AN: Hey, everybody! First of all, I would like to apologize that I haven't been around for so long. Due to SACs, exam study and revision, I have to take time off writing and been trying to concentrate on my school work. I have been working on my stories, but it looks like it is going to be a slow progress for 'Voice of Rebels'. So until further confirmation, this story is going to be on a hiatus. Updates may be made and may be inconsistent on when they appear.

This story reached the first milestone of 1003 views! Thank you to everyone who have been reading this story.

Song Recommendations

[1] Ice Cream (Instrumental) - Selena Gomez X BLACKPINK

[2] Unwind Yourself - Marva Whitney

[3] Antisocial (Ed Sheeran and Travis Scott Instrumental) - WeskoBeats (Repeating 0:05 - 1:59)

[4] Kamikaze (Instrumental) - MØ

'New Swag in Town' Part 2 - The Perfect Time to Meet?

TrollsTopia, Pop Village

It had been a rush so far. A few months after Poppy had sent those letters, she had received all approvals from the other sub-tribes that were scattered all over the world. She had to hold onto a composure when she saw the replies. She got so excited that she nearly burst into song again, which Branch had to remind her to focus on deciding what to do next. Branch had been a little nervous so far on the worry that they might not like the current condition of TrollsTopia and the possibility that the rate of crimes might increase than before. [1]

Poppy chuckled to herself as she remembered Branch going fussy about what kind of weapons the other tribes could bring along. Placing down her cup of hot cocoa, she looked out from the window of the main pod. There were a lot of Trolls setting up a huge clearing for the buses to arrive. This is going to be the day when the other sub-tribes arrive! This was a fantasy coming true! However, she knew that she has to be ready.

Poppy had started to make sure that TrollsTopia became a much safer place. However, she struggled a little with employing law enforcers. Most Trolls just want to have fun, so they would just forget or just act whenever they see danger. Hmm…might not go well with that decision. At least that she was able to place new rules and laws around TrollsTopia. While they hadn't been put into effect, it was the least she could do for now.

The other leaders from the five main tribes are excited to see these new sub-tribes. Some of them said that they might not be able to come over, but they will make the effort to meet them at least. Poppy thought how the other leaders would really react since they didn't discuss that much in any recent meetings.

During these months, Poppy had been thinking a lot about what Jazzy warned her. She still remembered the theft that occurred 5 months ago. The Classical Troll who tried to steal before being caught, using this as an opportunity to tell her and Jazzy off for their incompetence. She wondered if this was out of spite or feeling the need to point this issue out. For all he did, he wasn't wrong. He had a point. However, the harsh things Jazzy told Poppy never made this an OK statement to accept.

"This isn't over you know. This isn't over by a long shot!"

Poppy never imagined anybody trying to disrupt the harmony in TrollsTopia. Even though she faced the Party Crashers and Chaz invading her home, never she wondered if criminals can reside in the town before going out to steal or hurt somebody. This is still a whole new thing for her. Who knows what would happen if anybody tried to commit any crimes around. Even with law enforcers, it might not go as well as she hoped it would be. After all, she had to be patient with getting everybody to get along after the World Tour.

But why would anybody target her home? She wasn't exactly sure, but she thought that maybe it had to be due to the Pop Trolls' actions. They are the ones who technically divided the tribes in the first place. Rock Trolls didn't do better, but the Pop Trolls were there in the beginning and known by almost everyone. She was worried that some of the sub-tribes would hold animosity towards her that they would lash back at her people, even though she isn't like her ancestors. Her ancestor was responsible for the suffering, so she was at fault for nearly going into the same path with 'having the same harmony'.

When Poppy asked about her worry of how the sub-tribes would react to TrollsTopia, her friends believed that they will be able to fix things. Since they are still inspired by her optimism, they start to feel more confident and trusting the other tribes. The leaders had mixed reactions; Barb bluntly said 'so-so' as the unwanted truth, Prince D agreed on Poppy's worries, both King Quincy and Queen Essence said that they forgive the Pop Trolls, Trollzart reassured Poppy to have no fear, King Trollex got a little blunt by telling her to just understand other Trolls, and Delta Dawn was really honest but told Poppy that it only depends if the Pop Trolls show that they are more than just selfish.

Poppy never revealed the entire news to anybody. She decided to keep these thoughts to herself since she needed to focus on making everyone happy. It would be best for everyone to not worry about their queen since she did so much (and nearly so much trouble) for them. Besides, she thought of probably stepping away from being queen for a while. She felt burnt out and REALLY needed a break after all of those mishaps. She had her fun, but her task of watching over six tribes was already exhausting.

"Oooh…" thought Poppy, nearly sinking to the floor like jelly. "I feel like I am in a tizzy right now. Maybe having a nice outing with Branch under the stars…would be nice...indeed..."

Her mind drifted off into thinking about Branch. 8 months in and they had been a couple. Well, sort of. They started to work more side-by-side with the two of them becoming loyal to each other. They tried out the part of their relationship for…romance to say the least. She had been curious about Branch. He is still the same grouch and paranoid veteran she knows. Still shaken by the Bergans and the World Tour, but she felt that there must be more than him…outside of the secrets of glittery sunshine of course.

She was surprised of how Branch enjoyed the other music genres. She remembered him saying that he enjoyed Country Music. She compared his appearance to a Hard Rock Troll despite his protest that he isn't aggressive. He got along quickly with the other Trolls unlike the Pop Trolls. Was it his past that gave him a more ideal mindset about things or was it because of who he is?

She had to admit that he saved her too many times and his methods were crazy. Crazy prepared he would say. More like crazy awesome nowadays. He had been more cordial around Poppy than just being sarcastic. He just appeared to act a little weary and in a manner of a teacher to a child at times. A really softer side compared to when he was completely grey.

Besides his personality, Poppy got interest for Branch. Like said already, they tried out their relationship but due to the development of TrollsTopia, they barely had enough good time to build it up. Sure, they are able to have several, but they didn't really have the same effect of feelings towards each other. Started to feel like friends, but Poppy clearly wanted to be more than that. Branch wanted to, but his mind was nearly more on trying to get along with the other tribes.

Romance had been a thing Poppy want to try out. She heard it a lot from fairy tale and warm lessons she would teach to children. It was all in theory in end, but she wanted some real chemistry. They weren't there yet, but she wanted to see if maybe she could get something out from their developing relationship. While the new sub-tribes are going to be a problem, she is determined to get there with Branch.

To top everything, she wasn't sure what she can do next. She can be the same poppy princess with a lot of good heart for everyone or try to make a change. Not change, but more on seeing different sides. Branch's realism probably helped her and even defied some of the worse days of their lives. It was strange, but stressful so far. Would she ever achieve true harmony in TrollsTopia? Would it be the same like World Tour, but a different incident out of her control? Would things be different this time?

But what would happen if these goals may end up hurting some people? What if conflict would arise again? How will she make a good life with Branch? How will she satisfy everyone to have a happy life?

Standing up from nearly embarrassing herself, Poppy smiled and narrowed her eyes in a fierce smirk. Today is going to be a new day for her! She just needs a plan for TrollsTopia…and Branch. The latter made her face go red.

The door behind her opened. In came a familiar hot pink Trolls wearing headphones. One of her besties DJ Suki. Poppy quickly whipped around to face her.

"DJ!" she said. "Hi there!"

"You've been doing alright, my queen?" said Suki with a smirk.

The two came together to share a hug. They welcomed each other with warm arms. Poppy smiled. She needed it. When the two let go, Suki was already on a motor mouth.

"Pops," she said, rubbing her favorite headphones. "It has been a blast setting the special dinner party tonight! They really did a great job in making Chez Dante look very sick. I think they are going to love it!"

"How are our friends going?" asked Poppy. "Did they picked up everyone?"

"The last of the buses are coming. Branch is driving the one that contains the Indie Trolls and half of the Swing Trolls."

"Sounds good!" Poppy remembered something. She picked up two dresses; one was black leather and the other was pure white. "By the way, what should I wear for tonight? The black Rock outfit says emo with a dark side! Or…this white tuxedo that comes from Classical…with a hipster side!"

Suki rubbed her chin. She wasn't the type over fashion. She just wear what she likes. Maybe she could have gave that job to Satin and Chenile, but the twos are still outside Pop Village. Just before Suki could make a suggestion, she noticed the pile of boxes right behind Poppy.

Boxes. Just boxes of clothing, belongings, books and weapons. All in shades of green and brown. In stitches. They really stood out to Poppy's colorful furniture and decorations. They didn't look like they belong to her house. And how they were laid there was kind of rushed because some of the boxes were tipped over.

"Oh," said Poppy, smiling. "Branch is moving over to my house for now. He had to rush since he is instructed to take the sub-tribes here."

But Suki wasn't listening. Her eyes slowly peered at a box that was opened. It contained what appeared to be a shiny dress and fluffy sandals. They looked a little kinky for Poppy. She raised an eyebrow and stared back at the Pop Queen. [1s]

Poppy's smile faded when she realized that look. She quickly rushed to the box with the fluffy sandals and closed it.

"Careful, Suki," she warned, her cheeks blushing.

A smirk crossed over Suki. "So…anyway, I'm surprised that Branch is coming over to stay…with you, of course."

Poppy chuckled. Ever since she and Branch became a couple, Suki had been watching them like a sitting duck. She had noted down every step of their relationship in her head. It was kind of hard to push Suki away. Sure, she can be pushed out right now, right?

Well, if it was up to Branch, he would boot Suki out of the window again. That is kind of mean.

Instead, Poppy stayed polite. "Yeah…well, he needed some time out of his bunker."

"How come?" said Suki. "He never leaves his bunker everyday. So, why the change?"

Poppy thought back to what Branch told her.

Branch hummed to himself as he travelled down using the elevator. He was looking around at the supplies he have, proud of himself. This would be enough to last the entire tribe 26 years. This time for sure since they wouldn't ransacked everything in the bunker. He wondered what the other Trolls think of it as he had yet to open it up to everyone. Would some of them be impressed by his home?

"Branch had been setting up his bunker to be opened for the rest of the Trolls," explained Poppy. "He wanted to have a special spot for the tribes to stay in if there is any danger in town. He had been constructing it to fit so many people and even new tunnels around."

As he reached the lowest level underground, Branch strolled around, admiring the tunnels he managed to make. He remembered that he still got a few, so he made his way to one of them. Picking up a pickaxe, rolling his shoulders around and adjusting his vest, he made his way to one of the darkest tunnels. He had to remind himself to place some fire torches around.

"But…the tunnels were infested with too many bugs recently," said Poppy, chuckling to herself. "So, he is closing it down for fumigation that would last…I don't know, weeks?"

As soon as he entered the tunnel, Branch went SPRINTING out of the tunnel, screaming his head off.

Chasing after him was a giant glowing rainbow worm humming the tunes of 'I'm A Gummy Bear'. Rushing up to him like a snowboard rolling through the road smoothly.

"DA, DA, DA, DA, DA! DA, DA, DA, DA, DA!"

Suki blinked, trying to imagine what kind of bugs.

"While the poison Branch placed in the bunker is doing its job to get rid of the pests," continued Poppy. "He moved his personal belongings up here. This means that he will be staying with me for the next few weeks until his bunker is safe and cleared off the poison."

"This looks like it is going to be tight," said Suki.

"What's that?"

"Nothing. I just thought that it might be good that Branch is going to hang around in your place. Maybe you can continue your relationship with him."

Poppy shrugged, sitting at a chair nearby. "I don't know. We've been doing fine, but…I feel like we haven't developed it quite enough yet."

"What do you mean by that?" asked Suki, confused. "He had been dating you for the past 8 months now."

"Look…" Poppy grew a little nervous with saying this. Even thinking about it again made her feel lightheaded. Too embarrassing. Too much. "We had been busy. Branch had been making new friends and…I made new friends as you know. But…I think we are just sticking back to being friends again."

"Is there anything wrong with that?" asked Suki. "Branch is still supportive for you. He is loyal, helps you out and points out anything you need to learn. Being his friends brought you two close together."

Poppy shook her head. "Would it be enough? I mean, it has been a while since I confessed my feelings to him. We…nearly don't feel that way."

"Maybe it should be time to enter his life. You might be able to see more from him and how to be a fine woman for him."

"That's the thing. Branch has been his own Troll ever since we learnt about the other tribes. He is paranoid. He is tough. He is productive. He is open-minded about the world. He is everything but not the Pop Trolls."

"Well, not everybody has to be the same. He is different. That is what makes him who he is. You admire him for that."

Poppy rubbed her hands together. She didn't know how to get out of this. She probably need to get this off her chest. Her friend is right here and Suki always listen. Just like how she listened to Branch before.

"I'm sorry," admitted Poppy. "Everything is still going so fast for me. TrollsTopia is going so well and it is really great. Despite the hiccups, I…feel a little tired."

"Tired of what?" asked Suki.

"Tried of making mistakes. Between the expectations, the dark history of the strings and the overburnt Rock Trolls. I think…I want to live a normal life with Branch, but I don't know what would be considered normal for him. He loves me and I love him, but I want to make this one work out. I want to take the next step with him. To make him feel better as well. He is my boyfriend, so I should do the same for him."

Suki nodded a few times and replayed the words in her head. She knew that Poppy is starting to learn more and getting some common sense. Suki has to admit that she wasn't great herself in the past. Poppy can be rough and ignorant. However, this proves that Poppy cares about Branch nowadays.

"Well," said Suki. "It sounds like you are going to do the masculine tasks he usually does."

"What?" said Poppy. "No. Not like that way."

"I know that things have been going quiet between you and Branch, but I believe that you two will work things out. You go to him the first whenever you bump into a problem. He goes to you whenever he needs help. You two are a team together. It's not just about doing everything for them, but more like putting their happiness as your priority and never forgetting your limits. While the fire isn't burning that much, it is still there. You can still feel it, don't you?"

Poppy nodded, remembering how she was determined to impress Branch and would always feel light when she thought of him.

"So do not give up yet, girl. Do not even deny who you are. If you need to step away from being queen for one day, then you can do so. Just take the time with Branch and make the most of it. Even if it may not be enough in the end."

Poppy stared at Suki in complete surprise. She didn't really expect the fun-loving and reckless DJ to sound so reasonable. Suki is more of a backup girl, but she has her pros and cons. Poppy knew she is right. She can still make time with Branch and try things out.

Poppy smiled, standing up. "Thank you, Suki. I need that."

Suki winked. "You're welcome! I'm the love expert after all."

"…you are not really," pointed out Poppy, trying not to laugh.

"What?" said Suki, obviously lying. "But I am. I give out great love advice."

"But not in times when it is not too serious."

"C'mon! I had great conversations at the speed dating night."

"You mean the night where you only got one date and that was Trollex and he dumped your head in a water lagoon for everybody to see?" The Pop Queen is being sarcastic. Poppy might have got a bit of an influence from Branch.

"That's his fault!" denied Suki, pouting. "The Techno King didn't understand my style of flirting."

"Well, you didn't really show that you were passionate about him. You were faking it."

"In any case, I don't need a partner!" proclaimed Suki, hitting her chest with one fist. "I'm fabulous, boy!"

Before Poppy could tell her that she sensed Suki having a crush on one of their friends in their Snack Pack, they heard a loud honking from outside. The Pop Queen popped her head out of the window to see the commotion. The buses had finally arrived home, carrying so many Trolls. As they slowed to a stop, the doors opened up to reveal a new wave of Trolls; they looked different to the other Trolls living in TrollsTopia so far.

Poppy planned to greet all of them when they arrived, but she is late!

"Oh my goodness!" she said. "I forgot! Dang it."

Suki shrugged. "Maybe you can say your speech at the dinner party tonight."

"Yeah. Gonna have to break schedule a little."

"A word of advice; when you get to Branch, keep things simple for now. But on top of that, just ignite a small flame on the candle, OK?"

Poppy raised an eyebrow. "Did someone paid you to tell you that?"

"Maybe you ask one of our friends in the Snack Pack."

Back on the ground, Branch was driving one of the last buses to arrive and stop at the town square of Pop Village. In his bus was a rowdy crowd of Swing and Indie Trolls. Nearly every single one of them was buzzing in excitement on seeing the new place. Some of them were awed by the colors all around while some of them were taking photos. Bastille and Charleston sat right at the back, being some of the Trolls that are already familiar with Pop Village. [2]

Charleston sighed. She is back at Pop Village. She wondered if she would be able to talk with Poppy for a while. She hadn't seen the Pop Queen for a long time, so it was exciting to see her again. Maybe not when doing leader things. That is kind of boring for Charleston. Or when doing things she might not enjoy. But whatever the case, Charleston hoped that things will go smooth as butter.

While waiting for the bus to find a good spot, out of boredom and unknown nervousness, Charleston tapped her fingers on the curved part of her cane. She did this every time to distract herself. In addition, she started to tap her feet on the ground. Many people told her that it was kind of annoying for her to repeat these movements, but she can't help it. She had some extra adrenaline to burn off.

Bastille was inside his own little world. While waiting, he decided to daydream and wander off. However, outside, Charleston saw that he was staring at her…or at least what she thought. His blue and yellow eyes seemed to be glazed, clouded and misted. He appeared to be looking at her shoulder.

She looked behind.

She stared back.

Bastille's eyes unconsciously stared back at her.

The two stared at each other, seemingly having a staring contest.

Intense. Soul-gazing. Entertaining to watch.

If you edit this picture, you would add in yellow mist connecting both of their eyes.

Eventually, Charleston snapped her fingers, snapping Bastille out of his daydream. The latter blinked, shaking his head. He looked at Charleston, dumbfounded.

Another few seconds of silence between them.

"…did you saw a bug on my hat just now?" asked Charleston.

"Huh?" said Bastille, forgetting what happened a few seconds ago.

"D-Did you saw something behind me?"

A long awkward silence. "No…I was just thinking about something."

"Thinking about what?"

Bastille stayed quiet. "I don't know."

"What did you think of?" said Charleston, suddenly invested. "Did you thought of how the town will be like?"

"I don't know. I just hope TrollsTopia isn't going to be some corny school."

"Well, it's Poppy's idea, so she might try to get everybody to get together. Remember what she did during the World Tour."

The bus halted, nearly sending Charleston flying out of her seat. She used her cane for balance and held onto her hat before it could fell off.

"Alright," said Branch, turning off the engine of the bus. "I hope that all of you enjoyed your ride. So, please walk out of here in a nice, orderly fashion and collect your bags. The tour guides will show you around the town and for those who want to check into their first homes first, then go to the groups that are on the right. And as a reminder, there will be a dinner party tonight for all the new sub-tribes. Any questions?"

A few Trolls raised their hands up to ask questions. As they asked, Bastille and Charleston stood up, taking their bags under their seats.

"So," said Charleston. "Your ambassador is Punk, right? I thought Echo would choose you to be the ambassador."

"He tried to," said Bastille, rolling his eyes. "I digress. What about yours? I thought you would be the ambassador."

Charleston chuckled. "I can't keep up with royalty task. You see, the Swing ambassador is-"

SLAM!

"WELCOME! WELCOME, EVERYBODY!" called a voice from the door of the bus. "I have arrived, so it is so great to see that you all managed to get here through all the unknown dangers of the forest!"

Apparently, the door was slammed opened…right into poor Branch's face. Because the door was mostly made from plastic glass, everybody could see the squished face pressing against it and the shrunken pupils of his eyes as he stared at the newcomer. A dark brown Swing Troll who is mostly clothed in purple. His short hair is purple, his fedora is purple, his tuxedo is purple and his cane is covered in purple stripes. Only part of his clothing not purple is his black trousers…with purple accents.

"What the…?" said Bastille.

Charleston smiled casually. "Oh. That's my tutor, Bebop."

"Wait, your tutor?"

"Yep. He taught me singing lessons and history classes. I have been around him the most when I was a child."

Bastille glanced at her and back at the loud Bebop explaining all the news about TrollsTopia to the entire bus. He could sense the weirdness of Bebop as he was so over-the-top with a lot of drama and body language. Like he was in a theatre play.

Of course, Charleston would act eccentric since she spent nearly half of her childhood around Bebop. The Indie Troll resisted the urge to twitch his eye at this uncanny logic.

"Is he the ambassador?" he muttered.

Charleston nodded. "Strangely. He doesn't often work with the royal council. He doesn't make his appearance public back in Swing Town."

"Now!" said Bebop, wrapping up the important bits. "May you go off and find your beds in your new, precious homes. Be free from this fluffy bus to join in the fun! Be free, my sharp-eared fe-"

WHAM! [2s]

A fuming Branch slammed the door back on Bebop, swinging it hard that it sent Bebop FLYING out of the bus. Once the Swing Ambassador was out of sight, the light blue Troll sighed as he faced the crowd. He didn't appear to be angry and just weary and sad. It would have been depressing if it wasn't for the flat and raspy tone of his voice. He sounded like he wanted to buy coffee.

"Everybody may get off now," he said quietly.

He opened the door again, seeing Bebop's head peeking in. Without even looking, he slowly pushed him away and went out. The rest of the passengers followed, chattering along the way as if nothing happened.

Charleston smiled, taking her luggage. She was about to get off when she looked over her shoulder to see the flat look on Bastille's face.

"…what?" she said.

Since Charleston said that she already know how TrollsTopia is despite the new additions, the two of them decided to find their new home to live in. Charleston already booked a pod at Pop Village. Well, not really, but an old acquaintance of hers was cool enough to let her and Bastille live with them. This 'acquaintance' told them they would have to stick to the house rules…especially with her rather grouchy roommate.

"So, you're saying about this Chess Master," discussed Bastille. "A world-class mercenary?"

"Jazzy, that's her," said Charleston matter-of-factly. "She is the top student. Highly strategic, cunning and never really get punished for her acts. She went out on her own to provide money for herself and her family, and in hopes of proving to be a worthy royal figure of a leader. She is TrollsTopia's official strategist and a health minister."

Bastille scratched the back of his head. "I see then. So…do you think she will mind me?"

"Well, she is somewhat aware that you are a worldwide adventurer like you. It just depends on how strong you are and how well-known you are to the hinterlands. She is really critical and act nasty when 'she needs to'."

Bastille hummed to himself. He never met this Chess Master before and he never have bumped into a bounty hunter in the past. The K-Pop Gang and the Reggaeton Trolls are a different case, but he never know any crime gangs or assassins outside the main lands of the Troll community. He is an adventurer, but he has his limits. He wouldn't want to go through the desert by himself or go near to what would look like a predator land. Sure he got himself into trouble at times, but he wasn't quite built for physical combat. He didn't really know the ranks of being a mercenary.

"What about you?" asked Bastille suddenly. "Have you have some kind of history with her?"

Charleston shrugged. "Not really. I tried to hang around her as much as I can, but she has other plans. She is quite aloof and too stoic around people. Just obey her and her pride when talking to her."

"Sounds great," said Bastille, half-sarcastic.

They arrived at their chosen pod. It was a rather large one that would fit for a full house. It was fluffy and in stripes of blue and yellow. It looked cute, but it would nearly put Bastille and Charleston out of place. At least it looked quite nice and comfy for them.

"So who is this roommate of Jazzy's?" asked Bastille.

Charleston thought to herself. "I…forgot. He goes by this nickname as a DJ. I have forgotten what he is called…was it…erm…Era Ray? Psycho Ray? Bottom Ray?"

"Not even close," said an unknown voice. [3]

Charleston had to hop back when the door slammed opened. Bastille looked inside and was greeted with a frowning face.

It was a midnight blue Techno Troll. Well, not really one. He looked completely different to the other Techno Trolls. Turquoise hair, eyes and mouth with what appeared to be an icy mist. A black mouth bandanna with a golden skull on it. His black vest and belt just screamed Rock music. His tail fins are also different as they have neon stripes over them.

"My name is Electro Ray," hissed the Techno Troll. "Remember that."

Charleston cursed to herself. "Heaven forbid. Electro Ray! Of course!"

Bastille blinked, stupefied by the nickname. "You're this 'Electro Ray'?"

Finn turned his head to face the unfamiliar Indie Troll. He thought this one lost his colors, but he remembered that Jazzy told him that there would be Trolls who have grey colors. It should be OK if some don't have that much rainbow colors. This fellow appeared young yet coolheaded than the quirky Swing Troll next to him.

"The one and only," said Finn simply, placing his hands on his hips.

Finn 'Electro Ray' Okazaki

- Trap Techno Troll

- Independent and frosty DJ

- He doesn't really know what his nickname really means

Bastille nodded as he dragged his luggage into the house with Charleston following behind him. He looked around the room. It didn't appear much, but the room was covered in so many pictures of different places. Some he recognized as the main six lands and the hinterlands. They appeared worn-out and nearly torn into pieces, but it captured the picture through its beige tint.

"So, life's been treating you good?" asked Charleston to Finn.

Finn sighed, deciding to help her carry her bags for no reason. "Jazzy has been in a bloody frenzy lately. Since the town has been opening to new tribes, there is going to be a lot of changes, including how they are going to keeping the peace of the town."

"That much?" said Charleston, surprised. "I should have expected Jazzy to be constantly worried about anything illegal. She never lets anything down that easily."

"Well, it is not only that. She has all this talk about criminals coming into town lately."

Bastille turned around. "What's that?"

Finn froze. Two pairs of eyes staring at him. He suddenly felt awkward.

"Um…" he stuttered a little, tapping his fingers together. "Well…it is a long story and I've forgotten about it for a while. She has been worrying about who else will be coming into TrollsTopia to cause a lot of havoc. I am not sure if it will happen, but seeing her like this…it ain't pretty, mate."

Charleston nodded. "Ooh…it is wickedness for her. It looks like she isn't going to take everything easy in the end."

"Well, you don't know her like I do now. You're going to be seeing her pulling the strings out of her scalp if anything goes wrong."

Charleston raised an eyebrow. She thought about it. Seeing Jazzy freaking, running around in circles and talking in gibberish. Well…that would be interesting to see. She shrugged, thinking it might be interesting to see.

Finn was a little unsettled with Charleston's response to this. "You don't care?"

"Oh, sorry," said Charleston, chuckling to herself. "I really wonder how Jazzy would look like if she gets into a fit and not the kind of common fit everybody knows."

Finn crossed his arms, shaking his head.

Bastille hummed, wanting to cut in the conversation.

"How were you able to handle her if she had been worried lately?" he asked.

Finn shrugged, adjusting his vest. "I have my ways. I am just the younger brother of her. She goes crazy and I calm her down by saying the straight and realistic words."

"Like what?"

"Well, she could try to take a chill pill."

Charleston snorted, nearly falling into giggling.

Bastille wasn't amused. "Really?"

Finn nodded, looking away. He floated off to pick up a nearby cup full of water from the kitchen bench. As he drank, he looked back to see Bastille and Charleston waiting for him. He started to feel uncomfortable with the two around. Shouldn't they be off already for a trip around TrollsTopia? Do they have better things to do?

Charleston smiled as she regained her composure. This 'Electro Ray' guy seemed to be so intimidating and huge. The 'huge' part was probably due to him being taller because of his tail fins, but he nearly appeared as a giant to her. With how he was acting, it seemed that she was stuck with another edgy lord. She didn't get to see much from him the first time she met him, but she realized that she wouldn't enjoy being around him.

There was something about him that made him a danger for her. Despite being forgetful at times, she is street smart. She knows the types of berserk buttons and the things people may not like. In fact, she is really nervous around him already. He looked like business. She hates it. She hates feeling a little left out from this world of cynicism.

She remembered what Bastille told her, but it was not like he is right. She decided to play it cool around Finn and make sure that she doesn't upset him too much.

"So…" said Charleston, letting her upbeat side take over her. "Electro Ray. It's going to be nice being around here, don't you think?"

Finn choked a little on his water. Fair dinkum, he didn't want any more roommates in his new home. He didn't want those two to distract him from whatever he wants to do. Bastille appeared nice enough and Charleston didn't appear as zany as Synth, but he couldn't risk it. "I-I didn't expect any more roommates around until Jazzy broke the news to me."

"Well, it is a nice surprise, isn't it?" said Charleston, grinning.

"No."

"I'm hopeful that we will have some time to know each other and open up a little. Do you think we can be your friends? I mean, we might have some things in common."

Bastille was silent. He didn't know what to say about this with Charleston suddenly getting all chummy towards Finn. And besides, he also felt nervous around Finn since the Trap Techno Troll IS an intimidating, quiet guy. He reminded Bastille of himself, except more introverted.

Finn rolled his eyes. "Not interested."

"Grumpy much, aren't you?" snarked Bastille, deciding to speak his mind.

"Oh, c'mon. You've been around Branch before. Didn't you both? You probably know that some people have their own down times and up times like flipping shrimps on the barbie."

"Well, not so much from a guy who tries to distance himself."

"I don't want to go insane with the wrong types of people," said Finn, starting to sweat. "Jazzy is enough." He then realized, to his embarrassment, why he mentioned Jazzy. "I-I-I mean Jazzy is cool and I…like to hang around her. I…don't…really like hanging out with the party that much…I'm…a…cool guy…y-y-yeah…you know. I d-d…don't really go…outgoing that much and I just…guess I guess to love the calm ones."

Charleston chuckled. "Aww. He's sensitive!"

Finn growled, crushing his cup. Water seeped through his glove-covered hand. Whoops. Red flag.

"No I'm not!" he insisted.

"The fact is kind of obvious now," pointed out Charleston. "You stutter a lot."

Finn's face turned light red. "Well…I…eh…still not used to…talking with new people and new…strange strangers…"

"You will get used to it, Electro Ray!" said Charleston, patting him on the forehead. "I mean, we will fit in right in here, blue jay. Can I call you that?"

Finn wasn't offended. At least she didn't call him by his real name, but she shouldn't make too many nicknames for him or else she'll end up confusing herself.

"But my theme isn't based on birds," he said.

"It kind of fits with rhymey, don't you think?" said Charleston. "Anyway, we aren't really bumbling at all, right Basty?

Bastille blinked, nodding dryly. "Yes, ma'am."

The Swing Troll smiled. Good. There is some nice progress here. Wait until the Electro Ray finally accepts her as a worthy roommate! Then, she wouldn't have to be so afraid of people like him. With a salute, she skipped away and dragged her luggage to the guest room where it would become her new bedroom. She sang as she clicked her heels, already in her own world. [3s]

With her out of sight, this left the two boys alone.

Finn clenched his teeth and shook his head. "I don't think I will be enjoying the next few months with her."

"Just ignore her," said Bastille. "She can get wild at times. She knows the insides and outsides. It just…takes some time for her."

"If it is like…7 months, then I won't be surprised."

Bastille suddenly asked, "So, what's with the nickname?"

"Huh?"

"The nickname 'Electro Ray'. Where did it come from?"

Finn puffed up his chest, showing a little pride in his incredibly lame nickname. "It comes from my dad."

"And what does it mean?"

"What?"

"What does 'Electro Ray' mean?" asked Bastille, a little louder.

Finn groaned in his head. Here we go again. Jazzy had once asked him why he kept his self-made nickname and now somebody is here to immediately point out. Given how this Indie Alternative Troll never heard of him before, he would be expecting answers from Finn. The Trap Techno Troll mumbled, trying to come up with a clear explanation.

Keyword: trying.

"It's electric," stated Finn before quickly adding more, growing more flustered and chuckling nervously. "I-I mean it's…shocking! Like a manta ray. You know one of…things in the oceans you would see. My tribe lives around these things in our homes. I just like to…keep everybody electrified and all that stuff…take them down to the deepest and daring places…that's how a unique DJ works. Like erm…ha, ha, ha, ha, ha…it's a cool nickname."

Bastille rubbed his forehead, moving around a little. "Just the sound of it, 'Electro Ray' doesn't sound like a good one."

"Just call me by that! Not my real name!"

"Then what do you want me to call you other than that?" said Bastille. "Finny Boy?"

A vein popped from Finn's head. "No…"

"Anyway," said Bastille, carrying up one box before heading to his new bedroom. "So, you're a Trap Techno Troll, aren't you?"

Finn went quiet for a while. He quickly flew to Bastille. "Why yes. I am a Troll who traps hostages."

"Well, I'm guessing that you are a good expert in Trap Music. It is really sick."

Finn closed his eyes and straightened his collar. "Well, I never suggest that. It is just a fine piece of sounds for the world that needs them."

Bastille chuckled a little. "Just stay humble, OK? I-I think Trap Music is cool. It is one of my main influences for my music. I've heard it a lot in K-Pop, so it is really nice with the beat. I bet that you would be an amazing Hip Hop rapper."

Finn growled. "What? I'm certainly not. I'm a DJ who does Techno Music and not meaningless rapping."

"Trap Music is a sub-genre of Hip Hop."

"No, it's not! It originally comes from Techno! The instrumental!"

"But you look like a rapper yourself!"

"No, I'm not," protested Finn, exhaling in frustration.

Bastille stared at Finn for a while as he looked away. This is pretty one feisty fish he has to say. Finn might be a lot of surprises here and there. One thing for sure, he is sending out so many mixed messages.

"Huh," said Bastille. "Charleston's right. You are sensitive, mate."

Finn sighed, accepting defeat. "J-Just go do your own thing. Let's not talk about all this nonsense, OK?"

Bastille nodded, a little disappointed that Finn wasn't willing to talk. "Alright then."

While the two were talking, Charleston passed by. She decides to help herself to a snack in the kitchen. Maybe Jazzy might be hiding one of those cherry chocolate kisses in the cabinets. They are really irresistible.

A knock from the door. The Swing Troll peeked her head up and turned to the door. She quickly rushed and opened it. In front of her is probably going to be Branch, Poppy or one of the tour guides who are going to tell them that the dinner party is happening soon. But when she opened it, nope! It was a Troll holding a bouquet of flowers. [4]

"Hello there!" said the flower-wielding woman. "I'm Desdemona. Your neighbor living on your right and Jazzy's fellow workmate. Sorry that I wasn't there to welcome you since my company just arrived in town. So I wasn't."

Scanning her from top to bottom, this appeared to be a Pop Troll, but she dressed different to the normal Pop Trolls. Her skin is bright green and her hair is a faded gradient of yellow and green, looking like she is a sunrise over the grass. This Troll is wearing an orange tank top with a blue denim vest, a black skirt that reached up to her knees and two belts strapped around her waist. She wore one fingerless glove on her left hand and a golden bangle on the other.

Charleston smiled, gratefully taking the flowers.

Finn and Bastille came in, seeing the new Troll.

"Who's that?" said Bastille.

Finn sighed. "Not her again."

Desdemona saw Finn. "Oh hey, buddy! How have you been? Been having some good luck with the ladies?"

Finn closed his eyes, embarrassed. It had been two days, but she had been chasing him around on his tail ever since she moved in. She is really nosy on him and Jazzy. She thought that it would be sweet to help them out with any real-life disasters, find them gifts to share and get them to have a soul mate. She isn't aware that Jazzy and Finn are kind of a couple, but Finn wished that he could tell Desdemona that she doesn't need to keep trying to give him a girlfriend. Yet, he isn't so sure about his relationship with Jazzy despite the months spent with her.

"No…" moaned Finn, appearing tired. "I haven't been up to chatting to other Trolls. I have been feeling rather tired."

"But I've been hearing you making these beeps and boops at night time," teased Desdemona. "It nearly appears that you were having some sugar!"

The Trap Techno Troll blushed. "Erm…no. I was just producing music."

"Mmm…you were seducing a music lover with your music?"

"What?! No, no, no! It's not like that…"

Awkwardly, Finn flew away. He didn't want to be around Desdemona for too long or else she would start suggesting him who he should date with.

"Blessings to meet you, Desdemona," said Charleston politely as she set the flowers in a nearby empty vase. "Upon my word, what kind of Troll are you?"

"Oh," said Desdemona. "I'm an Indie Alternative Troll! You might mistake me as a Pop Troll wearing clothes from the Rock Trolls. So, what are your names, where do you come from and why you decided to move here?"

"I'm Charleston," said Charleston, shaking her hand. "I just moved here for fun. And my guy right behind me is Bastille."

Bastille waved nervously. He is surprised that an Indie Alternative Troll managed to arrive to the town earlier then he did. She seemed nice enough, albeit eccentric like Charleston.

Desdemona was already swooning when she saw the two. "Aw...are you a couple?"

That set Bastille off.

"A COUPLE?!" he screamed. "NO WAY!"

Charleston blushed, hastily trying to change the subject. "Well…we moved in to settle for a nice life. Since TrollsTopia is up and going smoothly, we thought of moving here for like a vacation."

"Sounds like fun!" said Desdemona. "By the way, how have your people been going with this? It is a new world they have to get used to, so you don't know what they plan to do right here!"

Bastille kind of struggled to answer that. "Uh…they are expecting that this place isn't all 'cupcakes and rainbows'. They ridiculed the Pop Trolls when they arrived and tell them about the town in their viewpoint."

"My people were excited to be here," explained Charleston. "They are expecting it to be 'all glam and fashion' for people to enjoy. They say it's a little too much of the 'younger generations' since they are old-fashioned."

"Right," said Desdemona cheerfully. "So I am guessing that they are trusting you two to look after the tribes here, am I right?"

Bastille groaned, face palming. "No. I am not the leader type. I don't really have what it takes to lead a group of Indie Trolls."

"You got me a little confused there," said Charleston, giving Desdemona a look. "We aren't leader figures."

Desdemona blinked, looking surprised. However, she just returned back to being cheerful. [4s]

"Oh well," she said. "I thought that because you are in cahoots with the Pop Leaders, you would tag along with them like every good-looking, colorful and likable characters getting the main characters to follow them in a kids' movie!"

Bastille sighed. "I haven't been hanging around the leaders. Branch is still a little worried about me being in the leader circle."

"But I bet that they would need your help when the chips are down. I mean, like when their sweet potato chips are on the floor, you would pick them up and blow the dust off them. They do you good, so you do the same to them as well! If you were in their places, then this place will be as clean as a glass cup!"

Charleston raised an eyebrow. "How do you know that we have talked to Branch and Poppy before?"

"Of course! I've heard about you, but I wasn't sure how you look like. Now I do! I mean, wouldn't it be great that becoming friends with them would mean you two are already superstars? I bet that you might try to make it out with the cute ones."

Bastille blushed, looking away. However, Charleston had a different approach.

Desdemona was acting happy and all, but she seemed to be getting a little too close to her. Literally. And all her talk with being in the leader circle sounds like she kind of wants to force them, but hidden under a sugarcoated case. For all of this Indie Troll's talk, even if this is the first time talking to her, she appeared a little off there. Charleston might be a ditz, but she knows how crazy, silly or weird a person is.

"Um…" said Charleston, trying to finish the topic. "My aunt told me to never hang out with people who have high stakes. I mean, we want to live more comfortably."

Desdemona sighed, shrugging. "Oki doki then! I think that might be good for you. You wouldn't want to be caught up in any adventure that will cause a chain of reactions and end with a disastrous result. I mean, it would be unbearable when leaders do that."

"Huh?"

Desdemona might sound pretty chipper, but what she said nearly sounds like she guessed what could be happening right now. This sent a chill down Charleston's spine.

"Anyway!" said Desdemona. "I have to go now. My workers are calling me, so she you all later!"

Charleston didn't argue back when the Indie Troll left. She stood there in her spot, trying to process what Desdemona meant with not hanging out with the leaders anymore. She didn't nearly notice Bastille coming to her until she felt his hand on her shoulder.

"You're OK, Charlie?" asked Bastille.

Charleston quickly snapped out of her gaze, slowly looking at her companion. "I have so many confusing emotions right now."

"Why's that?"

"Don't you find it strange with her saying all of this baloney with us not in the leader circle?"

Bastille thought about it. "She might be jealous, mate. Or perhaps sarcastic and sassy. One of these types of girls who like to butt in and make up their own ideas."

"Yeah…"

"I've never seen you that worried before. Why's that?"

Charleston shrugged. "I don't know. Desdemona is kind of acting strange than I thought."

AN: Well, that is part two of the episode one! I hope that you enjoyed this one. I enjoyed it myself!

As you already know, I will be covering Poppy's and Branch's relationship in this story. Gonna put in good spotlights for both of them equally with their thoughts about their relationship and they will be on dates. So, here it is going to be different. You may have noticed that Poppy's internal thoughts and the challenges she is facing. This will take inspirations from 'Rock On!' by Girl in Blue and 'The Other Side of the Storm' by MarcellusMiro66. Here, I want to have a new, unique look to how my version of Poppy will go. Here, I imagine of her thinking of what if she can settle a life with Branch instead of trying to handle all the Trolls. Taking care of TrollsTopia is indeed a hard job to do with everybody needing to learn to get along with each other. And while this may lead to depression and anxiety, here, Poppy is slowly starting to feel burnt down and in need of a vacation. So that is my twist here. While Poppy and Branch aren't going to appear that much in the main story arc, they will have their own story arc throughout this story.

And of course, I'm bringing back my homie DJ Suki again for this one! I am really happy of how many people like it when I gave her a more fleshed character in my first Trolls story. I want to bring that back again as a watcher of Broppy.

The joke where Suki gets figuratively AND literally dumped by King Trollex is actually a poke at the shipping made between those two in other stories. With all due respect, I am not really the guy who likes to make ships of his own. In fact, I feel overwhelmed and under the weight of people's ideas. So here, there will be no shipping made between any of the canon characters. There will be some references, but these ships may not come true in my stories. And here, my version of King Trollex will not be in a ship with any of the canon characters of Trolls.

During the interactions between Poppy and Suki, it is inspired by the movie 'Rear Window' with all the talk of finding the right soul mate...and the funny implication of a sexy looking dress. The flashback where Branch has to fumigate his bunker due to nasty bugs is based from Sunset Paradise.

Of course, the part where Bastille is staring too much is based from 'The Falcon and the Winter Soldier'.

Here, I reintroduce Finn-I mean Electro Ray. I took some inspirations from my friend MasterClass60's story 'TrollsTopia (My Version) - Season 2' where Finn makes his first appearance. It seems similar, but you notice the differences. One, I think I made Finn a bigger dork than before in which I don't know if it is a mistake. Two, nobody seems to take his nickname seriously but Charleston tries to give him some more in an doting way. Three, he stutters too much. Four, he doesn't really scare or insult our protagonists that much since Bastille is a level-headed and stoic mate while Charleston is mostly a quirky and excitable girl. Five, he isn't called Finn that much by Charleston and Bastille (this is due to me occasionally forgetting to have them reference each other's names when talking).

Bastille calling Finn a 'rapper' is going to be a running gag in the story. Just like in 'Black Widow'.

Bebop is the ambassador for the Swing Trolls in TrollsTopia. He is made by King Halloween, depicted as an eccentric and funny guy, and would be voiced by J.B. Smoove. In case you didn't know, the concept of him is based on the villain Bebop from Teenage Mutant Turtle Ninjas. He is going to be this loud, bombastic and hammy leader who is also an excellent mastermind and trickster. Also why Charleston is quirky.

Next, we have Desdemona; an Indie Troll and the nosy neighbor. She is made by my good friend I.M. Rally and would be voiced by Melanie Martinez. I imagine Desdemona being nearly like Agnes in 'Wandavision' for being this mysterious, sweet and funny lady to be around. Will she play a huge part in this story? Well...you're gonna have to find out soon because she is going to be such a great character for this story!

Thanks to Rally and King Halloween again for helping me out!

Thanks for reading this chapter! If you enjoy this story, be sure to follow or favorite this story, so you can get updates about this story. Make sure to review this chapter on what you think about this chapter. I'm OK of hearing improvements from you (please no flames). However, it will take me a while to get the next chapter up due to exam study. Any questions, please ask me through PMs.

Until next time, keep on rocking!