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seldomscilence16 · 28 days ago

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My work for the "Sing it together zine"!

The overall theme was "Relationships"! I chose to focus on Branch and Kismet! Read it on AO3 Here or below the cut! Thanks again @sing-it-togetherzine for hosting this amazingness!

Find the Zine for download Here! And check out all the amazing contributors!

Branch had spent 20 years of his life stubbornly alone and dedicated to the hard work it took to keep himself- and the village- as safe as it could be. He rarely had time for breaks, though his routine was something he’s grown accustomed to, a system that worked for him and allowed him to be as prepared as he possibly could be. A system that was currently being uprooted and redone as his life as he knew it changed, as he had to try to adapt to new circumstances and being a part of a society again- Not that he was complaining!

At least, not out loud…

He just hadn’t thought so much would change over such a short time! A little over a week ago, he was the village outcast, a paranoid party pooper with very little social contact. Now, with colors renewed and everyone more than surprised he helped with the rescue at all, they were all testing the waters and expecting things and Poppy was so excited for him and he didn’t want to let her down. Not to mention his friends-the ones who almost died, the ones who had been trying for years to help him out- he didn’t want to disappoint them.

So, despite the tribe's forte of making quick work of projects, despite Poppy’s unnatural gift of creating a scrapbook in mere seconds, the week had been filled dusk to dawn with repairs and preparations. Because of course they were going to celebrate, and that meant a party, and with everyone working together under Poppy’s lead, Branch had no doubt they’d yield the hoped for results. He just… had little experience working with others. Brief childhood moments of it sure, but this was the village that ostracized him for two decades, it was… strange. It was taking all his energy to keep up with all these social obligations and keeping his newly regained colors as bright as was expected. To say he was tired was an understatement, but it wasn't a new feeling, he’d dealt with far worse over the years, and he wasn’t doing anything different than everyone else!

So no, Branch wasn’t sick.

There was too much to do and he was simply a little tired. Nothing was wrong.

He wobbles slightly on his feet as he stands, but obviously that's just because he stood up too fast, so he widens his stance, stretches out his tail as a counter balance, breathes and continues on because he has to. He has to collect those… whatever it was on his list, and then head over to the square to give them to… whoever… and then he was supposed to help set up! Poppy insisted, and he was trying to be better after… everything.

Helping Poppy on her rescue mission to save captured Trolls from Chef, then somehow turning that into stopping Bergens from eating Trolls ever again, and regaining his color, it had been a… wild ride to say the least. And now, now he was supposed to be a part of society again, and contributing in ways that ‘mattered’ and ‘made a difference’. That meant helping set up and getting supplies and attending and-

He sways on his feet again, he’s barely made it to the lift. He needs to finish his list. Grabbing his basket, forcing his legs to stop shaking, he heads up and out to find… berries? Yeah that sounded right, he would find the heck out of those berries…

~~~

Being captured by Bergens and living their worst nightmare had been… an ordeal. But to admit that it was still affecting them when they were ‘friends’ with the Bergens now, when they as a society frowned on holding onto the negative, it wasn't something they wanted to advertise. Besides, the snack pack seemed fine, so if they could focus on the party, so could they!

But first maybe they’d just go bug Branch instead… to make sure he didn’t need help collecting all those ingredients.

“Usually we’re keeping others from bugging Branch about a party, a little ironic that we’re going to bug him about preparations for one.” Boom remarks idly, smiling slightly at the thought.

“It's certainly different.” Hype agrees easily, walking backwards as he swings his own tail around nonchalantly.

“Hm, I’m a little worried to be honest.” Ablaze admits quietly, far enough from the Village now to speak more freely.

“I don’t know, I mean…” Trickee gives an unsure shrug, “He’s actually socializing…that has to be something right?”

Even as he says it, they can all agree there's an uneasiness that can’t be ignored. As they come upon Branch’s bunker, entrance ajar, it grows further. A shared look is all it takes before they begin their frantic search.

~~~

Branch stares up at the orange sky with a confused tilt to his brows.

It… It had definitely been morning when he’d left his home…

Did he… get stung, or attacked? He feels… wrong, off, not good. Why? What happened? He was… collecting something… for the… Party! He has to get to the party! He’s so late! They’re gonna be so mad that he didn’t show up to help! He was supposed to be doing better! He needed to-

His body refused to move, limbs uncooperative, and head spinning at the very thought of changing position. His chest feels like he’s been crushed by a boulder, nose stuffed and throat dry and scratchy, maybe he was poisoned… It's happened before. So long as a predator wasn’t nearby he could probably get by with resting here a few moments until he could drag himself home. He’d… he’d have to write Poppy an apology letter.

Something moves in his peripheral.

He curses his luck as his vision blurs when he moves his head, and darkness befalls him before he can take in the threat and even try to convince his body to do anything else. He supposed he wouldn’t have to write that letter afterall.

~~~

Trickee’s heart is in his throat as he runs, had been the minute they’d seen the bunker entrance, knowing that Branch would never be so careless. With his home empty and no sign of him in his garden or otherwise, they’d spread out to search his usual paths, where he’d go to collect supplies. It’s been hours since then, sunset starting to set in and threatening to make their search all the harder- all the more dangerous. The very thought of Branch being in trouble, from predators or otherwise, felt like a stab to the heart. They should have been there, they should have come earlier, should have checked on him, anything! If something were to happen to him-

He slides and topples over when he catches something just to his left, rolling back to his feet covered in dirt but without a care. Shoving foliage out of his way to get a better look, relief and fear hit him like a caterbus. Branch is laying in a small clearing next to a bunch of berry bushes, his head turning ever so slightly before his eyes roll up into his head and close, body going limp. To say his heart stops as he stumbles forward is an understatement, tripping over his feet, stepping on his own tail, and crashing to his knees beside the prone form of one of his oldest friends.

“Oh please be alive, don’t do that to me, I will be so mad-” Tears blur his vision at the very thought, hands fluttering about as he blinks quickly to assess the damage.

His lips are parted, his breathing shallow and harsh- sounding wet and congested- but he’s breathing and Trickee will take it. Besides the flush to his cheeks and the furrow in his brow, his fur and skin below it seem pale, but the dimming light is no help. A shiver wracks Branch’s frame, the air is still pleasantly warm, he needs to get him home. Taking a few breaths, he releases a sharp tune of a whistle, waiting to hear it echoed through the trees, before carefully gathering his ailing friend in his arms.

They’d take care of him.

~~~

Branch stares at Grandma where she flits around the room with a nervous hum under her breath, adjusting this and that before adjusting it back to where it was before. Usually she’s only like this with his brothers’ stuff, the things they both silently hope they’ll return for but they don’t talk about, but this is his room. Or… he thinks it is. It looks different, not the soft glowing colors of a pod, but rather an earthiness that reminds him of-

Dirt, hard beneath his knees as he stares at desaturated hands, one arm limp and his side gone scarily numb-

Dirt, surrounding him as screaming Trolls run and scream and shovels and pickaxes are breaking through above them and he’s lost and alone and scared-

Dirt, caked onto his feet, smeared in the corners of a bustling kitchen-

Dirt, carved through with his own two paws, stabilized and organized with years of blood sweat and tears and hard work-

Grandma comes closer and brushes a gentle hand over his forehead, a sad smile on her face-

Branch’s eyes pop open, the room spins and blurs, a nauseating mix of earthy tones and a few pops of colors that confuse his tired brain. A slightly calloused hand lays across his forehead, sound tries to reach his ears like he’s trapped underwater and he can’t make anything out- His heart beats like a stampede, his aching limbs refuse to find purchase enough to move him away, he doesn’t know what's happening-

One of the blobs of color moves closer, until the gentle ‘thunk’ of a head meets his own and he’s eye to eye with familiar iris’. His body relaxes before he can consciously make the decision, staring blearily into waterworn seaglass of warm brown, as his brain fails to catch up with anything besides ‘safe’. It takes only a few moments more for exhaustion to pull at his eyelids and limbs, for that ache in his head, nose and chest to turn heavy and persistent. For having just woken up, and to have been panicking at the unknown just a second ago, his body sure is quick to decide sleep is fine again.

One slow blink turns to two, a tingle in his throat makes him want to cough, a warm cup to his lips clears his nose for just a moment before a soothing path of heat travels down his throat, and his eyes slip closed as his head hits the pillow once more.

~~~

As their youngest friends' eyes close again, their shoulders sag simultaneously. Branch had woken on and off multiple times the last few days, either loopy and mumbling things that made their heart hurt, or terrified as he cowered away which also made their hearts hurt.

Honestly their hearts hadn’t stopped hurting since this whole thing began. They had seen Branch bustling about the village as they repaired and prepped, but only in passing, they were all beyond busy so it wasn't a surprise, and they had planned to have a small cozy get together with Branch to thank him for everything. Not to find him passed out and sick with concerningly fluctuating colors.

He’d looked overly saturated back in Bergen Town, not the colors of his youth but like an overly bright picture of what one would expect. It’d calmed down a bit when they’d gotten back, looking a little more familiar, then it had changed at every glance they got of him. From the overly saturated tones to something a bit duller than those around him, now-even in unconsciousness- everytime it shifted to that darker tone closer to what they'd grown used to over the last couple decades, Branch would get this panicked look on his unconscious face and they’d suddenly get brighter. This is usually when his fever would spike again.

The four had no idea what to do, Branch was never awake long enough to talk about it.

“You know,” Trickee starts hesitantly, hand finding Branch’s own, “You accepted all of us without much thought as kids, you were in pain and scared, but your heart of gold… colors or not Branch, you’ve always had a glow about you.”

“I don’t care what the village says, Branch. You’ve always been…” Hype struggles for a moment before his eyes light up, “Like a shooting star! You're this light, that can’t see itself while you're like magic to everyone else.”

“You’ve turned pain into passion, You’re still alive.” Ablaze places a cool cloth on Branch’s forehead, a soothing hand smoothing out his hair where it's been caught by sweat.

“And none of us are going to leave.” Boom sits at the foot of the bed, a gentle hand on a sheet covered ankle, “You couldn’t get rid of us after 2 decades of grumpiness, it's not gonna change now.”

They all share a look with soft smiles, of conversations shared when death felt certain,

“We love you Branch, your scars, your glow, your grumpiness, your heart, your color no matter what it is, your everything. We aren’t going anywhere, we’ve fallen, and we’re fine with that.”

They don’t know if it got through, if Branch can hear them at all, but they’ll say it as many times as needed.

~~~

“I told you guys to leave me alone.”

Don’t get too close.

“Maybe we’re just collecting berries.”

My scars are too deep,

“You don’t like these berries, Hype is allergic, and Boom has a garden that is Ablaze’s only source he trusts to pick from.”

I don’t want you guys to fall… to get hurt… because of me.

“I trust Boom,” A bump to his shoulder, “Just like I trust you.”

Why? Everyone around me leaves or dies.

“Oo, what are those?”

So why have you stayed?

~~~

“We love you Branch, your scars, your glow, your grumpiness, your heart, your color no matter what it is, your everything. We aren’t going anywhere, we’ve fallen, and we’re fine with that.”

The words echo like a dream lingering on the edges of your memory as you wake, but Branch has never had such dreams before.

He would do anything for the four Trolls sure, the very thought of leaving them to be Bergen chow did not cross his mind. It was either die trying to save them or get them back safely, there was never another option. Living without them just… didn’t seem possible.

But everyone he’d ever loved…

His eyes have to be peeled apart, the dim lighting of the room still too bright. His head still throbs dully, his limbs heavy, but he feels better than he had. He knows where he is, his bunker, safe and sound, but the last thing he remembered….

The party!

Oh cupcakes, he was supposed to be collecting supplies and helping set up! What time was it?! He forces his body to sit up, the wave of dizziness hitting him like a catterbus and sends his stomach roiling.

“Whoa, alright, it's okay, you're okay, just breathe,” some rustling beside him, “get the waste basket!” their volume is low, he appreciates it immensely.

Someone fluffs his pillows up, leaning him back gently as a trashcan is held near him, but he doesn't think he has anything to put in it anyway. He feels weak and empty.

“Can you hear us, B?”

He raises his head slowly, taking in the room more carefully this time and actually seeing the four other occupants. He blinks a few times in surprise, as if to clear them from his vision as hallucinations, but they remain. Those words ring again and a light blush rises to his cheeks,

“You guys,” his voice grates on his throat, a hoarse cough interrupting the words, “are actually here…”

“And you're actually seeing us!” Hype grins widely, pure joy at the notion seeping from his very being.

“You gave us quite the scare, Branch, how are you feeling now though?” Trickee is holding a mug of something steaming and Branch doubts its coffee but he’d take just about anything at this point.

He takes the mug in trembling hands, with a grateful nod, allowing the hot broth to soothe his throat and settle warmly in his gut before responding.

“I’ve felt worse.” He says honestly, he holds the mug close to his face in hopes of hiding his next sentence or at least the blush, “Nice sight to wake up to though…”

By the surprised and downright dopey grins he receives in return, he didn't hide it well enough.

“Awe, Branch!” Coo’s fill his room as the four Trolls get closer with teasing glints to their eyes.

“Stop it, no, I take it back, you're all actually the worst.” Branch sinks into his sheets, flushed and awkward and avoiding looking at them all as he prays to be swallowed whole by his bed.

“Alright, all teasing aside!” Boom cuts in first, mirth and sympathy an odd mix to his tone- though he is usually on the receiving end of such teasing, so his mercy is appreciated- his voice coming from right beside Branch as the bed dips, “We’re glad we got to you when we did.” A heavier air falls on the room.

Chancing a glance, he finds his yellow friend with a morose expression, staring hard at the sheets, or perhaps through them. The other three aren’t much better, and it has a guilt settling over his heart deep and painful.

“Sorry…” He utters, stress was the last thing he meant to cause with all of this, not after all they’d gone through. This party was supposed to help them relax and wind down from the terrifying experience, not add to their plate.

“Hey, none of that.” Ablaze chastises gently, sitting at the foot of the bed, “Honestly, kinda glad we didn’t have to go to the party. Would’a preferred it be a nice movie night, but the fact there was a you to take care of was fine too.”

“We’re mostly just saying to tell us next time you aren’t feeling well.” Boom finishes, hand landing on his covered leg to draw soothing circles.

“Especially with forcing your colors,” Trickee cuts in sternly, “You could have caused yourself some serious harm, Branch.”

He flushes again, though in mortification this time, Ablaze holds up his hand before Branch can stutter out a response,

“We’re here to help you out now, B.”

“Not getting rid of us, that's for sure.” Hype agrees, “If Troll eating giants can’t keep us apart, I don’t think a few scars will either, yeah?”

Branch looks from one friend to another where they sit around his bed, open faces with soft smiles and tired eyes full of hope. He doesn’t know how long it's been, how long they’ve stayed by his side in the throes of his sickness. The weight on their shoulders is visible, and Branch can only imagine all that's going through their minds after everything.

“I’d fight every giant in the world for you guys.” Branch admits quietly, “I hope I don’t have to, but I would. Anything for you all.”

And if that weight lessens just a bit, well Branch will do everything he can to continue helping, to stay by their sides like they’ve stayed by his. The misty eyes that meet his own are the only warning he gets to put the mug aside as he’s tackled in a group hug. Warmth spreads across typically cold and numb limbs, feeling safe and protected, and loved.

“I love you guys too.” It's tentative, spoken quietly into the tangle of arms, but from how they tighten, he knows he was heard.

He was not pushed away, or shot down, and they have proven over and over that they would stay.

Branch could get used to it.

#dreamworks trolls #singittogetherzine #branch angst #trolls kismet #trolls branch

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