Disclaimer: We don't own Trolls.
Poppy didn't stay away for long. Just two days after she'd upset Branch, she was back at the tower.
"Hey, Branch! Look what I've got!" she said as she hopped in the window, holding up her bag.
She'd brought enough to fill up an entire day with endless fun and laughter, and she'd picked things based on what she'd learned about Branch. She was confident that this one wouldn't blow up in her face, like the last one. Everything was going to go right this time, and nothing would stop her now. Branch would be colorful by the end of the day, no doubt. What could possibly go wrong now?
Branch looked at the overstuffed bag, wondering how Poppy'd managed to fit so much into it, and asked, "What is it?"
"A bunch of fun things we can try out to see if you like them! Today's excuse is we lost Mr. Dinkles somewhere between here and Bergen Town, so everyone's out looking for him! Uh, did I mention that we went there this morning to pass out wedding invitations? Anyway, since we needed to look for Mr. Dinkles, I told everyone not to return with him until sunset! So we've got all afternoon to play together! Isn't it wonderful!?" she answered, obviously excited about this latest development.
Searching for Mr. Dinkles could take a long time, as Poppy knew from experience. Faking his disappearance was a great way to ensure she'd have a whole afternoon alone with him, and the prospect of that had her excited beyond belief. Nothing was better than an entire afternoon of laughs, mischief, playful sarcasm, and goofiness with a really good friend, after all.
For his part, though, Branch was just wondering how looking for a lost worm would be an all-day adventure. Surely he couldn't be that hard to find. Wouldn't someone think that was a little odd? "...You're excuses are getting weird," he told Poppy.
"What? No, they're not! Biggie loses Mr. Dinkles all the time!" she answered, sounding far too certain that the idea they would be looking for the worm for hours would be seen as perfectly normal.
In truth, it happened sometimes. Normally it was because the worm saw his friends out playing early in the morning and took off to join them, completely forgetting to tell Biggie where he was going. Then the entire Snack Pack would spend the rest of the day looking for him only to have him find them around sunset once his friends had all gone home for the night. That was why Poppy knew there was nothing wrong with this excuse.
Branch then looked concerned. He knew Biggie well enough to know that his losing his worm would likely cause quite a ruckus. Imagining it happening all the time was unpleasant, to put it mildly. "...And how long does it usually take to find him?"
Poppy shrugged casually, eyes closed. "It varies." She opened her eyes, smiling brightly, and reached to open her bag as she eagerly continued, "So! What do you wanna try first!? I've got some scrapbooks here that are full of superheroes and cool villains." She pulled a comic book out of her bag and held it up.
"Didn't you already bring those kinds of books?"
Poppy sat on Branch's bed, excited, and opened the book as she answered, "Yeah. And we didn't even open one 'cause you got stuck on the whole 'let's burn fairy tales' thing. How are we supposed to learn what you do and don't like if you don't even try?"
Branch shrugged and went to sit beside her. He couldn't argue with that, he supposed. "Yeah, okay, we can try it."
"Cool! Then let's get started!" Poppy turned her attention to the book and read, "On a dark, foggy night in Trollington..."
The story was about a group of superheroes trying to stop an alien race from taking over the world, something Poppy thought Branch himself might be interested in doing. Sure, maybe not against aliens, but he seemed like the type to fight for the ones he loved, given everything she'd learned about him. As she read the story, she was hoping Branch would enjoy it. However, he spent a considerable amount of time pointing out things that were impractical or unrealistic. Part way through, Poppy was interrupted by one of his comments, and she couldn't help but address it.
"...Really? You're complaining about a cat...that flies," she said, giving him a lame look. She was starting to think he wasn't enjoying this. He'd found something to complain about every five seconds as far as Poppy could tell.
"Well, come on! Have you ever seen a flying cat? And what's with that one troll's power? What kind of superpower is making cupcakes appear out of thin air?"
Poppy rolled her eyes and said, "Uh, a really cool one? I mean, come on! Who doesn't love a nice, tasty treat? See?" She pulled a chocolate cupcake out of her hair and held it out to him.
Usually, Poppy didn't carry chocolate cupcakes around. They were good, but she preferred more exotic flavors like strawberry, cotton candy, or pink lemonade (which she also had stashed away for her own enjoyment during this fun day). Branch, however, loved chocolate, and he hardly ever got any, so she'd brought along a chocolate cupcake just for him. She'd been planning to give it to him sometime during her visit, and this seemed like a great moment, considering he'd brought it up.
Branch looked at the cupcake, raising an eyebrow, and asked, "Do I want to know where that came from?"
"What? I always carry around some nice, tasty sweets! Here! Try one!" Poppy said, handing it to him with a smile on her face.
He took it, looking a bit confused, and said, "Thanks, I guess."
Since he hadn't said he didn't want to read this comic, Poppy turned her attention back to the book and said, "Well, anyway, the cat flew into the garage, and—"
And she continued reading...until the comic got to the part about the aliens' evil plot.
"Are you serious?" Branch interrupted. "The aliens plan to take over the world...by taking control of the party factory? What kind of a plan is that?"
To him, it seemed they'd need a little more than just the party factory. Couldn't the trolls just build another one? Even if they couldn't, the idea that trolls viewed the loss of their party factory as a world-ending event was ridiculous. The aliens, at the very least, had to know better.
"A really good one, Branch!" Poppy answered, and the worried look on her face told him that trolls did view that as the end of the world, stupid as it was. "Don't you know how much trolls depend on their party supplies to have fun and enjoy themselves? Why, if they took over that factory, they'd control all the fun in the entire world!"
Branch rolled his eyes, saying, "Right. I almost forgot they're after trolls."
"Uh, duh? They want to rule the troll world, so they're after things that make trolls happy!" She looked at him then and casually asked, "You're not really into this story, are you?"
"Oh, no, I'm having a blast," Branch answered honestly—ridiculous as this plot was, he was having fun pointing out all the flaws, partly due to Poppy's reaction to his criticisms and partly because the whole story was just so ridiculous.
Poppy looked stunned by that. "...Really? But...you're complaining a lot."
Who would claim to enjoy something while all they did was complain about it? That didn't make any sense to her.
"Yeah, so?"
She stared at him for a second, trying to process that weird statement. Then, deciding it didn't really matter as long as Branch was happy, she cheerfully responded, "Okay! So, anyway..."
And she went back to reading. At the end of that book, they were left with a cliffhanger. Poppy encouraged Branch to ask Creek for more books later if he was really enjoying them as much as he claimed.
After finishing with the comic, Poppy decided they should try one of the three fundamental things all trolls loved—hugging. She started by explaining a troll custom to Branch, wanting to make sure he fully understood the importance of Hug Time. She'd even brought the scrapbook she always used to teach trollings about it.
"So then, after Dad made peace with the bergens, he set up Hug Time as a reminder that we could finally hug anyone we wanted without the fear of it being our last!" Poppy said, showing Branch the scrapbook pages she'd made to go along with this part of the story—a picture of King Peppy holding an unrolled scroll bearing the royal stamp on the bottom and smiling brightly. The scroll simply read "Hug Time!" in big, blue letters, and there was a hug watch on the bottom of the scroll opposite the royal seal. The opposite page had many trolls hugging happily, each with the brightly colored flowers of their own hug watches blooming on their arms in various colors. "Get it?"
"Yeah, Poppy. I already knew that," Branch answered, looking bored.
Poppy gave him a stunned look for the second time that day. "You do?"
"I went to school," Branch pointed out. The history of Hug Time was included in every troll's education since it was an important part of troll history.
"I know that, Branch. I just didn't know you paid any attention. You did hate everything trolly and all," she said as she shut the book and got off his bed, feeling slightly indignant at the fact that he thought she'd forgotten that. More than anything, though, she was surprised he'd paid any attention. From what she could remember, he hadn't seemed to have learned anything—he'd been rude enough that he clearly hadn't been there mentally for manners classes, at least. She'd always thought he just zoned out the whole time.
She wasn't far off. Branch crossed his arms and said, "If I didn't pay attention, my teacher always noticed, so I ended up hearing it eventually."
Poppy gave him a blank look. She hardly believed that he remembered anything from school, given that he'd hated it so much. After a moment, she smiled, brushing that off, and said, "Well, okay, then! Then let's get started! Now, we already know you didn't like hugs as a kid, but..." she said, moving toward him slowly, "I've hugged you a few times more recently, and you didn't seem to mind!" Beaming, she opened her arms for a hug. "So this shouldn't bother you, either! You ready!?"
She was thinking of those hugs she'd given him in the early days, when he'd needed comfort. He never protested those, so he should love this. He may even enjoy it enough to become fully happy, she hoped.
Branch groaned and asked, "Do we have to?"
"Yes." Poppy wrapped him in a warm hug, really feeling in her heart that this could help him based on past experience, and added, "It's not like it'll kill you, right?" She squeezed him gently, deepening it.
While Poppy was enjoying the hug, as she always did, Branch couldn't help but think of the fact that this girl was going to marry Creek, which bothered him considerably now that he had developed feelings for her. Still, he tolerated this hug, but he didn't join.
Poppy grinned, amused, and quietly said, "You're supposed to hug me back, silly."
Branch sighed, but he did as she asked.
Poppy tensed a bit—Branch's hug was hard and unfeeling. It was the worst hug she'd ever had. But she certainly wasn't going to say that out loud. "Uh... That's good! You're a natural, Branch! Good work!" She pulled back, grinning, as she tried to hide her discomfort. "So? How was it?" She looked at him expectantly. He certainly didn't look any different, but...
He shrugged and said, "Fine."
"...Fine?" she asked, a bit disappointed.
"Hey, I didn't pull away and tell you to let go, so that's already more than most trolls get," Branch said defensively.
"...So...you still don't like it?" Poppy asked, looking at him lamely now.
So much for that theory. Apparently, there were still some things about Branch she didn't know.
"Not really."
"...You sure you're really a troll because that's..." Giving him that same look, she trailed off, deciding she shouldn't finish that thought. After what happened the last time, she wasn't willing to judge him so harshly, at least not out loud. But what kind of a troll didn't like hugs? Was he some sort of hybrid?
Branch crossed his arms and answered, "Unless there was something my parents weren't telling anyone, yeah. Pretty sure."
She just stared at him lamely for a moment longer. He had to be part something else, but she figured the world may never know what that "something else" was.
"Skating's a great way to get around and have loads of fun! You can even use it to speed up the work around the house and make cleaning more enjoyable." Poppy handed Branch a pair of green roller skates, figuring he'd love this based on how he'd reacted to other sports. He'd taken to squishball pretty well and was extremely athletic, so she reasoned skating would probably become a favorite for him pretty quickly.
She'd pushed the furniture aside, clearing a wider space, and pulled out two pairs of skates in what Branch considered the stupidest move yet. He took the skates, silently wondering if it was really wise to skate inside. Knowing Poppy, however, he knew it was pointless to argue.
Since he didn't protest, Poppy put on a pair of pink skates, a grin on her face, and said, "Great! Let's get started. Put 'em on, and we'll start your first lesson!" She stood up, excited to teach Branch how to skate. She just knew that all she had to do was get him started and he'd love it.
He couldn't help himself—he had to at least ask. "You sure it's a good idea to skate inside?" Branch asked as he put the skates on.
"Of course! There's enough room in here for a little good, safe skating fun! Now, skateboarding, on the other hand..." She looked a bit uneasy, knowing full well that activity would be difficult and risky in this tower.
"Uh, yeah, that's a definite no," Branch said, fully in agreement on that one, as he got to his feet. He found that tougher than he'd expected, however, and was off balance immediately. "Whoa!" He fell off his feet.
"Whoa!" Poppy's eyes widened in concern as she reached out with her hair and caught Branch before he hit the floor. She slowly stood him back up, grinning gently, and asked, "First time on skates, Branch?" She held him up until he seemed steady, then let him go.
"Yeah, you could say that," he answered, looking away in embarrassment.
"No worries! I'll help ya!" She took his hands and carefully guided him through the motions, teaching him how to skate. When he stumbled, she caught him before he could fall. Before long, he was skating on his own.
"You're doing it, Branch! Great job!" Poppy cheered excitedly as she watched him skate in circles around the room. She was still skating alongside him, just in case he needed any help, but he seemed to have gotten the hang of it.
"This isn't so hard once you get the hang of it," Branch said, and he looked like he was enjoying himself.
Seeing that, Poppy could tell it was only a matter of time before Branch started teaching himself some more advanced skating moves. He'd be skating like a pro soon. After all, he was a quick study and great at teaching himself things.
"Of course not! It's as easy as learning to ride a bike! But we probably should stop soon so we can try something else." She grinned at him as she braked, stopping. Sure, she didn't want to spoil the fun, but she'd brought a lot of other activities for them to do.
"Right. What's next on the agenda?"
As she watched him keep going, Poppy stared at him for a second, lost. Why was he still going? "Uh, you need to stop first," she pointed out.
Branch kept skating around the room for a second longer before asking, "How do I stop?"
Poppy stared for a second. She'd just remembered something rather important. She sweat, slightly embarrassed at forgetting something so basic and important. "Er, right... Forgot to mention that... Hang on." She skated over to show him how to stop.
Once Branch had stopped skating and they'd gotten out of their roller skates, Poppy gently broached the next idea she had. This one, after all, was highly likely to be shot down.
"Now I know how you feel about singing, but it's a known fact that music can be very therapeutic, as we've already learned from all those surprisingly uplifting country songs we heard," she said, grinning.
She wasn't kidding, either. She'd officially gotten over her hatred of the genre she'd misunderstood for so long and had even started listening to it more regularly. She'd even started trying out the various other kinds of music that she'd thought she knew but never listened to and had promised herself she'd never misjudge any musical genre again. That being said, she had learned she wasn't a fan of the more violent or gruesome ones, and there were a few genres more prone to that than others.
"Okay..." Branch said, wary.
"Alright! Then I'll sing, and, if you ever want to join in, feel free!"
Poppy hoped he'd finally build up the courage to face his fear of singing. She firmly believed that he'd finally be able to put his painful past behind him and live for the future if he could just sing. And, as far as she could tell, his future was shaping up to be a bright one—he was trying not to be as negative about life as he had been before, was having way more fun, seemed to have finally mastered his manners when he actually felt like using them, and was really helpful now.
All things considered, Poppy thought he'd fit in perfectly once she brought him back to the village. He'd even learned to forgive himself and others, so he'd be able to show love not only to his friends but also his enemies, and she couldn't be more proud of him for that.
The part that was still worrying him was his reluctance to sing. Somehow, that still seemed to be holding him back, so surely he'd turn bright and colorful in no time once he finally got past that. So, seeing nothing to lose, she left the open invitation for him to start singing. It wasn't like she was trying to force the matter, after all—she was leaving it up to Branch to decide whether to sing or not.
With that established, Poppy played a series of songs about happiness, fun, encouragement, and parties, singing each one happily. Branch never did join in, but he didn't seem to mind listening to her sing, at any rate.
"So!?" Poppy asked when she had run out of songs, a hopeful grin on her face. "What'd ya think?"
All trolls loved music, so Branch must have gotten something out of that. Sure, he still hadn't sung, but he didn't seem as annoyed about music as he once was, so maybe he was getting over it slowly. She hoped so, at least.
"...You've got a good voice," he answered.
Poppy closed her eyes, happy at the praise, and said, "Aw, thank you. I like listening to myself sing, too." Then she blinked as something dawned on her. "Wait a—Are you saying you only like music if you enjoy the voice of the singer? How bad were you as a kid?" She put her hands on her hips, looking concerned.
She was now wondering if Branch had a terrible voice when he was a kid. Was that why he refused to sing? Did he need some singing lessons or something?
"Hey, I didn't say that! All I said was you have a good voice."
"...Really? So you don't hate music if the singer's voice is bad but the song's still good?"
"No."
Poppy stared at him, slightly lost. Then she smiled as she got ready to try something else. "Okay! Thanks, Branch. That's—Wait, you think I have a good voice?" she asked, cutting herself off in surprise as his words fully sank in. She looked at him with disbelief and asked, "Since when?"
Branch had always hated her singing when they were kids. The idea that he liked it now was hard to follow.
Branch looked away, a slightly guilty look in his eyes. "...I was a jerk when I was a kid, okay?"
Poppy just looked at him, curious now, wondering where this was going.
"You sound like an angel when you sing."
"...Branch." Poppy felt herself starting to blush at the praise. That was the nicest thing he'd ever said to her, and it left her feeling deeply touched. "Thanks, I—"
Her Hug Watch went off at that second. Normally, when she was with Branch, she ignored it due to his dislike of the activity. This time, however, she looked at it, then grinned, amused. "It's Hug Time!" she said, opening her arms and moving toward him mischievously. After such gushing praise, she couldn't wait to hug him. She couldn't think of a better way to show him how much she appreciated it.
Branch just sighed. With him putting up no resistance, Poppy grabbed him and held on tight. After a compliment like that, her touch was very affectionate and caring. Branch hesitated for a bit before he hugged her back.
This time, Poppy's thoughts on this hug were very different. For one, she hadn't realized before, but Branch's chest was quite muscular, firm and warm against her since his vest was open, exposing his chest. His arms around her felt safe, protective. She realized that maybe that was why his hugs felt so hard—because anything that tried to hurt her when he was around would have to go through him to do it. With everything she'd learned about him thrown in there with the compliments he'd just given her, it was hard not to like the guy. She even snuggled him a bit, happy, enjoying this feeling for as long as she could.
"Thanks, Branch. That was really sweet," she said, rubbing her cheek against his. She couldn't remember the last time she'd been this happy.
Branch didn't know how to respond to that, so he didn't say anything.
Poppy blinked, suddenly realizing what she was doing but unsure exactly why she'd done it. That behavior was highly inappropriate, considering she was engaged. In fact, it was inappropriate unless it was between two trolls who were dating, and she could tell it had made Branch uncomfortable, so why was she doing it? She let go of Branch, rubbing her head and shuffling a foot a bit as she blushed, embarrassed. "Er, sorry about that, Branch... You're probably not ready for that level of affection, are you?" To herself, she wondered, What was that all about? I've never done that during Hug Time before. Hair, I don't even do it when Creek's the only one who hugs me. Not that much, anyway.
Branch shrugged and said, "It's not a big deal." He, however, had enjoyed that hug more than he was letting on. She's engaged, Branch. That's not changing.
They stood there in what Poppy viewed as an uncomfortable silence for a moment before Poppy said, "Right! Better move on, then." Still feeling awkward, she went to prepare for the next activity, eager to change the subject as quickly as possible.
After having laid out sweets (including fluffleberry cupcakes) and healthier snacks on the table and setting up a plethora of party decorations in the tower, Poppy looked over her clipboard, going over the things she and Branch had tried. "Alright! So far, we've tried reading comic books. You claimed to enjoy complaining about them, so that's something you can do from now on," she said as she checked it off her list. "Then we tried Hug Time, but you still hate hugging, so that's a no." She checked that off as well, using an X this time to remind herself that it didn't work very well. "You seemed to enjoy skating once you got the hang of it. So you should probably ask Creek to teach you how again." She checked that off. "And you only like music if I'm the one who sings to you," she finished, marking that one with a question mark and making a note to remind herself that he only liked listening to her sing. "So...I guess, for today, all that's left is..." she gave a playful grin and tossed her clipboard and pen, looking excited as she said, "seeing how much you enjoy a good party! Ready to hit the floor, bud!?"
"A party? Poppy, there's only two of us," Branch pointed out.
"Who cares!? We can have a party for two!" she answered, sticking a track in the CD player eagerly.
Dancing with Branch was one of her favorite things to do with him. She knew for a fact he enjoyed dancing with her, too, so going for a full-on dance party shouldn't bother him. She'd even baked cupcakes using his favorite cake recipe to make it more enjoyable. How could he possibly hate it, with all of that in mind?
Branch supposed that explained the fancy lights, glitter cannons, and bubble guns.
Poppy started dancing excitedly. "Come on, Branch! Let's have a little fun!"
Given the decorations she'd set up and the special effects, the tower looked about the same as any troll party—fancy lights all over the place, bubbles filling the air, occasional bursts of glitter, the whole nine yards. She'd set up some of these decorations in an attempt to get Branch more comfortable with them more than anything. After all, when he came back to the village, he'd encounter all of this at various parties—the glitter cannon, especially, was for that since glitter trolls tended to let off glitter bursts on occasion. Branch joined Poppy's dancing, about as enthusiastic as he usually was for such activities (namely, not at all). Knowing that Branch preferred dancing with someone to dancing alone (or, at least, that she could get him into it), Poppy took him as her dance partner rather than having them both do their own dancing. Secretly, she also wanted to dance with him again herself, but even she wasn't fully aware of that fact.
The second song that played was a good one for a swing dance, and Poppy found herself doing one with Branch when he made some moves in that direction. The third, fancy dancing. The longer this party went on and the more Poppy danced with him, the more Branch seemed to get into it. In fact, Poppy's eyes widened as she saw him cut loose more than normal during the second and third songs. When a bit of his enthusiasm faded on the fourth song, Poppy stopped dancing and stared at him, totally lost.
"Hold up! What gives, Branch? You were doing so well, and now you're not so into it? What's your deal?"
He just shrugged and said, "I liked the last two songs better."
Poppy just stared at him for a moment, unable to wrap her head around that one. "Why?" she asked, completely baffled. "They were both so upbeat and hyper and—" She blinked, cutting herself off as she remembered something from the first dance she'd tricked him into. Then she pointed to Branch, her eyes narrowed slightly and one eyebrow raised as she pointed out, "That's the second time you've turned our dance into a swing dance! Is there something I should know?" She crossed her arms and looked at him with suspicion.
"I like swing dancing," he answered simply.
That was new. She stared at him, stunned speechless for a moment. "...You do?"
"And fancy dancing."
Poppy was shocked enough that she'd found one type of dance that Branch liked, but finding two was even more surprising. She gaped at him, unsure how to feel about the fact that the dance-hating troll liked some styles of dancing that could get wild at times. The look on her face bordered on horror. She couldn't believe what she was hearing. Branch couldn't possibly be into those.
Branch stared at her for a moment, trying to read her expression, before he finally asked, "What?"
She pointed at him, still looking shocked, and asked, "You like both swing and fancy dancing? You? The troll who thinks being a little wild and crazy's taking it too far? The one who hates crazy dance parties and thinks they're a waste of time? Are you serious?"
"Yes, I'm serious," he answered, and he looked a bit indignant.
"...Huh."
It seemed you learned something new every day. And just when she thought she had this guy figured out. Well, mostly, at least. His continued hatred of hugs and sudden attraction to her singing voice had also caught her off guard. Apparently, Branch wasn't as easy to read as she'd thought. Now she was starting to wonder what else she didn't know.
Sadly, though, it seemed that mystery would have to be solved another time.
"Poppy!" came Biggie's voice from outside. "We found Mr. Dinkles! It's time to head home!"
"Wha!? Already!? But we were just—" Poppy looked disappointed, but Branch glanced out the window and noted, "The sun's going down. It's getting late, so..."
"Aw, but we were just getting started on our party!" Poppy whined, tossing her head back. "That's no fair! I wanna—"
"I'm sorry, Poppy, but we do need to leave," Biggie called up from below. "We have to head back to Troll Village, or Creek will wonder where you are."
"We can have a party later, Poppy," Branch pointed out.
Poppy looked at him, shocked once more. Had he really just said that? He hated parties.
It took her a moment to find her voice, surprised as she was at Branch's last statement. "...Really? You wanna—"
"Sure. But we can't do that if you don't leave. If Creek finds out, you know what'll happen."
Poppy smiled caringly at Branch. "...Sure, Branch. We'll finish this later." She went to gather up her things, choosing to leave all the fluffleberry sweets and healthy foods that nobody at home would want. Branch would make sure they didn't go to waste, after all.
"Hurry, Poppy! Everyone else is already heading back to Troll Village!" Biggie called.
As she grabbed things with her hair and shoved them into her bag, Poppy called back, "Be right there, Biggie! Just gotta clean up the evidence!"
Since time was clearly of the essence, Branch went to help Poppy pack up. She looked at him, stunned for a moment, then smiled happily and resumed her own work. Within a few seconds, they had all of her things packed up (other than the food items she'd decided to leave behind), and she was standing on the windowsill to say goodbye. She'd left 7 cupcakes; 10 finger sandwiches made with chicken, tomato, cheese, spinach, and mayonnaise; and 8 liver sticks she'd seasoned with barbecue sauce. Branch wasn't one to complain, but he did need to eat or hide all of those before Creek got here, which was a little annoying.
"Thanks, Branch! See you around, huh, bud!?" She hopped out and landed in Biggie's arms as he held them out to catch her. To her larger friend, Poppy said, "Alright, bug guy! Let's motor! We need to catch up with the others before they reach Troll Village!"
"Right!" Biggie answered, and they ran off quickly, determined to catch up with the others.
On their way back, Poppy couldn't contain her excitement as she started telling Biggie all about her time with Branch. "Oh, my hair, Biggie! You won't believe the day I just had! Did you know Branch enjoys comic books, but only the parts where he gets to complain about everything wrong in the world? Oh, oh! And he enjoys skating and thinks it's easy once you get used to it! He also loves it when I sing to him, and—"
While Biggie was thrilled to hear that Branch enjoyed music in any context again or that he was having fun doing anything at all, he knew this was a bad time for Poppy to go on about her day with the gray troll who they were supposed to believe was dead. "That's wonderful, Poppy, really!" Biggie said sincerely. "But maybe you could tell me all about it later?"
He honestly did want to hear about it. After all, that was sounding more like the Branch he had known when they were young—happy, fun-loving, and eager to try new things. Still, the fact remained that they couldn't talk about it anywhere near Creek, and the others were just up ahead.
Smidge turned and waved at them happily. "Hey! There those guys are! We were just about to head into the Misty Forest without ya!"
Misty Forest surrounded Misty Meadows. It was about a 6-mile walk from here to the meadow that shared this name.
"I'm sorry we took so long to get here," Biggie apologized.
"Yeah. My bad!" Poppy said with an awkward grin as she rubbed her head. She'd had no idea it had gotten so late already. Time really did fly when you were having fun.
"Dang, ya guys. What's up? Ya look like ya lost track of time or somethin'," DJ said, concerned. Poppy was usually so punctual. DJ couldn't think of even one time Poppy had been late to something. She was so good at being on time that DJ had asked Poppy for help with that once (and had started setting her clock 3 hours ahead ever since).
"Yeah. What gives?" Guy asked, looking concerned. "You're both usually early to everything. So why so late this time?"
Well, that saved DJ the trouble of asking.
"Oh, well, Poppy..." Biggie trailed off, not sure how to finish that thought.
"I, er...needed to pack stuff up 'case we were kinda in the middle of a little party when Biggie came to fetch me. I thought we had more time than that, but—"
"Dang, you got Branch to party?" Cooper asked, looking at her with disbelief. The idea that Branch would ever party after what happened to his family was hard to picture.
"So things are still going well?" Satin asked.
"But, wait. I don't get it. If he's doin' so great and actually having fun now, how come he hasn't found his happiness yet?" Smidge asked, confused and concerned herself. From the stories Poppy kept waking her up to tell her, Branch sounded like he should be happy by now, so what was the holdup? Was he still hiding something from Poppy that she needed to know?
"Beats me, Smidge," Poppy said with a shrug, frowning a bit. The thought that maybe he needed to sing crossed her mind again, but, thinking about it further, trolls normally couldn't help but sing when they were happy enough, so why wasn't he willing yet? He seemed happier most of the time today, which made it seem like there had to be something else. "You'd think he would have by now. So I guess he's not really having as much fun as he says he is." Her face lit up with excitement as she continued, "But I think I know something that he really will enjoy! Branch just cut loose even better than when I first...persuaded him to dance with me and told me it was because he enjoys fancy dancing and swing dancing! So I'm thinking he'll come around a lot faster if I host a little Hair Ball for him to enjoy!" She crossed her arms, looking smug. She was quite pleased with herself, knowing that this plan was bound to work. "Pretty cool plan, huh?"
Fuzzbert, however, was a bit concerned about the time-consuming nature of preparing a Hair Ball. It was always one of the biggest events of the year. Of course, there was the need for fancier clothing and hairstyles, but there was also the photo booth to consider in addition to all of the usual party preparation—decorations, food, music... Given that they were in the midst of planning for another huge event, what with Poppy's wedding on the horizon, and he wasn't sure where they would find time to prepare for both at once. To make matters worse, it would have to be just the nine of them—Branch couldn't help even if it wasn't a surprise for him, and no one else in Troll Village could know that they had found Branch. He told her about his concerns, not wanting to ruin her enthusiasm but wanting to ensure she had a plan for how to tackle this one.
"Fuzzbert's right, Poppy," Cooper agreed. "We ain't got time to plan for your wedding and a private Hair Ball for Branch!"
"Well, I might be able to pull both off! But I'm the fast party master who sets up, oh, say, 12 parties a night sometimes, so..." Guy bragged, stopping just short of offering to help. He wasn't sure if he should since he wasn't much of a cook and knew nothing about clothing design or hair styling. To him, it seemed like a waste to decorate for a party if he was the only one helping.
"They've got a point, Poppy," Smidge said, looking concerned. "How're ya gonna make that work when it takes so much time to prepare?"
"You're forgetting a few things here, you guys," Poppy said, smiling with confidence. "For one, it's only going to be the two of us there. So we won't be needing nearly as much food, drink, or decorations as we normally would. Then there's the fact that I left a hair care book with Branch that he asked Creek to replace with one from him, so he should be able to do that himself. Next, I already have my dress picked out for this year's ball, so I could always use that. And lastly, I know all about Branch's sizes and what looks good on him, so I could always just shop around at some other clothing stores if I had to to find him something to wear. So, yes. I think I can pull it off." She then tapped a finger to her chin, thinking out loud. "Hmm... Now, figuring out when to do it and gathering everything up could take some time. We'd need a more believable excuse for me to be gone all day from morning until sunset, too, as Branch thinks my excuses are getting 'kinda weird' lately." She crossed her arms, looking mildly annoyed.
Her excuses weren't that bad, especially not the one she'd used today. This happened so often that no one really seemed to care anymore. How could that be a bad excuse?
"Well, today was fine, but he's not wrong, Poppy," Chenille confessed.
"Admittedly...some of them are less believable than others," Biggie agreed.
Poppy sweat, thinking about that. She was sure they were all thinking of her recent excuse involving Bridget and Gristle, and she couldn't argue that one had been flimsy now that she thought about it. Maybe Branch was right, after all—just not about today's excuse. "Yyyeah...you're right, guys. Better work on that, huh?"
Everyone either nodded or said something that showed they agreed with that. After all, it wouldn't do for them to be found out because Poppy's excuses didn't hold water.
Meanwhile, Branch had hidden the cupcakes under the now upside-down washbasin and eaten the rest so it wouldn't spoil. Now he had his own things to ponder regarding his time with Poppy. "Poppy's been doing everything she can to help me get out of here. She's even planning and skipping parties so she can come see me." He crossed his arms. "And I've done nothing in return. Sure, she's not exactly expecting it, but... There has to be something I can do to thank her, but...what?"
He thought about it, wondering what he could possibly do that would show her how much he appreciated everything she'd done for him.
"Poppy likes pretty much everything, so anything would work...but what does she like the most?"
He didn't just want to do something random. He wanted to do something for her that would actually mean something, something with some real thought put into it. As he was thinking, he remembered her pulling a cupcake out of her hair for no reason and what she'd said when he commented on it. The idea came to him. But there was a problem.
"...Sweets. I guess I could bake something for her. But this place isn't really set up for baking. Ugh..." He put a hand on his head. The fireplace was fine for cooking, but there was no way he'd be able to bake anything in it the way it was. He'd need to make some changes. "Guess I'll need to talk to Creek about that."
When the others made it back to Troll Village, Creek greeted them with a smile. "Ah! There you all are! So sorry I had to duck out on the search early, Fuzzbert, DJ, but I had to—"
They had split up after Biggie had (unbeknownst to Creek) purposely left Mr. Dinkles to play with some friends as they were heading back from Bergen Town earlier that day. When they had broken into teams to search for the "lost" worm, Creek had gone with DJ and Fuzzbert, Guy with Biggie and Cooper, Poppy with the twins, and Smidge had run off alone in an apparent panic. Creek had come home before they'd found Mr. Dinkles, citing his daily mantras and meditation as a reason why he needed to return.
DJ waved an arm dismissively. "Psh! No biggie, bro. It's cool."
Fuzzbert agreed, saying he knew that Creek's Hindu practices were vital for him to become a good king.
"Yeah, dude! Besides, we found Mr. Dinkles, so it's all good!" Cooper assured him with a smile.
"Oh, you did!?" Creek said, clasping his hands in front of his face and looking hopeful. He'd been really worried about the little guy. Getting lost in town was one thing, but getting lost in the woods? There was no telling what could happen to a little worm alone in the forest.
Biggie held the worm up and said, "Yes, he's right here. See?"
"Meep!"
"Oh, thank trollness!" Creek said, putting a hand to his chest. "What a relief! So I can stop worrying about whether the little guy got into serious trouble or not! So where was the little rascal this time?"
"Well, as it turns out, some of his friends were out playing in the woods today, so he decided to join them for a while," Poppy lied, smiling.
"Yes, it seems so. I just wish he would have told me." Biggie turned to the worm and continued, "Oh, Mr. Dinkles, how many times do we have to go over this? If you want to go play with your friends, please just say something so that I don't have to spend all day worrying about you!
Mr. Dinkles looked down, apparently ashamed. "Meep," he said apologetically.
Creek smiled slightly. He should have known that was it, based on how long it was taking. It still begged the question of why play in the forest, though. It also left him wondering how the worm and the trolls had found each other this time. Normally, Mr. Dinkles just returned to Biggie's home when it got late.
"Oh, that's quite alright, mate. No harm done," he said to the worm, brushing those curiosities aside for now. "Well, I'd best get back to my mantras before it gets any later. See you all tomorrow at the next rehearsal. Oh, and Cooper? Don't forget to locate a suitable bridesmaid for us," Creek added as he headed off.
Creek wasn't sure why Poppy thought Cooper needed to pick another girl to act as bridesmaid for their wedding—they already had an even number of girls to boys, so another bridesmaid would only throw things off. When she suggested that Cooper pick someone for the wedding party who would be paired with him in pictures and such, Creek was confused for a bit. After thinking about it some, however, he'd decided that Poppy must have been thinking of the twins as a single bridesmaid for the purposes of this wedding. It fit, given that they would have to walk down the aisle as a pair, so he didn't question it much.
"Got it, Creek! Don't worry. I'll find one!"
"Ooh, and, speaking of, you guys, we still need to finish passing out the rest of the wedding invitations! I totally forgot we haven't done that yet!" Poppy said, looking concerned as she pulled out a basket full of the invitations in question.
Looking determined, Smidge saluted her princess and said, "Got it, boss! Leave everything to me!" She took the basket and ran off to deliver the invitations, startling Poppy slightly.
"Ah! Hold up a sec!" she called after the maid of honor. "I'm supposed to—" Cutting herself off, Poppy sighed, shaking her head with an amused grin—she and Smidge had already discussed plans for that, and Poppy had said she would hand out the invitations personally, but... "Aw, well. I guess it doesn't matter as long as they get handed out. So!" She turned to everyone else, looking excited, and asked, "Who's up for a random dance party at Wiggly Valley!? I am so sick of always having to miss out."
The others agreed eagerly, and they set off for this impromptu party.
That night, as always, Creek went to the tower to see Branch and deliver his daily meals.
"Hello, my friend!" Creek greeted as he entered, setting the food basket on the table. "How goes the happiness therapy? Made any further progress yet?"
"Yeah, I think. I've made some discoveries, at least. And, uh, speaking of...any chance we can make some changes around here again?"
Branch hesitated to ask. He knew how much Creek hated it when they had to make any renovations to the tower. It wasn't exactly easy, after all, and they had the added problem of being unable to seek medical attention if anything serious happened. Besides that, given what Creek knew of the situation, he'd probably think it was a waste of time to make any big changes to this place so close to the wedding.
Creek started, his eyes widening, just as Branch knew he would. "What? Again? Whatever for now?"
He knew full well there wasn't much time left. In less than a month, he and Poppy would be wed, and he'd become king of the trolls. Then he'd lead his people to Crumsville, and that would be it. Branch would likely die out here without Creek to take care of him. Even if Branch's new method of getting food worked, there would still be some things he wouldn't be able to get using that fishing rod—like soap and firewood. Without firewood, he'd freeze in winter. Without proper hygiene, he could get sick, and without Creek here to help, he wouldn't be able to treat any infection he got. No matter how Creek looked at it, Branch's chances for survival on his own were pretty slim, and he knew Branch must be aware of this, too, so what was the point of making changes now?
"I want to try baking, although I doubt I'll be a fan of it anyway. But it's sort of impractical in the fireplace," Branch answered, gesturing to the fireplace.
Creek looked at it and sweat. That seemed even more meaningless, and it wasn't exactly an easy modification. "Branch, you do realize that, to set that up, we'd need to make some major changes that would involve drilling, welding, and installing a door on there, don't you? Not really something we should be doing if you're not going to have a need for or enjoy using it."
"Well, just bring me what I need to do it, and I'll do it myself. It'll give me something to do, at least."
Creek stared for a moment, picking up on the implications there. He sighed. "That kind of bored again, are we? Alright, mate. Whatever you say."
Honestly, Creek hated it when Branch got like this. He only ever felt the need to build and upgrade when he really needed a distraction. Creek couldn't help but wonder if Branch's latest attempts to cheer himself up were going to work. All things considered, it wasn't looking too promising.
A/N: When DJ's thinking about Poppy never being late, she doesn't know that Poppy had meant to meet up with Cooper earlier on Prank Day. Nobody knew exactly when she planned to meet up with him that day, so it's not something they know about.
