Baths and Ballads

Morning came as Eddy woke up to a still sleeping Barb, facing him as she had her arm on his chest. Eddy gently moved her arm to her own belly and pulled out his ear cotton to hear the Queen's snoring had not died down as he sighed, thankful for the trick that Twiggy taught her as Eddy snuck out of the bed, stretching.

"That was far from comfortable," Eddy told himself, doing some twists as he looked at Barb drooling on her pillow. Eddy decided to get some fresh air, maybe a bath, picking up his sword, slinging it on his back. It had been days since Eddy had taken care of himself, with the whole planning a rebellion and storming Deyo's Cathedral. Eddy partially expected to die there so he did not bother with personal hygiene.

Plus it was probably best to leave Barb alone in the event she woke up, especially if anyone saw them sleeping together, last they needed was some gossip circling around. Eddy unzipped the mouth of the sleeping Anglerbus, her teeth opening, letting out her musky morning breath as Eddy poked his head out. Troll village was silent as Eddy tiptoed out, closing the zipper-like mouth.

"Now to find a place to take a well-deserved bath," Eddy said to himself, walking around the outside of the Village. It was early morning and most of the Trolls were still sleeping as he made his way to a small misty lake outside the village. Eddy looked around to see if anyone was around before setting his sword down and combing the items from his hair. Eddy shuffled through his belongings, finding a glass bottle of handmade soap that Twiggy gave him.

After removing his pants Eddy squirted a glob into his palms, rubbing them through his hair and scarred body as he got into the cool lake water, lathering a mixture into his hair. Eddy dived under the water, causing the soap to float to the top as disperse, giving his hair a clean look as he resurfaced, wringing out his hairdo and enjoying the nice temperature, it wasn't too cold to bathe in, feeling like a swimming pool.

Eddy was reflecting on his childhood, remembering a time that he and some of the Rock Trolls would share a communal shower, When Greatmane would snap his rear with a towel. Eddy just laid there, in the lake, walking through the water to a small stream pouring water into the lake as he held his head under it, pulling a piece of fauna from the side of the lake, resembling a brush, which he used to scrub his back

Eddy was too busy; he didn't even hear footsteps him as he turned around shocked, throwing the brush plant as it spun through the air splatting on Branch's face seeing Branch and Twiggy. Eddy let out a sigh of relief.

"Couldn't sleep either?" Twiggy asked as Eddy sighed in relief

"Sorry Branch, I did not know you were up" Eddy apologized as Branch peeled the plant off, tossing it aside, saying he always did morning surveillance and checked the traps, Twiggy was up and decided to join him as Eddy chuckled, mentioning that Twiggy told him about how one of Branch's cages trapped her.

"I told you I was sorry" Branch replied to the green Troll as Eddy rinsed out his hair, walking out of the lake, feeling refreshed, saying he was gonna wait for everyone to wake up before starting the buses, walking to his pants as Twiggy turned around, Eddy began getting dressed as Branch averted his eyes, putting he belongings back in his hair and putting his sword back on his back Eddy was ready for the day.

"How about I join you, we haven't really gotten a chance to get to know each other" Eddy suggested as Branch looked at him, saying he would allow it... but only so he could keep an eye on Eddy, not fully trusting Twiggy or him yet. Eddy sighed, walking with him as they went around the Village, checking the traps that Branch has set up, the blue Troll, bending down and plucking a tripwire, making notes.

"I'd recommend using the green string weed as opposed to a vine, harder to spot," Twiggy suggested as Branch jotted down her idea, telling her she knew a lot about this stuff.

After checking the Traps, they headed back to Branch's bunker as he looked at Eddy, saying he was gonna check in with Gary and tell him to look after the village while they left as Eddy sighed, seeing the sun coming up, cutting through the morning mist.

"I should probably get back to the camp. see you two later Eddy said, wanting to get back to camp before the others woke up, leaving the two Pop Trolls behind as he headed back to the campsite where the group of Anglerbus were parked. He heard gentle guitar playing from the Queen's bus, putting his ear up to the sleeping Anglerbus hearing her voice, not as earthshaking and fierce as it was at her Volcano City Party where he heard her band perform but softer. her guitar wasn't plugged in as he could hear the faint notes.

"Weird, I Didn't think she knew the meaning of unplugged" Eddy whispered as he listened in on the Queen's performance, seeing her sitting on her bed, plucking the strings of the black guitar she brought on tour, singing with a gentle and beautiful voice.

"If I could only stand and stare in the mirror could I see,

A fallen hero with a face like me,

And If I scream, could anybody hear me,

If I smash the silence, You'll see what fame has done to me"

Barb gently sang plucking the strings unaware of Eddy eavesdropping as the Anglerbus opened her mouth as Eddy fell in her mouth. Barb simply muting the strings on her guitar.

"Eddy, what were you doing outside my bus?" Barb demanded, making it clear she did not like being spied on Eddy explained that he took a bath in the lake.

"I was heading back, I did not know if you were up or not so I wanted to be quiet, what were you playing, it sounded nice" Eddy complemented as Barb simply turned away, saying it was nothing.

"Just a warm-up exercise, you know to stay loose, and not wake everyone up" Barb defended as Eddy stood up dusting himself off, complimenting her singing voice, saying she never pictured her a Ballad type as she scoffed.

"Please, you think I'd actually sing something like that...to an audience, Barb dismissed, pretending he did not see or hear anything as he walked to her, asking if they should wake up the others as Barb plugged her guitar into a stack of amps, turning up the dial and stepping on the mouth of her Anglerbus, opening the creature's mouth as Barb played a loud and powerful lick on her guitar, gliding her hand down the smooth neck as the buses and Rock Trolls sprung to life, opening their mouths as the small army left their creatures, as Barb walked out of her bus, shredding as the Trolls put their horns up saluting her as she palm-muted her guitar.

"And that is how your Queen does it, do I Rock or do I Rock?" she asked rhetorically as they cheered their leader.

"An excellent display, Your Rockness" Riff complemented, wheeling Thrash out of the former King's personal Bus, Carol stretching, saying the sooner they got out of Pop Village the better. Almost as if on cue. The Pop Troll's anthem began playing over the Village's sound system as the Rockers covered their ears. Eddy placed his ear cotton back in, offering two extra wads to Barb, telling her to stick them in her ears as she did so, muffling the noise of the catchy Pop beat before it wormed its way into her head.

The Song played, for an agonizing 3 minutes as the Pop Trolls got ready for their daily routine a Caterbus approaching the campsite, carrying Poppy, Branch, Twiggy, and the Snack Pack as Poppy stuck her head good, waving to the Rock Trolls.

"Good Morning, the Pop Queen said in her cheery tone as Barb pulled the cotton from her ears, looking at Poppy, telling her to keep her music down.

"This is MY Tour, so I Pick the music, passengers, shut their cake holes" Barb pointed at The Pop Trolls as they smiled, asking what kind of cake Barb made them as she looked at them confused.

"She said 'Cakehole' which means mouth, there is no cake, just please be quiet" Eddy kindly asked, not wanting to get either Queen mad as The Pop Trolls pouted.

"Well, at least we don't offer a promise of cake, unless there's gonna be cake" Copper added as Barb looked at Eddy, asking if they were really this stupid.

"I think they're more innocent than stupid" Eddy replied looking at Poppy and Barb, telling them that they would be heading the Lonesome Flats,

"As long as we don't cause any trouble with them they should not have reason to cause trouble with us" Eddy explained, telling them how the Country Trolls dealt with trouble makers.

Poppy smiled, saying that Pop Trolls did not know the meaning of the word trouble as Branch looked at her, asking how many times they've gotten in a tight spot.

"Honestly if you counted all of our misadventures, there's probably enough for a scrapbook, or even a TV show" Branch countered as Poppy smiled, telling him not to worry, facing the Snack Pack, telling them to be on their best behavior.

A/N I wanted to develop Barb and hint to her having a more emotional side that she doesn't show anyone, due to her reputation as a hard-as-nails Rock Queen. The Ballad she's singing is 'The Idol' by W.A.S.P. which I just picked at random but I feel it could fit her. Branch's remark about their adventures being a TV show is a direct reference to 'The Beat Goes On'.