal!

Those who know me well know that this hugging phenomenon is something I am struggling to come to terms with about the bookish world. You lot are very huggy people. This one though I did not mind at all. Not in any weird kind of freaky stalkerish way I hasten to add, but it was just so surprising as I am sure that authors such as John Connolly and the rest of the panel get hundreds of reviews and kind comments all the time, so to know that he read and was genuinely thankful for the review makes this whole blogging thing worth while. In it’s own odd way it’s kind of different to greeting people who you may have conversed with a bit on line or perhaps met before too as that’s where you expect a kind of happy but strange hug/air kiss/pre proposal type scenario 😉😬. I mean I’d have been as happy with a genuine and enthusiastic thank you but I’m not complaining.;) And I now have another book in my signed collection which also contains huge hugs (at least this is what we deciphered it as saying lol)!!! Good night out.

This was the most exciting thing to happen to me all week as other than this I have had a trip just south of Lille for another two hour meeting (and the kiss/don’t kiss, one two or three nightmare) and a lot of work twaddle to contend with. I completed week 4 of my Forensic Psychology – Witness Investigation course and week 1 of the Forensic Science course that I am trying to undertake alongside blogging and working and travelling and occasional sleeping so that is a bonus. I also got two other new signed books this week. First up was a copy of DM Mark’s The Zealot’s Bones (warning to the sensitive the cover has a scary rat and you may wish to scroll on) and a second signed copy of Written in Bones by James Oswald, simply because it was signed and dated on my birthday last year. That seemed like fate to me so it had to be done.

Ahhh. Book. Heaven. Not too shabby a week huh? Well apart from work but we can gloss over that part …

New book wise I have been ordering from Goldsboro again. This time it’s a signed copy of The Blood Road by Stuart MacBride which is released in June. Happy bunny time over here then. From Amazon my purchases have been limited (yeah right) and I only ordered the US hard cover of Ragnar Jonasson’s Black Out because it is stunning (and I have the first two in the set so it seemed rude not to). From the UK I ordered The Zealot’s Bones by DM Mark (I can’t read a signed copy…); Down To The Woods by MJ Arlidge; Counting the Dead by Victoria Jenkins and No Turning Back by Sam Blake.

Netgalley wise I have had a few books. It’s a mixture of tour requests, direct invites to review in the case of Peter James and Ruth Dugdall and ‘I just want to read these’ requests. I picked up Body and Soul by John Harvey; The Things You Didn’t See by Ruth Dugdall; The Retreat by Mark Edwards; Dead If you Don’t by Peter James and One Little Lie by Sam Carrington. I was also sent an early copy of The Chosen Ones by Carol Wyer which is absolutely bloody fabulous I might add.

Reading wise I’ve not had too shabby a week all things considered. I am still shattered so i think to have finished reading four books again this week is quite pleasing.

Books I have read

The Ice Swimmer – Kjell Ola Dahl

When a dead man is lifted from the freezing waters of Oslo Harbour just before Christmas, Detective Lena Stigersand’s stressful life suddenly becomes even more complicated. Not only is she dealing with a cancer scare, a stalker and an untrustworthy boyfriend, but it seems both a politician and Norway’s security services might be involved in the murder. 

With her trusted colleagues, Gunnarstranda and Frølich, at her side, Lena digs deep into the case and finds that it not only goes to the heart of the Norwegian establishment, but it might be rather to close to her personal life for comfort.

Dark, complex and nail-bitingly tense, The Ice Swimmer is the latest and most unforgettable instalment in the critically acclaimed Oslo Detective series, by the godfather of Nordic Noir.

My review of this brilliant novel will be out later this week but I truly love the writing style and the feel of this Oslo based thriller. Slower in pace than most Detective novels it is still engaging and has so many hold your breath moments that you won’t be able to turn away. You can buy your own copy here.

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Body and Soul – John Harvey

From the master of British Crime Writing comes Frank Elder’s last case.

‘The heavy manacles around the girl’s wrists, perhaps not surprisingly, looked very much like the ones that had been found on the studio floor. For a moment, she had a vision of the chain to which they were attached being swung through the air, taking on force and speed before striking home.Then swung again.’

When his estranged daughter Katherine appears on his doorstep, ex-Detective Frank Elder knows that something is wrong.

Katherine has long been troubled, and Elder has always felt powerless to help her.

But now Katherine has begun to self-destruct.

The breakdown of her affair with a controversial artist has sent her into a tailspin which culminates in murder.

And as Elder struggles to protect his daughter and prove her innocence, the terrors of the past threaten them both once more …

The last in the series this is the first book I have read by John Harvey. Nothing new there for me. Fast paced and gripping from the off, it does contain spoilers for prior novels so be aware before setting off, but as a first read it also gives enough back ground to put everything in context and keep you on edge all along. My review will be posted later this week and you can buy your own copy here.

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The Chosen Ones – Carol Wyer

They had not been forgiven. And they would never be forgotten …. When a doting young father is murdered and his body discovered in a cornfield for his family to see, it’s a harrowing new case for Detective Robyn Carter. But just as Robyn starts to investigate, a popular local doctor and young mother, is found dead outside her surgery.

As Robyn tries to find the link between the victims, she uncovers a dark web of secrets. Were these much-loved members of the community as innocent as they seemed? 

The killer has a message for Robyn and the carefully chosen victims. Can Robyn get to the truth before she becomes the next target? 

If you love Angela Marsons, Patricia Gibney and Rachel Abbott, you’ll love the latest pulse-pounding thriller from Carol Wyer. The Chosen Ones will keep you guessing until the very last page.

What I love about this series, aside from the great characters and the brilliant writing, is that it is set very locally to me and I always chuckle when I see local references. Plenty of that in this book, alongside a chilling set of murders which will make your toes curl and keep you right at the edge of a very uncomfortable seat. Loved it. My review will be a long time coming as publication isn’t until later next month, but you can preorder a copy here. Totally worth it.

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The Girl Who Got Revenge – Marnie Riches

Revenge is a dish best served deadly…

A twelve-year-old girl is found dead at the Amsterdam port. An old man dies mysteriously in a doctors’ waiting room. Two seemingly unconnected cases, but Inspector Van den Bergen doesn’t think so…

Criminologist George McKenzie is called in to help crack the case before it’s too late. But the truth is far more deadly than anyone can imagine… Can George get justice for the dead before she ends up six-feet under too?

A heart-racing thriller packed with secrets, lies and the ultimate revenge, perfect for fans of Steig Larsson and Jo Nesbo.

Love this series, loved this book. George McKenzie and her lover Van den Bergen are back and boy what a case they are faced with. Human trafficking and unexplained deaths of admittedly quite aged men. Full of the humour, darkness and brilliant plotting that threads through this series, fans will not be disappointed. My review and an extract from the book will be up on the blog this weekend, but you can order your own copy here.

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Busy week on the blog so here is a recap:

A Grand Old Time by Judy Leigh

My Little Eye by Stephanie Marland

Too Close To Breathe by Olivia Kiernan

The Summer Theatre By The Sea by Tracy Corbett

Deadly Secrets by Robert Bryndza

Keeper by Johana Gustawsson

Cover Reveal: The Picture – Roger Bray

The week ahead is pretty tame in comparison although I do have a few tours on the cards for the Ice Swimmer by Kjell Ola Dahl; Body and Soul by John Harvey; The Dark Web by Christopher Lowery; East if India by Erica Brown (Mandie’s review) and The Girl Who Got Revenge by Marnie Riches.

Do have a fabulously bookish week everyone. I will be mostly reading, studying and possibly (maybe) thinking about starting writing myself. Only possibly maybe ish. But probably not. Bust, busy and all that.

Jen

Rewind, recap: Weekly update w/e 15/04/18 You have to admit - this is not a bad way to start a week huh? It was lush if somewhat sickly but highly recommended.