Branch and Floyd were nestled in the comfort of Branch's bunker, sipping tea and casually discussing their plans for the day. The atmosphere was cozy, but a faint hum of rock music thrummed in the background, disrupting the serene vibe. "Floyd, do you hear that?" Branch asked, frowning as he tilted his head toward the source of the noise.
"Hear what?" Floyd replied, pausing before smirking. "Oh, wait... that. Sounds like Val is at it again."
Branch groaned, placing his tea on the table. "It's so loud! I thought we agreed on quiet mornings."
Floyd shrugged. "Val doesn't do quiet. Should we go see what's up?"
Sharing a look of understanding, the brothers decided to investigate. Exiting the bunker, they headed toward Val's pod, where the blaring music grew louder with every step. By the time they reached the door, the vibrations were strong enough to shake the ground slightly. Branch knocked, but there was no response. Frustrated, he opened the door without waiting. "Val! It's too loud!" Branch exclaimed, his tone sharp.
Floyd followed, grinning. "You're gonna wake up the whole Hollow."
Val stopped strumming her guitar and turned to them with a mischievous glint in her eyes. "Oh, good, you're here. I need your help with something."
Branch crossed his arms. "Were you making all that noise just to get us here?"
"Well, yeah. I wasn't gonna walk all the way to your bunker, was I?" Val retorted with a smirk.
Floyd chuckled. "Classic Val."
"Alright, what do you need?" Branch asked with an exasperated sigh.
Val leaned against the wall, her cool demeanor softened by a flicker of concern. "It's Demo. He's been acting weird lately—tired, missing jam sessions, and yesterday, he wore a tie. Without irony."
"A tie? That's… unusual," Branch said, raising an eyebrow.
"Did you try talking to him?" Floyd asked.
"Nah," Val admitted with a shrug. "Mushy conversations aren't really my thing. But Floyd? You're good at that stuff."
"Fine," Floyd said reluctantly. "We'll talk to him."
"Thanks. And don't make it weird," Val added before picking up her guitar again.
Later, in Rock Hollow, Demo was sneaking in, trying not to wake the sleeping Rock Trolls. As he tiptoed through the space, his foot landed on a rubber duck, which let out a loud squeak. A nearby Rock Troll stirred but thankfully went back to sleep. Demo let out a sigh of relief and sat on a couch, placing his guitar case beside him. He grabbed a pillow with Poppy's face on it and sighed again deeper this time.
"Hey, Demo," Branch's voice cut through the silence, startling him.
Demo jumped. "Ah! What are you doing here?"
"We could ask you the same thing," Floyd said, crossing his arms.
"What's going on, Demo?" Branch pressed. "You've been sneaking around, acting all secretive."
Demo chuckled nervously. "Nothing's going on."
Branch leaned closer. "Really? Because your voice just cracked, and you're sweating. Spill it."
Demo hesitated before glancing toward Classical Crest, inadvertently giving himself away. "Classical Crest? This has something to do with the Classical Trolls, doesn't it?" Branch asked, following his gaze.
Demo sighed. "Fine. You caught me. I've been sneaking off to play classical guitar with them."
"Classical guitar? Seriously?" Floyd asked, surprised.
"Yeah, and it's amazing," Demo said defensively. "But you can't tell Val. She'd give me the face."
"The face?" Branch asked, confused.
"You don't want to know," Demo said, shuddering.
"Oh, I want to know," Floyd said, grinning.
Demo sighed and gestured for them to follow him. They rode the elevator to Classical Crest, where Demo performed a delicate piece on his guitar for an audience of Classical Trolls. Branch and Floyd watched in awe. "He's really good," Floyd whispered.
"Yeah. But why hide this?" Branch wondered.
After the performance, Demo explained his fear of judgment from Val. Branch and Floyd exchanged a look. "Demo, Val isn't as scary as you think. You should just talk to her," Branch suggested.
"Easier said than done," Demo muttered.
Back at Rock Hollow, Val cornered Branch and Floyd about Demo's behavior. They tried to cover for him but ultimately failed as Val pieced everything together. Determined, she stormed off to Classical Crest for answers, with Branch and Floyd racing after her. The brotherly duo, reached the elevator just as it arrived at Classical Crest. Unfortunately, Val had already beaten them. "What's going on? And what's with that not-rocking guitar?" Val demanded, confronting Demo.
After a tense pause, Demo confessed his love for classical guitar. To everyone's surprise, Val admitted she thought it was cool and encouraged him to embrace it.
Branch, Floyd, and Val watched Demo perform a fusion of rock and classical music at a concert. Val, Branch, and Floyd cheered him on from the crowd. As the audience erupted in applause, Val subtly did the Classical Trolls' hand sign, drawing amused grins from Branch and Floyd. "Looks like Classical culture is rubbing off on you," Branch teased.
"Say a word, and I'll give you the face," Val shot back with a grin.