-O-

Taming Branch

By Dreamsinger

Chapter 18

Hair Trance

"You want us to brush each other's hair, Branch?" Poppy said in delight, a big grin spreading across her face. "Really?"

Branch squirmed a little at the eager look on her face, as if he were embarrassed, but he did answer. "Well, ever since I saw that scene, I haven't been able to get it out of my mind. I don't know why. I mean, it's literally just hair-brushing, something I do every day, but for some reason, there's something about it that seems so… I don't know. Special. I-I mean, it sounds silly, but I just…" He stopped, lavender-faced.

Poppy nodded, understanding what he was trying so clumsily to explain. Branch was attracted to the intimacy. The act of caring for another person, and having them care for you. Poor little foxfluff. In his long, lonely life, had no one ever offered to brush his hair?

"I'm game," she said gently. "It sounds like fun."

He nodded, giving her a shy, grateful smile.

Aww. Poppy reached into her hair and pulled out a large hairbrush. "I actually put a brush in one of the apology gift baskets I gave you, but we can just use mine for today, if you want."

"Sure," he replied. "Oh, and thanks for that other brush, by the way. My old one was ready to be replaced. It was missing, like, half its bristles."

"You're welcome, but actually Milton gave me that brush, for you."

"Milton?"

"Yes. He'll be happy to hear that you like it," she commented as she got off the sofa. "Hair-brushing is one of the things he does to help his critters feel better."

"Hm." Branch stood up with a frown on his face. He often acted odd whenever the critternarian's name was mentioned. Poppy wasn't sure what was up with that, since Milton was one of the sweetest trolls in the village. Every time she said that to Branch, though, he merely grumped and changed the subject. Like now, as he said unexpectedly, "Well, thank you for the scrapbooks, too. I really… I mean, they helped me to..." he trailed off.

"Helped you decide to forgive me?" she suggested. That had been their intended purpose, after all.

"Well, yes, but mainly…" He paused. Poppy almost said something again, but this seemed to be one of those times when she ought to be patient and not try to push him along. So instead, she leaned toward him a little, her face open to anything he wanted to say.

Her patience paid off as he admitted, "They helped me…feel closer. To you. You weren't there, but I felt as if you were with me." As he spoke, his eyes got misty. "It's been a long time since I've felt so close to anyone. Not since Fluffy, really."

"Aww. You're welcome, Branch." She blinked the mistiness from her own eyes, not wanting to make him feel uncomfortable. "Look at you, volunteering to talk about your feelings all on your own," she teased him, to lighten the mood.

He shrugged. "Well, today is a special day, as I recall, " he said casually, but the smile he gave her was both shy and proud.

She took it in, appreciating her little foxfluff's efforts to bond with her. "It sure is," she agreed energetically. "Okay, let's do this! Here, sit down on the floor and I'll stand behind you."

Looking a little nervous now, he sat. As she approached him, she asked, "You okay, Branch? Would you rather I stood where you can see me, so I won't startle you when I touch you?"

"No, that's okay," he said as he looked up at her over his shoulder. His expression was full of anticipation, more than anything else. He must have really wanted to try this.

"Do you mind if I hum, Branch?"

"No, not down here. The bunker is pretty much soundproof."

She nodded. "One more thing. Is it okay if I use my hands, too?"

Was it her imagination, or did his eyes brighten a little? "Sure."

Poppy wrapped her hair around the handle of the brush and held it above him. "Remember, you can tell me to stop any time," she told him, as she always did before every exercise.

"Right."

Poppy grinned and plunged her bare hands into the profuse black mass in front of her. "Did I ever tell you that I've been wanting to touch your hair ever since I met you?" she asked cheerfully, as she scooped the soft strands into an upright ponytail like hers. It was so dense she needed both hands to hold it all.

"You have?" he asked, startled.

"Of course. Your hair is magnificent, Branch. So soft and thick. It's such a pleasure to touch it. And this color! Black hair is so cool!"

"You like my hair color?" he asked, seeming stunned.

"I sure do." Using her own hair, she lifted the hairbrush high and began to brush the tips of his hair. Gradually she worked her way down the thick black hair-stalk toward her hands, taking care to be gentle so she wouldn't rip through any tangles. She didn't want to hurt him, or damage his beautiful hair.

-O-

Staring at the wall of his bunker, the gray troll though in wonder, Poppy likes my hair. She thinks it's cool! I can't believe it. I mean, it seems normal to me, but to someone who lives in Troll village, you'd think my hair would seem kind of drab. Boring. Colorless. But actually she said she thinks it's cool. Wow.

Just then Poppy released her hold on his hair. He sat still for a moment. Is that it? It's over already? But before he could move, he felt brush bristles against his head and settled down again. He closed his eyes to focus on the sensation and was immediately teleported to some kind of alternate dimension that only had one thing in it; Poppy's soothing hand guiding that brush.

The gray troll had never felt anything like it. The light scratching of the bristles felt good against his head, making little tingles that spread in ripples down his spine, right out to his fingers and toes. It made him feel…alive. He found himself leaning into each stroke, to make it last as long as possible. Then she began to hum, a soft, delicate little tune that seemed to fit perfectly with the ethereal nature of this wondrous experience.

Best of all, her other hand kept caressing his face as she gently tilted his head this way and that. It felt so nice, and her hand was so warm. He always forgot how warm her hands were, but being reminded was always a pleasure.

He wanted this to go on forever.

-O-

Once she was done with the initial detangling, Poppy switched the brush from her hair to her hand, so she could do the hair closest to his head with a finer, more delicate touch. Her sensitive friend seemed content to sit quietly as she gently drew the brush upward through his beautiful dark locks. She used her own hair to help with the few knots she found, carefully pulling the strands apart, then running the brush through again to smooth it all out.

Happily humming, it took a while before the pink troll realized that she hadn't heard anything from him. "Branch? You okay?"

"Hm? Yeah. Fine," he mumbled.

She leaned around his head and saw that his eyes were closed in bliss. She broke out in a huge grin. Aww, he's loving this.

She was, too. The thick, strong strands were slightly more rough-textured than her own, but they were still sleek and soft; a sign that he took good care of his hair. Of course, that was probably because his hair was his "best line of defense", as he'd told her many times. But whatever the reason, there was no denying that her friend Branch had one fine head of hair.

In the dim little room, the rest of the world seemed so far away. It was like their first touch-training exercise, when Branch had let her run a paintbrush over his skin. Under the mushroom, with the curtain of rain all around them, its hushed shhhh a soft counterpoint to her own cozy humming.

How long ago that seems now. He's come so far since then. I think he even likes my humming now. If that's the case, maybe he'll even be all right with letting me sing down here-

Just then Branch made a soft sound. Instantly she pulled the brush from his hair. "Sorry, Branch. Did I hurt you?"

He was still, his head lowered. She went around to keel in front of him, setting the brush down on the floor. "Branch? You okay?"

Finally he opened his eyes, vaguely focusing on her the way a person did after they'd just woken up. "Fine. I'm fine."

A wide smile of realization spread over her face. "Whoa, you must have been really deep into it, huh, Branch?"

"Deep into what?"

"A hair trance."

"A hair what?"

"Having their hair brushed can send some trolls into a trancelike state. Alpha waves, you know? Very zen. It's happened to me a few times. It never occurred to me that you'd go so deep, or I'd have said something."

He frowned lightly. "I was in a trance?"

"Just a mild one. A state of relaxation and focused attention; something like meditation, or like being in a flow state."

He took that in, and after a moment asked, "What's a flow state?"

"You know, the way you feel when you're creating something, or when you're having so much fun doing something that hours go by without you realizing it."

"You mean, like that time with the paintbrush, when I didn't notice how much time was passing?"

"Exactly. You were so focused on living in the moment for once that you forgot to worry. That's a good thing, Branch," she reassured him. "That's kind of what we were going for, in fact. Having your hair brushed is a great way to relax and de-stress."

"Huh," he said thoughtfully, rubbing his chin.

Poppy knew Branch. That suspicious mind of his was already looking at this new experience from every angle, analyzing it for potential hazards. Before he could decide it was dangerous to be oblivious of the world around him, she said admiringly, "You know, the fact that you were able to go so deep so fast is actually super impressive. Not everyone can accomplish that."

He seemed to like that, his chest puffing out in that adorable way of his when he was proud of himself. "That's probably because I already know how to do this 'flow state' thing," he told her.

"Really?"

He nodded. "When I'm inventing something, I can work for a long time without noticing time passing. With no daylight in my bunker, weeks can pass without me realizing it. I have to set an alarm clock to remind me to eat and sleep."

"Me, too," she agreed. "Well, actually, I can't spend weeks working on something; I've got too many other things going on for that. But I've spent entire nights lost in a creative cloud before; totally focused, calm, and not sleepy at all. Sometimes when you have an amazing idea, you just have to dive right into it before the inspiration fades, you know?"

He raised an eyebrow. "Yeah, I know. You and your random scrapbooking spells." His expression was teasing, though, unlike his usual annoyance whenever she called a Time Out to throw together a quick scrapbook detailing what Branch usually called her "crazy plans."

She gladly went along with his good mood. "What can I say? Gotta go with the flow state, Branchifer." She winked at him, and one side of his mouth went up in a smirk.

All joking aside, Poppy was relieved that he seemed to be okay with what had just happened. Hair trances were beneficial, especially for a troll who needed to relax as much as Branch did!

She noticed something then. "Oops, you've got a big chunk of hair out of place in the back. Sorry. I guess I pulled the brush away at a funny angle." She picked up the hairbrush and stood up, giving him an expectant look.

Branch glanced at the brush, then up at her. His eyes moved minutely as he considered, then he nodded his head slightly, closed his eyes, and turned around. "Go ahead."

Touched, Poppy quickly used the brush to smooth his errant hair back into place. Finished, she hesitated, gazing longingly at the rich black mass in front of her. So temptingly close…

Maybe it was just his unique hair color, but despite having hundreds of hair-related events behind her, Poppy couldn't remember anyone else's hair being such a magnet for her hands. Well, he did say I could use my hands, so…

Being careful not to lean against him, she stepped closer and put her arms around his head as far as they arms would reach. She set her palms against his temples, then waited to see if he would object. When he didn't, she began to lightly smooth his hair down and back toward her. Every troll she knew, including herself, had always found having their head stroked incredibly soothing. She hoped he would, too.

Just for a moment, his hair resisted, pushing upward against her hands. Then the resistance lessened, as his hair allowed itself to be flattened back over his skull. Encouraged, she continued to caress his head, slowly and gently. From behind, she watched his cheeks lift into a wide, mellow smile. Taking that as approval, she began to hum a soft tune, hoping to relax him even more.

Gradually she felt him sync with her rhythm, his head lifting and lowering with the passing of her hands. "How's it going, Branch? You like this?" she asked after a while.

"Mm-hmm," he murmured dreamily. Then, with a sigh of pure contentment, he relaxed his body back against hers.

Surprised, she braced her legs to take the extra weight. Then she let out a soft chuckle. Oh my gosh, he loves this!

The pink troll was very much enjoying herself, as well. The way their bodies were touching was the closest he had ever gotten to a good, cuddly hug, yet Branch showed no signs of being disturbed. As she continued to lovingly stroke the head he was so trustfully offering her, she was so gleeful she had to keep careful control over her voice, lest the tranquil tune she was humming shift into an ecstatic, ear-piercing squeal.

Branch may not like hugs, but he really seems to like this type of touching. Look at how relaxed he is. It must be because we're in his bunker. Aww… I guess he really needed to experience something like this. Branch needs to know that, bergens or no bergens, there are ways to feel safe that don't involve isolation, bunkers, or traps.

Cuddling with someone is a healthy way to feel safe. It's one of the reasons we trolls hug so much. We learn how to accept comfort from our parents, and to give it, too. But then, poor Branch never had parents. He honestly doesn't know what he's missed. No wonder he thinks the only way to feel safe is to live underground, away from the world…

Poppy shifted her thoughts in a more positive direction. Well, anyway, this is another big success. I wonder what we should try tomorrow? Ooo – what about a massage? Really melt away that tension, you know? Small steps, though. Hmm. A face massage, maybe?

Finally she threaded her fingers through his handsome dark locks and began to lift them upward. She took her time, drawing each strip slowly through her hands, making it feel good for him. His answering sigh of pleasure was almost a moan. She half-expected him to roll onto his back like a cuddle pup asking to have its belly rubbed. As she pictured that, she giggled, and Branch gave her a light, happy hum in response.

He really does have a nice voice. I wish he wanted to use it, but he… Hey… Wait a minute. I just got a great idea! Excited now, she finished the last few locks of hair and gave his entire head one more run-through with the brush, then set it down on the floor. "Okay, Branch, I'm all done."

At first he didn't move. Finally he leaned forward and got to his feet, taking his warm body away from hers. She missed it. But it was still as close as she'd ever gotten to a voluntary cuddle from him, so she was happy.

When Branch turned to look at her, her insides melted at the soft, shimmery look in his sky-blue eyes. She could see his gratitude, and his affection for her. It made her want to put her hands to his lips, to touch his sweet, tender smile-

Poppy blinked and looked down, suddenly flustered. Whoa. What just happened?

After a moment she cleared her throat and asked, "How are you doing, Branch? Any bad feelings?" as she always did after each touch-training exercise.

The alluring look in his eyes faded as he seemed to look inward. Finally he shrugged. "No, I feel fine." He hesitated, then reached out to touch her forearm gently. "Thank you, Poppy. I… I really enjoyed that."

She put her hand over his, fascinated all over again at the deep azure depths of his open, unguarded gaze. "No problem, Branch," she said automatically, half in a daze.

She kept staring at him until she realized that he was giving her a curious look. A silly giggle pushed past her lips, and he blinked. Embarrassed, she let his arm go. "I mean, I'm really glad you liked it!" She made a wide gesture with both arms, encompassing everything as she gushed, "This is just one of the many, many wonderful things there are in the world, Branch! You have no idea how excited I am that I get to be the one to introduce them to you."

He laughed. "Well, I can't imagine doing this with anybody else, that's for sure."

She nodded happily. "Yeah! Like, I had this great idea-"

"Hey, Poppy? Aren't you forgetting something?"

"What?"

"It's your turn. To have your hair brushed."

"Oh, right! But I wanted to ask you-" She took a step toward him, then moved back as her new patience kicked in. "First, it's not too much for one day, is it? If it is, don't feel like you have to." Please say yes, please say yes…

"That's okay. I want to," he assured her. "I've been wondering what the deal is ever since you gave me that scrapbook."

His blue eyes held no trace of doubt, which reassured her. "All right. But before we do, I wanted to ask you something."

Now came the doubt. "What is it?"

"Well, I was just thinking- Part of the reason we're doing these exercises is to get you more accustomed to being touched, so that someday you can become comfortable with giving and receiving hugs, right?"

He nodded. "Right. You need hugs, and you expect to get them from your friends. So I need to get over my stupid hangups so I can give you what you need, because I'm your friend."

"No, that's- I mean, yes, but no. I mean – gah! You need hugs, too, Branch. You just don't know it yet."

He shrugged, but didn't reply, obviously not in the mood for an argument. Poppy made a mental note that hair-brushing was a definitely good way to help her little foxfluff relax and mellow out. "And nothing about you is stupid, Branch. Really. In fact, the more I learn about you, the more I think you're one of the smartest trolls I've ever met."

At her honest admiration, he ducked his head shyly. "Thanks, Poppy."

In the practical tone she had learned to use with him when trying to persuade him that a new idea was worth time and effort, she continued, "Hugs aside, the other reason we're doing this is to give you some new experiences in a safe environment. Experiences that hopefully will help you enjoy more of life, without suffering any of the bad feelings that made you avoid things like hugging in the first place."

"…And what kind of experience did you have in mind?" he asked. He sounded a little cautious, but he seemed to be trying to keep an open mind.

In a meek, hopeful tone, she said all in a rush, "Well since we're in your totally soundproof bunker I thought that you might like to try humming to me while you brush my hair?"

As she paused to take a gulp of air, Branch gave her a tired look. "Poppy-"

She held up her hands. "I know what you're going to say, but I really think you might like it. I know you sometimes have a hard time talking about what's going on inside you, so I think you'd find something like this useful, as - an alternate way of expressing yourself, Branch. While I was brushing your hair, you did a good job of letting me know what you were feeling, just by your tone of voice alone." She recalled something else. "And remember the day you started humming when you heard the other trolls singing? I heard you, and you sounded really good."

"But I don't- Wait, what did you say?" His eyebrows crinkled.

Ah, now she had him on board. "I said, you sounded good. You have a beautiful voice, Branch, from what little I've heard of it. It's kind of a shame you don't use it." She took a step closer, gazing at him with wistful, shimmery eyes as she added softly, "Because I would really love to hear more."

"You would?" He hesitated, obviously flattered. "Well…"

"It doesn't have to be a song, or anything fancy. Just let your voice reflect whatever feeling is inside you. Your mood, your emotions… If you're feeling happy and content, you can express that without any words. If you feel energetic and full of purpose, you can share that feeling, too."

"What if I'm feeling grumpy and irritable?" he responded in a challenging tone. "Or sad and depressed? You want me to share that, too?"

She looked him in the eyes. "Yes."

His eyes flicked away from hers. He didn't believe her.

"No, really." She reached out her hand, hesitated for a moment so he could move away if he wanted to, then gently touched his forearm. "Branch, while it's true that trolls are the happiest creatures in the forest, even we have times when we're…less than happy. I get irritated sometimes. I get sad, too, believe it or not. Remember that time I cried so hard, and you left my hair-dome so you could get me something to blow my nose on?"

"So, you're saying I make you feel sad and irritable?"

"No. I'm saying that I understand what it's like to feel bad," she said softly, rubbing his arm a little. "I may have different ways of dealing with it than you do, but I truly, honestly understand what it's like to feel that way. You see," she said sincerely, "Sharing how we feel helps us all connect with one another, Branch. A few minutes ago, when I was brushing your hair and you were responding to me with those cute little sounds, we were communicating without words." She put her hand over her heart, smiling at him as she declared, "Body language helps, too. I loved it when you leaned against me. I felt so close to you."

One side of his mouth went up in a shy smile. "Yeah, me too…" He rubbed his nose. "Well, I suppose if it's really that important to you, I could give humming a try. I don't know if I'll be any good at it, though."

The elated princess rewarded her friend with a bright, sunshiny smile. "All I ask is that you try, Branch. And I'll help."

"Well…okay."

"Thank you!" Full of anticipation, Poppy dropped down to sit on the floor. The brush was beside her, so she picked it up and politely offered it to him, handle-first. As he gazed down at her, she studied his expression eagerly. Did she detect a little bit of curiosity? Did he wonder what it would feel like to hum and make music after all these years? Better yet, did he actually want to make music?

I can't believe this is really happening!