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jude5bellingham · 7 months

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tbt pt.2 ౨ৎ trent alexander-arnold

part one here!

pairing: trent alexander-arnold x f!reader

summary: part two of throwback thursday, reader is lfc's photographer but people start thinking there is something off when she is exclusively posting tbts

notes: hope u guys enjoy :3

yourusername

tagged trentarnold66 and liverpoolfc

liked by trentarnold66, liverpoolfc and 102,549 others

yourusername my first heartbreak tbh.. #tbt

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trentarnold66 mine too

yourusername wrong actually! your first heartbreak was when i laughed in your face when you asked me out cause i thought you had to have been joking

ibrahimakonate oh wow😂😂

user1 trent getting aired out on a tbt of 2021/2022 ucl finals post of yn's is crazy😭😭

trentarnold66 it was just a misunderstanding 😒 we are literally married now anyways

virgilvandijk no need to open old wounds

yourusername sorry skip im running out of content

mosalah you will have more if you comeback!

yourusername soon mo!!!!

andyrobertson94 comeback to work soon

yourusername hopefully

user2 yn isnt at work???

user3 we miss you yn

user4 real lads' first heartbreaks💔

yourusername

tagged trentarnold66 and england

liked by trentarnold66, england and 100,878 others

yourusername throwback to when my (now) ex-boyfriend made me pay stupidly expensive tickets to see him #tbt

view all 60,090 comments

trentarnold66 did not

yourusername did too

joegomez5 you two are such children

yourusername 🤫

trentarnold66 stop calling me your exboyfriend

yourusername you literally are mate

andyrobertson94 your exboyfriend sounds terrible

yourusername he didn't even score! why'd i spend all that money!

ibrahimakonate 😂😂😂

szoboszlaidominik what's your exboyfriends @

yourusername oh hell no....

user5 her calling trent (her husband) her ex boyfriend 😭😭😭

user6 they're literally so funny 😭😭😭

yourusername

tagged trentarnold66 and england

liked by trentarnold66, england and 120,432 others

yourusername shouting out this young lad from liverpool #tbt

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trentarnold66 ...

andyrobertson94 up and coming young scouse lad

curtisjr young lad just trying to make it

judebellingham that is broski 🙏

user7 i wonder how trent felt seeing these pictures 😭😭

user8 has anyone else noticed she's only been posting tbts?? i know she does normally but she hasn't uploaded a not tbt in a while..

user9 she might just be going through old content!! she has a habit of uploading extra pics from old tbts later when she feels like she needs to post more!!

yourusername

tagged trentarnold66

liked by trentarnold66, liverpoolfc and 109,883 others

yourusername even with setbacks, just know YNWA ❤️‍🩹 #tbt

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trentarnold66 i miss you at the games

yourusername alright pack it up loverboy

yourusername i miss you at games too... GET BACK ON THE PITCH!

judebellingham mate can never catch a break huh

yourusername nope!

user109 WE also miss you yn

harvelliott we miss you

❤️ liked by yourusername

liverpoolfc yn YOU need to remember that ynwa ❤️❤️

curtisjr ^^ ❤️

mosalah ^^ ❤️

ibrahimakonate ^^ ❤️

virgilvandijk ^^ ❤️

yourusername okay relax guys i'm going to cry and i'm a real ugly crier...

trentarnold66 @yourusername liar

andyrobertson94 trent's just a sap after all

user10 is yn okay? why did lfc comment that?

user11 did yn leave lfc?

user12 why are they all leaving hearts and saying ynwa?? did yn leave??

user13 i hope everything is alright yn ❤️ YNWA❤️

yourusername

tagged trentarnold66 and england

liked by trentarnold66, england and 100,409 others

yourusername when @england hired me for the season and then i literally just watched him have stronger bonds with men than me but that's ok i guess #tbt

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trentarnold66 i'm not even going to say anything

aaronramsdale you're acting like trent didn't kick me out of the room to spend time with you

yourusername okay don't get dramatic! it wasn't even your bed!

aaronsramsdale 🙁

england 😳

yourusername 😳

judebellingham no photos of trent and i?

yourusername yeah as if i was gonna post my ex-boyfriend's side ting

judebellingham ex-boyfriend 😭

user14 did yn leave lfc for the england nt???

user15 if you left for the england nt, we still love you yn ❤️❤️

yourusername

tagged trentarnold66 and liverpoolfc

yourusername yes i have heard the news, trust me we are all devastated but YNWA klopp and thank you for the memories, especially the ones in the making ❤️❤️❤️ #tbt

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yourusername

tagged trentarnold66 and andyrobertson94

liked by trentarnold, andyrobertson94 and 101,255 others

yourusername no words can describe how i feel about this friendship but maybe this ❤️‍🩹❤️‍🩹❤️‍🩹 emoji can! #tbt

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andyrobertson94 love you both❤️❤️ can't wait for your return

trentarnold66 ❤️

szoboszlaidominik that should be me 💔

yourusername leave my ex-boyfriend and his husband alone... homewrecker...

user16 we hope you feel better ❤️❤️ we miss you and klopp

user17 klopp hasnt even left yet

user18 tell that to the hole in my heart

yourusername and trentarnold66

liked by trentarnold66, andyrobertson94 and 150,809 others

yourusername hi everyone! i'm so sorry i did not say anything during these last few months... if i'm honest they were very difficult. I was not myself for the last few months so I took a leave of absence from lfc, that i'm so incredibly grateful for, and i tried to post like usual even though i was running out of photos and energy. Trent's injury, Klopp's announcement, and everything else in this world felt incredibly hard to deal with but even in those times I could always turn to this community to put a smile on my face. I'm so happy to let you all know Trent and I have welcomed a beautiful and healthy son to our family. anyways, long story short, always remember that i love you and that ynwa❤️‍🩹❤️‍🩹

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andyrobertson94 Proud godfather here!❤️❤️

user229 omg😭😭😭

liverpoolfc congratulations yn! we love you & ynwa❤️

virgilvandijk ❤️

curtisjr new young scouse lad about to become a superstar 💫

judebellingham 🤍

aaronramsdale ❤️

jordanhenderson ❤️❤️

szoboszlaidominik ❤️

ibrahimakonate ❤️

user19 we love you yn❤️❤️

user20 im so glad you put yourself first❤️❤️

yourusername

liked by trentarnold66, andyrobertson94 and 109,899 others

yourusername my pretty boy 🤍🤍

view all 30,990 comments

yourusername trent is there too i guess

andyrobertson94 you know you could've asked me to take a picture of the three of you right

yourusername you don't get it andy

andyrobertson94 🙄

virgilvandijk two very stylish lads in the pics

yourusername it's cause i styled them after you skipp😁

curtisjr didnt know your exboyfriend could dress so well

yourusername he can't without my help 😕😕

user21 sobs... this is so cute😭😭

user22 dilf trent

❤️ liked by yourusername

user23 theyre soo cute together 😭😭

yourusername

tagged trentarnold66 and liverpoolfc

liked by trentarnold66, liverpoolfc and 120,389 others

yourusername some day my kids will know the winner that their father is #tbt

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liverpoolfc they'll watch him win another with their own eyes

❤️ liked by yourusername

andyrobertson94 more importantly, they'll know how big of a winner their godfather is

yourusername honestly... you kind of are the captain of scotland and a member of the great british empire ...

trentarnold66 okay stop agreeing with each other

yourusername no need for jealousy in my comments

user24 KIDS??? AS IN PLURAL????

user25 omg is this a pregnancy announcement 😭😭

user26 ANOTHER ONE??? OMG

user27 UGHHHHH SPILLLLL

yourusername and trentarnold66

liked by trentarnold66, andyrobertson94 and 100,445 others

yourusername i don't think i could even begin to describe how happy and grateful i am, but i will try. i love the family i have created here in liverpool with the help of everyone. you are all family, thank you for the love and support you have always shown me. ❤️❤️

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kittyball23 · 10 months

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Ways to Tell (a Trolls fanfic)

Summary: It’s a little challenging, but four Trolls find a way to tell their biggest secret, whether to family, friend, acquaintance, or pet

A/N: Taking place before TBT :)

_________________________________________

“There’s something I need to tell you…”

Rhonda cocks her head at John Dory, her green eyes wide with curiosity as he starts to pull out a photograph from his hair, setting down the emptied bag of marshmallows they’d just finished wolfing down on the ground.

_________________________________________

“I probably should’ve told you a long time ago, but I wasn’t sure how to bring it up…”

Bruce looks down in shame, feeling a little guilty from keeping the secret for so long. Brandy pauses in her dishwashing and looks down at him, knowing something serious is up that would require her full attention to be on her husband. With a hand on her belly, swollen with her fifth pregnancy, she asks him a question.

_________________________________________

“What is it?”

Clay breaks his gaze away from Viva’s for a second to scratch the back of his neck, feeling a little embarrassed. “You know, I wasn’t always a very serious businessman and licensed CPA like I am now, Veevs. You see, I… um, I…”

_________________________________________

“... I was part of a boyband.”

Crimp’s eyes widen with interest. “Wow! Really?”

“Yeah,” Floyd responds, nodding his head. “We really were something, too. The biggest one that there was, I think…”

_________________________________________

“... and the most brodacious!”

Rhonda blinks, trilling with excitement at how excited John Dory was getting telling her about it. He holds the picture up before her nose and points out each figure.

_________________________________________

“You see, there was five of us. John Dory, he was the oldest. Always liked to be called ‘The Leader.’ My brother Clay was ‘The Fun Boy.’ Floyd was ‘The Sensitive One.’ Branch was ‘Bitty B, The Baby.’ And me, well… I was Spruce. ‘The Heartthrob….’”

“‘Spruce?’” Brandy asked, raising an eyebrow.

“Yeah…” Bruce sighed. “I didn’t really want that whole ‘boyband’ thing following me for the rest of my life, so, when I got here, I changed my name…”

_________________________________________

“... because I’m not ‘The Fun Boy’ anymore,” Clay said firmly. “See, ‘Serious Boy Clay’ doesn’t do the ‘Rusty Robot’ anymore. He does the well-oiled machine robot, and it is NO fun at all.” He demonstrates by doing the dance.

Viva cocks her head. “Oh! Okay.” She still thought that it did look pretty fun, and was going to ask him if he was sure, but then another question popped into her mind.

“Wait, so if you guys were big and all, I mean… what happened?”

_________________________________________

Floyd sighs.

“A fight happened,” he explains. “It was mostly between John Dory, Spruce, and Clay. Spruce and Clay were getting tired of John Dory telling them what to do for the ‘Perfect Family Harmony,’ so they all quit. And I haven’t seen any of them since.”

“Aww…” Crimp slumped at hearing that. “Say… what’s the ‘Perfect Family Harmony’?”

_________________________________________

“It’s something we should’ve done that night, and if we did, we would’ve gone on the rest of our tour!” John Dory huffs, suddenly getting upset remembering the band’s breakup.

Rhonda notices his tension, and rubs against him, purring in an attempt to make him feel better.

JD pats her side. “Sorry for getting worked up, girl. It’s just that I know we could’ve done it. I wish things would’ve gone differently…”

_________________________________________

“... and maybe if they had, we would all still be together today.”

Brandy bent down, putting an arm around Bruce’s shoulder. “It wasn’t right for him to be so controlling like that,” she tells him. “You guys didn’t try to talk things out?”

_________________________________________

Clay shakes his head. “Nah, man. We were all too mad for that. The talking we did was yelling. And me n’ Spruce didn’t wanna put up with it anymore.”

“Oh…” Viva rubbed her arm. That was too bad to hear. A real story about a family divided by anger and differences was sadder than any sad book she and Clay would read in their sad-book club.

“Well,” Viva said, trying to remain chipper, “I mean, you can never say never, right? Maybe you guys will find each other again someday, and you’ll all be friends!”

_________________________________________

Floyd tilted his head, thinking about it. “Yeah… that really would be nice. I really wish I could see them again. Especially Baby Branch.” He smiled wistfully, thinking about his smallest, blue-haired brother, and wondering how many games of rummy he’d allowed their Grandma to win.

“I bet they’d be happy to see you,” Crimp assured.

“Yeah…” Floyd agreed, but then his smile disappeared. “If I ever find a way out of here…” He put his hands up to the diamond walls around him, still as firm as ever.

Unbeknownst to him, his two captors had been listening in on his conversation with their papery assistant, from just behind the door of the studio they were in.

“Did you hear that?” Velvet said excitedly to her brother.

“Uh-huh! It really is kinda sad,” Veneer replied, wiping away a little tear that had formed at the corner of his eye.

Velvet rolled her eyes at her brother’s emotions. “I think I can find a way to help our little friend, if you get what I mean.” She smiles sneakily, and Veneer isn’t quite on her train of thought yet.

“Uh… no?”

Velvet scoffs and drags her brother behind her. “Come on! Let me show you.”

She grabs a sheet of paper and takes the next five minutes composing a letter. When she’s done, she reads it out loud. “‘Dear John Dory, I am being held against my will by superstars Velvet and Veneer. Come to Mount Rageous at once and bring our brothers! Love Floyd, The Sensitive One.’” She beams and looks at him. “So, whaddya think?”

Veneer grimaces. “Um, are you sure you want those guys to come rescue him? I mean, we can’t lose a Troll, what we need is more Trolls, and how are we gonna do that if - “

He stops talking when Velvet gives him a “duh!” look, and the cogs begin turning in his head. “Ohhhh…” he drawls, a smirk tugging the corner of his lip. He puts an arm around Velvet and grins widely. “You know, I’m proud to call you my sister.”

Velvet nods, proud of herself, too. “I know!”

_________________________________________

“I’m glad you told me,” Brandy says, taking the news much better than what Bruce anticipated.

“Yeah, I’m glad, too. I promise I got no more secrets, honey.” He leans in to give her a hug, and then they are off. After all, four kids couldn’t be left alone for very long.

_________________________________________

“I never would’ve guessed you had four brothers, Clay,” Viva says, once he’s done telling his tale. She then grins, pulling out a scrapbook from her hair and opening it to show her friend the little family that was depicted there. “Would you believe I have a sister?”

Clay’s eyes widen and he grows curious. “Go on…”

_________________________________________

“Anyway, thanks for listenin’, girlie. You’re pretty good at it.”

Rhonda gives a bark, wagging her stumpy tail and giving John Dory one big doggy-kiss lick. He laughs, giving her a scratch behind the head and then making his way inside the caterbus, hanging up the photograph of him and his brothers up with the rest of his memorabilia.

He stares at it for a moment and then heads off to sleep, a dream visiting him of a time in which he was happy to sing alongside his brothers, and they were happy to be by his side, as great friends and bandmates.

_________________________________________

A/N: I tried following the “Two Scenes, One Dialogue” TV Trope, hopefully it makes sense!

#trolls #trolls 3 #trolls band together #dreamworks #brozone #john dory #spruce trolls #clay trolls #floyd trolls #branch trolls #fanfiction #kittyball writes #brodacious fanfiction #100+

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hockeyshmockey · 6 months

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Carlos Sainz Instagram Edit

Carlos x OC!Miss Colombia

Ignore my bad google translate thx

liked by landonorris, alexandrastmleux and 1,420,293 others

paoladiaz lo mejor de ser miss colombia es poder ayudar a la comunidad que me crió (the best thing about being miss Colombia is being able to help the community that made me)

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user la princesa del pueblo de colombia🫶🏻 (the people’s princess of colombia)

user why is lando norizz here… mans has no SHOT

user Paola is friends with Carlos’ sisters I think, so they may have ran into each other at some point

liked by missuniverse, f1wags and 1,284,393 others

location Mexico City, Mexico

paoladiaz Me encantó explorar México con amigos y, por supuesto, ver algunos autos dando vueltas (loved getting to explore Mexico with friends and of course watch some cars drive in circles)

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user I love that the girls are friends outside the competitions :)

user the way paola was the girls tour guide in the paddock

user ok she seemed very familiar… I didn’t know she’d been to more than like two races before?

liked by f1gossip, misscolombiafans and 390,291 others

Kymillan this weekend at the Mexico GP, the paddock was graced by a group of Miss Universe contestants. Fans may remember that this is not Paola Diaz’s first GP attendance, as she has attended both the Spanish GP and Monaco GP as Aston Martin and Ferrari guests respectively

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f1wagupdates as many saw this weekend Paola Diaz was back in the paddock with some of her fellow miss universe contestants. Rumors have circled her for a bit, seeing some casual interactions with drivers and low key GP attendances.

This weekend brought more interesting moments as while her fellow contestants spent the weekend in the Red Bull Garage, who hosted the group, Paola spent her weekend in the Ferrari garage. Can this be chalked up to her friendship with the Sainz sisters? Or is more going on here?

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user have you seen how Carlos looks at her? That man is in love

user tbt to that one Ferrari vid where Charles made Carlos admit paola was his celebrity crush and his sisters aired him out on instagram 😭

user don’t mind me just thinking about that time Paola was seen out shopping with Reyes in Madrid and they were giving MIL and DIL behavior

Liked by charlesleclerc, paolasnumber1, and 1,728,035 others

carlossainz Dos años amándote, con cien más por venir

(Two years of loving you with a hundred more to come)

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user no you’re kidding

user RUE WHEN WAS THIS?

user Carlos said soft launch? Soft bomb

paoladiaz amor☀️

landonorris sickening, absolutely sickening

charlesleclerc thank god, I had too many close calls with this secret

liked by misscolombia, checoperez and 1,562,920 others

paoladiaz to the man who has been by my side for some of the best moments in my career, words will never be enough

view 238,823 comments

carlossainz you deserve it all amor

user I’m throwing up

landorizz oh wow

user this is unbelievable

user name a prettier couple I’ll wait

user it’s the way they’re been supporting each other for years in the background to keep things private😭

#carlos sainz instagram edit #f1 #formula one imagine #formula one #f1 imagine #f1 driver #f1 driver imagine #formula 1 imagine #formula 1 driver #imagine #fluff #instagram #edit #Carlos sainz #cs55 #cs55 imagine

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rocksibblingsau · 21 days

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(Badly-writing SJ Branch and Chaz scenario because I think they would absolutely have a SpyXSpy like dynamic and I love that for them. They love each other, they hate each other, they love hating each other <3333)

*Mid-fight, post TBT*

SJ Branch: -And choke on your clarinet!

Chaz: Oh, that's one I certainly never heard before!

SJ Branch: FUCK OFF!

Chaz, flying out: WITH FUCKING PLEASURE, C*NT!

SJ Branch sits down next to Bruce, mumbling: Insufferable flying purple wh*re-

Bruce: B...?

SJ Branch: What?!

Bruce: Look, I know you said you two have been business partners for a long time and all that, but you know you shouldn't have to force yourself to stick around someone if you don't get along. You should always surround yourself with people that-

SJ Branch: What are you even talking about?

Bruce: I mean, well, you guys clearly don't like each other. So I don't get why-

SJ Branch: ... Bruce, we love each other.

Bruce: You still work with- Wait, what?

SJ Branch: I don't dislike him, I hate him! And I love him. He is an annoying insufferable b*tch, but he's also my best friend. He's my partner, we know each other since we're teens, he has being with me in some of the worst and best moments of my life. I- I honestly shouldn't even be here if it wasn't for him... I own a lot to him really, we both own a lot to each other.

Bruce: Wow Branch, that was really beautiful... Wait, but if he means this much to you, why do you find him at almost every single opportunity?

SJ Branch: Oh please, somebody got to keep his ego in check. Its big enough as it is! ... And it's also more fun this way, gotta find a way to entertain yourself when you're a bounty hunter ex-conman on the run-

Chaz, from the other room: Well, I didn't hear you complaining about the size of my ego last night!

SJ Branch: ....... Bruce, hold my saxophone.

SJ Branch, getting up and rolling up his sleeves: HOW ABOUT YOU SAY THAT AGAIN, YOU FUCKING FLYING PIECE OF- *Off-screen sounds of screaming, fighting and furniture breaking*

Bruce: ...

Clay, closing his book: Honestly, good for them.

Branch will defend Chaz with his life if only because he wants exclusive rights to kick his ass

#sibblings qna #smooth jazz branch

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razzle-zazzle · 7 months

Text

6561 Words; Between AU, TBT, JD's arrival

AO3 ver

“All right, Rhonda, we’re here.”

John Dory stepped away from the wheel as his armadillo-bus and main companion came to a stop at the edge of what he really hoped was the main settlement of the Pop Trolls. With a grunt, John Dory opened the door and hopped out, giving Rhonda’s side a small pat before heading towards where the pods were thickest.

It had taken him weeks to properly track this place down, and even longer to actually work up the courage to visit. If it wasn’t for Floyd’s letter, John Dory probably would have kept traveling for years, only ever thinking about Pop Village—or was it Trollstopia?—as a place on his map he could visit someday.

But now John Dory was here on a mission. He had a brother to save, and to do that, he’d need to track down all the rest of his brothers. Might as well start with the easiest—all he had from Spruce were unmarked postcards, he’d heard nothing from Clay at all, and Floyd was the brother in need of rescuing. Which left Bitty B, who up until a few months ago John Dory had been pretty sure was dead—but now wasn’t the time to think about that. John Dory had a baby brother to find.

As he made his way past pods and Trolls, tail nervously lashing behind him, John Dory took in the sights and sounds of a place that was all too familiar and all too alien all at once. It brought him back to his days in the tree, even though the community here was much more spread out. And it wasn’t just pods—John Dory could see all kinds of Trolls walking about, could see Country housing and Funk spaceships and even lights coming from within the larger bodies of water scattered about. And ooo, there were even Rock and Classical! Not exactly John Dory’s style, as a Pop Troll through and through, but it wasn’t as unsettling to see as John Dory had feared.

John Dory came to a stop before a large mushroom serving as a central pavilion, looking around. How in the world was he going to find Bitty B from here? He supposed he could ask around, use his natural charms to get the answers he needed, but… there were so many Trolls, all around, so much color and life and music going on that John Dory wanted to retreat back to the calm of Rhonda.

John Dory shook his head, dispelling his anxieties. What was he thinking? He had this in the bag! He used to be the leader of Brozone, of course he could handle a crowd.

With a laugh, John Dory launched himself up onto the mushroom, opening his mouth to start calling out for his brother—

“Oh, you’re new!” Pink filled his vision, darting in and out of his line of sight as an excited blur circled around and looked him over. “I’ve never seen you before, which is weird because I thought I knew everybody who lived here! Which means you must be new which means we haven’t gotten to know each other yet which means we get to get to know each other and become friends if you’re okay with that and oh my hair I forgot to ask your name!” None of the words were registering, coming out so fast that they all blurred together into an aural sludge that went right in one ear and out the other.

John Dory reflexively stepped back from the deluge of sheer energy coming off of what resolved itself to be a Troll, bright pink and bouncing excitedly. Her tail was whipping back and forth with a frenetic energy as she bounced in place, holding out her paw.

“I’m Poppy!” Poppy introduced herself. “And you are?” There was something so bright in her eyes, an energy that John Dory could only remember seeing in the happiest of Pop Trolls. Wow, he really had been on his own for a while, hadn’t he?

John Dory held out his paw to return the pawshake, but the moment he opened his mouth Poppy squealed again as recognition hit her, her eyes alight with vicious glee.

“Oh! My! HAIR! You’re from—you’re from BROZONE!” Poppy squealed again, clasping her paws together in excitement. “Oooo, but which one?” She pondered, leaning in to examine John Dory more closely. “No, don’t tell me! I wanna guess!” She hummed contemplatively, walking a slow circle around John Dory.

“You’re not the Heartthrob,” Poppy commented, the words hitting harder than John Dory was expecting. He could be a heartthrob! “The Fun Boy? No, you seem kinda uptight…”

“Weird thing to say about someone you just met,” John Dory commented, but Poppy continued to theorize.

“Definitely not the Sensitive One…” Poppy’s face lit up, “Oh, I know!” She cheered, certainty in her voice. “You’re John Dory!”

John Dory nodded. “The Leader—”

“The Old One!” Poppy finished, hopping up and down in place. Her paws were clasped together in excitement. “So what brings you to Trollstopia?”

John Dory’s tail was flat against the floor. Sure, he was in his forties, but barely! He wasn’t old! He still had so many decades left in him! He was in his prime!

“I’m here to find my brothers.” He said. “It’s…” Did he want to confide in Poppy about Floyd’s imprisonment? She certainly felt trustworthy, but this was more of a family issue.

“You brothers… the rest of Brozone?!” Poppy lit up, grabbing John Dory’s paw in her own to drag him from the mushroom pavilion. “Well, you’re asking the right Troll! I know everyone here!” She ran along, leaving John Dory little choice but to be dragged in her wake.

“Wait.” She came to an abrupt halt, “I don’t…” Her demeanor turned sheepish as she turned back to John Dory. “I don’t know anyone by the names of Spruce, Clay, Floyd, or Bitty B.” She admitted.

Well, that was a bust. John Dory shrugged. “‘S okay.” He nodded, stretching his arms up above his head. “I already know that Spruce isn’t here, and I know where Floyd is.” Something about Poppy’s words hit him, and he frowned. “You said Bitty B.” He pointed out. “But… would you happen to know a Troll who goes by Branch?” They had never used Bitty B’s full name in promotional material—he was just a baby, after all. It was safer that way.

“Branch…” Poppy’s face lit up with recognition. “I do!” She leapt up, “He never told me he had other brothers!” She gasped, “HE NEVER TOLD ME HE WAS IN BROZONE! Ohhh, I can’t believe this!” She ran in a tiny circle, tail waving wildly as she gestured with her paws.

“So you know where I can find him?” Oh, thank Troll. Now all John Dory needed was to find Bitty B’s pod, say hello to Grandma, and then they’d set out to find the rest. Easy.

Poppy nodded. “Yep!” She grabbed John Dory’s paw again. “It’s a few days’ travel by critterbug, though. Or just one day if I can get a caterbus…” Her tail flicked as she considered the options. John Dory swore he even heard her mutter about wormholes at one point.

“That’s… far.” John Dory frowned. He thought Bitty B would be living with the rest of the Pop Trolls, here in Trollstopia, not… wherever he was.

“I know the way, though.” Poppy assured him. “Just give me a little bit to get some things in order, and I can get you there!” Her tail curled behind her as she turned—

John Dory grabbed Poppy’s tail just below the hair. She froze, and he hurriedly let go. “No, wait, you said a few days by critterbug, right?” He laced his hands together and stretched his arms out in front of him, tail stretching behind him. “Rhonda could probably cover the same distance in an hour or two, tops.” Really, all he needed was the destination. He appreciated Poppy’s offer to come with, but, well—it was a family matter.

But Poppy kept following along as John Dory made his way back to his armadillo-bus. “Rhonda? Who’s that?”

John Dory picked up the pace. Poppy kept up easily.

“She must be really fast…” Poppy was theorizing, tapping her chin as she skipped along. “Oh! I bet she’s a bird, right? Birds can cover big distances fast!”

John Dory chuckled as he came to a stop. “Not quite.” He gestured to the armadillo-bus in question, patiently waiting in the underbrush. His most trusted companion, means of getting around, and beloved home: Rhonda.

Poppy squealed, bouncing over to Rhonda in excited delight. Her enthusiasm was infectious; John Dory couldn’t help the chuckle building in his throat as Rhonda greeted Poppy back with similar enthusiasm.

“Whoa!” John Dory called out, as Poppy made her way over to Rhonda’s door. “I appreciate the help, but you don’t need to come with.” It was a family matter, after all—

“Eh, I’ve been meaning to visit Branch again soon.” Poppy waved off. She paused. “But if you really don’t want me coming with—”

John Dory shrugged, and hopped up into Rhonda. “If you really want to.” He had the feeling he wouldn’t be able to stop Poppy, if she really put her mind to accompanying him. He’d only known her for half an hour at most, and she was already rocketing up his regard through her sheer energy and excitement. So John Dory shrugged, happy to have some company for once.

“Alright, Popster.” He sat down in the driver’s seat as Rhonda started to move, “Get me to Branch.”

+=+=+=+=+

Poppy’s enthusiasm, John Dory was finding, was infectious. Maybe it was the Pop Troll in him, maybe Poppy really did have so much energy that she couldn’t help spreading it everywhere—either way, John Dory couldn’t resist the amusement starting to dance in his chest as she took the wheel, going on and on about the adventures she had had with Branch. She had mostly focused on the Rockpocalypse, as that was where most of John Dory’s questions focused on—but even then she had a lot to say.

John Dory wondered how Poppy and Bitty B knew each other. They must be childhood friends, he figured, with how well they worked together in Poppy’s retelling. Maybe they were even closer—would John Dory find himself with a little sister in Poppy, someday? He sure hoped so—Poppy was a delight.

“So why’re you looking for Branch, anyway?” Poppy asked, as Rhonda made her way from the underbrush to a dirt path.

“Well, I’m looking for all my brothers,” John Dory began. “Because Floyd is in trouble.” He didn’t know if he should say more—he’d rather be telling all of this to Bitty B, if only so he wouldn’t have to tell the story more than needed.

“So you’re getting the band back together to rescue him?” Poppy asked, paw pressed to her face. “Aww, that’s so sweet! And exciting!” She smiled, big and bright. “I know I’m not really family, but if you need any help then you can count on me!”

John Dory chuckled. “Just helping me find Branch is more than enough.” He really wanted to show her the baby pictures—but Poppy was busy driving, directing Rhonda in following the trail as it shifted from dirt to cobbled stones. Rhonda jolted slightly at the terrain shift, but quickly adapted, following Poppy’s driving even as the surrounding forest thinned out to a yellowed field.

John Dory looked out the windshield, watching as the field gave way to an imposing metal fence, far too large to have been made by Trolls. There was something familiar about the looming structures, some distinct feeling of foreboding beginning to curdle in John Dory’s gut.

At once, recognition hit John Dory like a bucket of ice. “This is—this is Bergentown.” He nearly growled, his knuckles paling as he gripped the back of the seat. He leaned forwards to correct the course, or to demand to know what was going on—

“Yeah.” Poppy agreed, her voice firm and quiet. It was such a change from her sugary energy that John Dory hesitated, and she turned to him, expression gentle. “I guess I should have thought about how scary that’d be…” She shook her head. “But we made peace with the Bergens more than a year ago. And I promised I’d get you to Branch.” She urged Rhonda forwards, the armadillo-bus weaving around the streets under her direction. “I just need you to trust me for a little bit longer, okay?”

“I…” John Dory looked out the windshield, fighting down the urge to haul the young Troll from the driver’s seat and turn Rhonda around. He could see Bergens out and about on the streets, looking content—no, happy. That… John Dory’s intuition really didn’t like that. The last time he’d been here, it had been to find the tree withered and empty and the few Bergens he could spot looking absolutely miserable. It didn’t matter what Poppy said—if Bergens were walking around with uplifted spirits, then Trolls were clearly back on the menu.

But Poppy pulled Rhonda up to the central plaza with nary a care in the world, and none of the Bergens harassed or otherwise waylaid the armadillo-bus as she picked her way through the town. As Rhonda came to a halt in the grass, John Dory finally took in the state of what had been his home for the first twenty years of his life.

The cage was gone, and the tree looked even more colorful than John Dory remembered it. He could still see blackened bits on the trunk and branches, and some of the pods were as dull as last he’d seen them, but—

There were Trolls happily going about their business. As Poppy slipped out the side door, John Dory watched as the nearby Trolls noticed her, and started to rush over.

Slowly, goggles firmly over his eyes, John Dory exited Rhonda, keeping his back to her side as he shuffled as far away from the safety she represented as he dared. He could make out the conversation going on towards the base of the tree, and that was enough—if things got ugly, he could probably snag Poppy with his hair from here.

“Well, Branch did make his usual rounds this morning.” A green Troll with pink hair was saying, Poppy listening with rapt attention. “But he left a while ago.” They shrugged apologetically. “Sorry, I can’t tell you more than that.”

“Oh, no problems!” Poppy waved off. “Thanks for the help!” She bounced back over to John Dory and Rhonda, a pep in her step despite the fact that they were still in Bergentown. She slowed down as she came close, holding her paw to her face contemplatively.

“Hmmm, where would Branch be at this time of day? He’s got a pretty set schedule, but with his brother’s wedding coming up…” Her voice dissolved off into mutterings, but John Dory’s brain snagged on the words “brother” and “wedding” and everything after that failed to register.

“Wedding?” He grabbed Poppy by the shoulders. “Clay’s here, too?” He couldn’t possibly imagine Clay of all people getting married—but when he knew that Spruce was elsewhere and Floyd was being held captive, there was only one brother left.

Poppy’s face scrunched in confusion. “...Clay?” Her voice was void of any recognition, then she snapped her fingers. “Oh, right, you mean Brozone Clay!” She shook her head, already skipping off to Rhonda. “No, it’s not him—before you showed up, I didn’t even know that Branch had older brothers!”

John Dory followed Poppy back into Rhonda, his head spinning. “But you said brother?” He pushed his goggles back up, forehead creasing as he tried to work out what the hair Poppy meant.

“His younger brother, duh!” Poppy waved off, already directing Rhonda away from the tree. She said it so casually, like it wasn’t the most out-of-pocket statement John Dory had ever heard. And he was quickly approaching forty-three—he’d heard a lot of insane shit.

“Younger—” John Dory was right up next to the wheel, now, not even caring that Poppy was directing Rhonda down streets alongside Bergens like it was nothing. “Explain?” Mom and Dad were both out of the picture before Branch’s egg even hatched—how in the name of all that was Trolly would Branch ever have a younger brother? It made no sense.

“Well, Gristle and Branch are adoptive brothers,” Poppy clarified, “But that still counts! They pretty much grew up together, from what I know.” She brought Rhonda to a stop, completely oblivious to the fact that she had just brought John Dory’s world to a screeching halt. It hit John Dory like a sack of bricks, how long he had really been gone—Bitty B had found himself a family. Branch had found himself a family, and John Dory had no idea.

With a start, John Dory realized that Poppy had already exited Rhonda, the door flipping shut behind her and leaving him all alone. And while he certainly felt safe inside his dearest companion, John Dory didn’t fancy letting sweet young Poppy walk around Bergentown alone.

Yeah, that was it. That he was barrelling out of Rhonda to catch up with Poppy was purely over concerns about her safety, and not at all because he felt unsafe. Not at all.

Poppy had parked Rhonda near a nondescript… boutique? And had already slipped in through a Troll-sized cutout in the door proper. With a deep breath, John Dory pushed his goggles back down over his eyes, and followed.

Inside, he looked around—there! Poppy had made her way up onto a clothing rack, walking along a strip of metal wide enough for three Trolls. She was face to face with—John Dory stopped in his tracks, deciding to come up to the top of the rack through the clothes. He did not fancy being the subject of a Bergen’s attention! As he slowly made his way up, he caught the conversation Poppy was having with—with the Bergen—

Ohhhhh, John Dory did not like this, nor what it might imply about his baby brother.

“The wedding’s not for four more days.” The Bergen commented, as John Dory finally hauled himself up onto one of the clothing hangers. “Did Bridget need help with some last-minute planning?”

Okay, John Dory was officially lost. Just what had happened in the time he’d been gone? It had only been twelve years since he last came to Bergentown!

“Oh, no, nothing like that.” Poppy waved off. “I just wanted to visit Branch, that’s all.” Her tail flirted back and forth as she spoke, not an ounce of fear in her body despite how close she was to the Bergen’s massive teeth. John Dory only found himself growing more concerned about the safety of his people—was Poppy simply insane?

The Bergen chuckled, a low rumble that had John Dory discovering he could tense up even further. “I see.” She commented. “Well, I couldn’t say for sure where he is right now,” She held a massive claw up to her chin as she hummed contemplatively. “You know how he gets when he’s stressed; always finding more work to do and people to yell at.”

Poppy nodded, looking contemplative. “Well, thanks for the help anyway, Bernice.” She turned to where John Dory was balanced on a hanger, tail curled around the metal, but not before waving to the Bergen one last time. “See you at the wedding!”

The Bergen—Bernice? Bernice?—smiled, shaking her head. “Always nice to see you, Poppy!”

John Dory let Poppy take him by the paw and lead him out of the boutique and back to Rhonda. If his head was spinning before, it barely even felt attached now. Was this a fever dream? Oh, god, he must have taken a wrong turn on his way to Pop Village and crashed Rhonda, and all of this was just some weird coma dream his brain had come up with to torment him—

“Right!” Poppy was saying, as Rhonda got up and ready to move again. “We’ll check the castle next, I think—and if he’s not there, we start looking for King Gristle.” With that decided, she directed towards Rhonda towards the castle in question.

John Dory didn’t even have words with which to protest, at this point. With a resigned sigh, he watched as Poppy guided Rhonda up the steps of the castle. His nerves were shot, every fiber of his being frayed with anxiety, but there was no persuading Poppy to turn back. There was little he could do at this point but let Poppy lead him around, Rhonda coasting down the halls easily. John Dory’s thoughts turned inwards, following the same cycle of fear and self-loathing that he’d been avoiding for decades, and it kept coming back to one thought:

Just what had happened to Bitty B in his absence? Living in Bergentown? It had to—it had to have been something recent—Poppy had mentioned making peace with the Bergens, after all, and that must be when Bitty B took up residence in this wretched place, but—

But why? John Dory still wasn’t clear on how, exactly, peace could exist between Trolls and a species hellbent on eating them all. With the way the Bergens he had seen today carried themselves, there was no doubt in his mind that Trolls were on the menu—was it some kind of deal, some kind of willing sacrifice on the Trolls’ part in order to appease the Bergens? But that made no sense, who in their right minds would ever—

Rhonda came to a stop, and John Dory followed as Poppy disembarked. His goggles were still firmly over his eyes, and he had no intentions of removing them. So Bitty B had moved to Bergentown—overseeing the peace, maybe? Sacrificing himself in place of some other Troll?

John Dory shook his head as he followed Poppy in using his hair to launch himself up the wall. No, he refused to think about that. Poppy said Bitty B was okay, and John Dory had agreed to trust her. Maybe her definition of okay was different—

No. John Dory followed Poppy along what could only be described as a path along the wall, perfectly sized for Trolls to run along. He was not going to think about that. Floyd’s life was still on the line—John Dory could figure out what the hair was going on with Bergentown once he had all his brothers back.

Rhonda followed along as the pair made their way through the halls, seemingly unbothered by the occasional Bergen that passed through the halls. The Bergens in question all seemed to recognize Poppy, and she returned their greetings in kind.

Just as John Dory was sure he would implode—

“BRANCH!” Poppy took off along the pathway with a speed that made John Dory’s knees ache just watching, her tail whipping behind her as she bounded over to a Troll a short distance away. The Troll in question turned from the pair of half-sized Bergens he had been talking to, processed the pink blur that was barreling at him, and yelped as Poppy knocked him over with the force of her hug.

“Queen Poppy!” The Troll—Branch, John Dory realized, those blue eyes unmistakable—wheezed, prying himself from Poppy’s grasp. He hurriedly straightened his cape before bowing, silver crown glinting in the light. “I didn’t know you were visiting today.”

The Bergen with the gold crown and red cape smiled similarly. “Hey Poppy.”

Poppy turned to the Bergen and waved. “Hey Gristle! Good to see you!” She and the other Bergen launched into a much more energetic greeting, trading nicknames back and forth. But John Dory wasn’t paying attention to that anymore, pushing his goggles back up to fully drink in the sight of his baby brother. There he was, standing tall and proud, watching Poppy fondly…

A rush of pride crashed into John Dory’s chest. He rushed forwards, shoving his still-frayed nerves to the side. “BABY BRANCH!” His brother! His baby brother! Little Bitty B!

Branch yelped as John Dory scooped him up—or rather, as John Dory tried to scoop Branch up. “Ohhhhh you’ve grown—wow! Charlie horse!”

“Put me down!” Branch kicked and flailed until, gracelessly, the both of them tumbled to the floor. John Dory was slower to get up, joints creaking with the motion. Branch was already brushing off his cape and fussing with his crown, his face a mix between annoyance and something John Dory couldn’t decipher.

The crowned Bergen—Gristle, Poppy had called him—sidled over to look up towards Poppy. “Should I leave…?”

The other Bergen—Bridget? Was that what John Dory had heard her called? Why was he bothering to remember Bergen names—shook her head. “I wanna see where this goes, babe.”

“Who—” Branch backed away, face scrunching in what might have been recognition. “Oh. You.” Not the enthusiastic greeting John Dory imagined, but that didn’t stop him in the slightest.

“Branch, c’mon,” John Dory urged, “It’s me! John Dory! Your brother!” He stepped forwards, but Branch only narrowed his eyes and stepped back.

“Brother—” Gristle gasped, leaning forwards. Bridget had a hand over her mouth, eyes alight with curious excitement.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Branch sniffed, arms crossed. “I have a brother, and he’s right there.” He nodded his head towards Gristle, who nodded in satisfaction.

John Dory wanted to scream. The Bergen? The Bergen was Branch’s brother? Branch had—but—

“So you weren’t in Brozone?” Poppy asked, tail starting to droop.

“Of course he was!” John Dory interjected. Okay, so he’d been thrown for a solid loop, real funny. But he was on a mission, dammit! He turned his attention back onto Branch, “You were Bitty B!”

“Brozone?” Gristle asked, peering at Branch suspiciously.

Poppy gasped. “You don’t know about Brozone?” She bounced in place, flapping her paws. “Brozone was only the boyband, like, ever! Even now their music is super popular, and the band broke up before I was even born!” She turned her attention onto Branch, almost launching herself at him in her fervor. “Why didn’t you ever tell me that you were in BROZONE?!”

As Branch hurriedly tried to fend off Poppy’s excitement, Gristle and Bridget turned their attention onto Branch. “You were in a band?” Gristle asked, voice tinted with incredulity.

“I can kinda see it.” Bridget commented, squinting. “It would have been during your years in the Troll Tree, right? Before the Great Escape.” She leaned in a little further, brow drawn in contemplation. “You do kinda look like you’d be related to them.”

Everyone looked at Bridget in surprise. “What?” She shrugged. “I pay attention when Poppy and I share music and hot goss. She got ‘Baby Baby Girl’ stuck in my head for weeks.”

“I dunno,” Gristle interjected, turning his scrutiny to Branch. “Were you really in a band as a baby?”

“Barely.” Branch snorted. “It was only a few songs and one live show.” There was something bitter in his tone, some hidden accusation that flew over John Dory’s head entirely.

“So you were Bitty B!” Poppy confirmed, grabbing Branch by the shoulders. “Oh my Troll!! You can’t just—I can’t believe you never told me!”

“We’ve only known each other for a year…” Branch commented quietly. He turned to John Dory, back on the defensive. “Why are you even here? No, wait—” He pressed his paws to his temples with a groan. “You’re here because you need something, aren’t you?”

“I do need something.” John Dory nodded.

Branch groaned. “Of course you are.”

Unfazed, John Dory barreled on. “It’s about Floyd.” He continued, letting his words spill out. The letter, the trip into Mount Rageous, the state of their brother in that awful diamond prison—it all spilled out in a rush before John Dory was fully processing each word. The more he spoke, the less his nerves about being right next to a pair of Bergens ebbed away, until his mind was lost in the task set before him.

By the time he finished, Poppy’s expression was one of quiet horror, her paws over her mouth. Even Gristle and Bridget looked upset, and Branch—

Branch’s expression was unreadable, his paws clenching and unclenching rhythmically. There was something stormy in those blue eyes, some deep reminder of the years spent apart.

“And why do you need me?” Branch asked.

John Dory almost laughed. What a silly question! “If we’re gonna pull off the Perfect Family Harmony, we’ll need to get the whole band back together. And since Floyd is trapped in a diamond prison, the only way to save him is with the Perfect Family Harmony.” He frowned at Branch. “It’s not complicated, Bitty B.”

“Yeah!” Poppy added. “You’ll get to see your brothers again! Isn’t that wonderful?”

“Not a chance.”

John Dory stumbled back at Branch’s words. “What?” That… there must be something wrong with his ears. He must have misheard. There was no way that Bitty B would—

“You heard me.” Branch’s voice was eerily calm, almost detached.

A growl started to build in John Dory’s throat. “Bitty B—”

“Don’t call me that.” Branch snapped. He stepped forwards, “You leave me behind for more than two decades, without a single note, and then when you return you expect me to just act like nothing happened?” Branch’s voice rose in pitch with his incredulity, his paws gesturing wildly as he spoke. “I have a kingdom to help run, my brother’s wedding is in four days, and you want me to toss that all aside to go on an adventure for some Trolls I barely know?” He leaned forwards, teeth bared in a snarl. “Not. A. Chance.”

John Dory gasped, affronted. Yeah, okay, so he’d been gone a while. But he was back! And Floyd was in danger! What in the world was Branch thinking?

“He’s your brother!” Poppy protested, dragging Branch several paces down the path. “You of all people should get how important that is, Branch. I mean, if Cooper, the best little brother in the whole world—no offense, Gristle—”

“Some offense taken.” Gristle responded, though he was smiling.

“—was the one in danger, I would stop at nothing to help him. “ Poppy continued. “And I know you’d do the same for Gristle.”

“Poppy.” Branch held up a paw, putting a pause on her impassioned speech. “I see where you’re coming from. Really, I do. But…” He sighed, heavy and tired, dragging a paw down his face. “All of my brothers left when I was two. Not once, in the near twenty-three years that they’ve been gone, have I so much as received the slightest indication that they’re even alive.”

“But they’re here now…” Poppy started. “At least, John Dory is.”

Branch shook his head. “That’s not the point.” He said. “The point is that I don’t know them. They were in my life for the first two years and then they were gone.” He glanced past Poppy to where John Dory was trying not to watch too obviously, several paces away and close to the wall. “Twenty-three years, Poppy. Anyone can become a totally new person in less than half that.” He shrugged, turning his gaze away to a particularly interesting torch-holder across the hall. “I’m not risking my neck for a couple of strangers, Poppy. Not when there’s so much already on my plate.”

“But—” Poppy started, “They’re your brothers.”

“No, they’re not.” Branch’s voice rose as he spoke, and he breathed deeply, paws clenching and unclenching.

Poppy gasped. “That’s not how blood works, Branch!”

“Blood isn’t everything, Queen Poppy.” Branch murmured. He turned away fully, idly waving a paw as he spoke. “You and your… guest have full access to the castle, as usual. I have business to attend to in the Eastern Quarter.” And with that, he walked away, cape swinging slowly with each step.

John Dory stepped forwards, paws clenching into fists. “Branch—” He stopped, staring down at the bright pink paw thrown out in front of him.

“I’ll go talk to him.” Gristle sighed, turning to follow after Branch.

The two of them turned the corner, Gristle’s exasperated exclamation quickly fading as they went out of hearing range. John Dory watched the two of them go numbly, barely even aware of Poppy and Bridget talking to each other.

This was supposed to be so simple. Branch was supposed to be the easiest brother to find and pick up. Just go to Pop Village and find Bitty B. Simple. Easy. The perfect way to start the onerous task of bringing them all together for Floyd.

How had it gone so wrong?

+=+=+=+=+

“What the fuck is wrong with you?”

Branch picked up the pace, his shoulders hunching as he ignored Gristle’s question. Anger buzzed in his veins while new worries joined the constant flow of concerns in his mind, his paws clenching and unclenching as he walked towards the castle doors. Branch really did have business to attend to out in town; he hadn’t been lying about that. There was always something that needed to be done, as Prince of Bergentown.

“Hey!” And there was Branch’s big-little brother, matching pace with him easily. “I know you can hear me!”

Branch broke out into a run. Undignified? Yeah. Obvious? That too. But Branch didn’t care. He couldn’t let himself care—there were too many other things he needed to care and worry and think about, he didn’t have the time or energy for this—

“Are you…” Gristle panted, still keeping pace with Branch. “Are you just going to keep running? You’ll run out of castle, dude.”

Branch slowed down, if only so he could properly glare at his obnoxious big-little brother. “Shut up.” As far as retorts went, it wasn’t his best—but what else was he supposed to do? Pull a witty comment from his ass?

Gristle rolled his eyes. “Real clever.” The two of them came to a halt—there was no point in running around; Branch wasn’t going to shake Gristle. “But really, Branch, what’s going on with you?”

Branch crossed his arms. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.” He huffed, turning his head to the side.

Gristle sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. “Berg give me patience…” He muttered. Why was dealing with Branch in a mood always worse than trimming claws?

“When Dad died,” Gristle started, “When his body was falling apart from illness…” He had to pause, here, the memory heavy on his shoulders. “He was suffering, right there in front of me, and I was helpless to do anything about it.” His hands trembled, gaze firmly locked on the floor.

“Your point being?” Branch refused to be swayed by a sob story. He was as much a Bergen as a Troll, after all.

“It sucks to lose someone.” Gristle growled. “You know that as well as I do.”

“It sucks to lose someone close to you.” Branch snarled back. “Grandma was everything to me. Your Father was everything to you. But my former brothers are nothing to me.”

“Okay.” Gristle shrugged. He fixed Branch with a steady gaze. “But when your older brother dies on Mount Rageous, slowly and painfully…” He waved his hand dismissively, “I’d say I hope it doesn’t haunt you, but we both know it will.”

Branch’s shoulders hunched, his paws clenching and unclenching.

At Branch’s lack of response, Gristle cleared his throat. He walked over to the corner of the hall and pulled one of the colored cords, ringing a bell. A moment later, one of the serving staff—Hilda—arrived, bowing in greeting. “Your Majesty. Your Highness.”

Gristle spoke, “Inform Groth and Bernice that they have the remaining days before the wedding off. Paid leave.” Hilda nodded once and rushed off with her orders.

“What?” Branch’s eyes widened as he realized what his brother’s play was. “You did not just—”

“Branch.” Gristle’s voice was imploring. “You actually have the chance to help. To save your family.” Gristle clenched his hand into a fist, gaze resolute. “I’m not letting you waste this.”

“You—” Branch swallowed. His paws clenched and unclenched, and he wrested his gaze away from his big-little brother. After a long, drawn out moment, he threw his head back and sighed.

“I hate you so much.”

Gristle waved it off. “Yeah, yeah, love you too. Now go save your brother!”

+=+=+=+=+

John Dory stared at the album cover in his hands. He had always been more of a doer than a thinker—sitting around doing nothing only ever let in the thoughts he didn’t want, the thoughts that crept up his brain and haunted him for decades.

He, Rhonda, Poppy, and Bridget had moved to one of the castle’s two drawing rooms, the plush couches and craft-covered coffee table oddly Troll-like in design. Rhonda was curled up in Bridget’s lap—she’d taken a shine to the Bergen, which John Dory refused to acknowledge. Him and Poppy were both sitting atop Rhonda’s carapace, Poppy and Bridget talking about the upcoming wedding in a rapid-fire deluge of words that John Dory wasn’t processing.

Every inch of John Dory wanted to burst into action, to track down Bitty B and make him understand what was at stake here. But he didn’t feel ready to wander the castle halls alone with Rhonda, for all that Bridget had become less and less of an immediate threat in his mind.

“Okay, fine.” Branch’s voice cut through the room, and John Dory looked up to see his brother padding across the floor towards them. He launched himself onto the table with his hair. “Let’s go save Floyd.”

Branch had swapped the fur-lined cape for one made of a tougher fabric—well, no, this one was more of a cloak, actually, covering his shoulders fully. There were two clasps, one at his neck and one slightly lower—only the belled upper clasp was closed. Under the cloak, Branch had swapped his shirt for a leaf vest that John Dory vaguely recognized. It was an ensemble that screamed travel, even with the embroidered gray swirls lining the hem of the cloak.

The crown was still the same, though—same silver ring of leaves encircling Branch’s head. John Dory wondered if Bitty B ever parted with it. How long he had it.

Poppy was already moving, already on the table by the time John Dory was even standing. “I knew you’d come around! Oh, you’ll have to tell me all about it when you get back—”

Branch held up a paw. “Why would I do that? You’re coming with.” He said it so simply, like it was the most obvious thing in the world. And maybe it was, to him.

“Fine by me.” John Dory stretched before sliding down Rhonda’s side to her open door. Poppy had grown on him like moss on a stone—having her and her energy along would be great.

Poppy squealed. “Oh my hair! Yes! Yes yes yes!” She grabbed Branch’s wrist, yanking him over to Rhonda with ease. “Brozone 2.0! Brozone Reunion! Brozone, Here We Bro Again! Brozone, Where’d They Bro? I don’t know, WE’RE GONNA FIND THEM!”

“Have fun!” Bridget called out as Rhonda sped out the room. “Don’t die!”

John Dory grinned as Rhonda made her way down the castle steps. Finally, time to get this show on the road!

#zaz writes #dreamworks trolls #john dory trolls #rhonda trolls #poppy trolls #branch trolls #gristle trolls #bridget trolls #bernice trolls #between au #wooooooo!!! more between au!!#WHY IS. WHY IS THIS MORE THAN 6K WORDS WHAT #been working on this bad boy on and off for the past week or so #had a bit of trouble with jd's characterization but i think i managed something passable #yeah sure in canon he was just fine walking around the wedding venue full of bergens #but i thought it'd be more interesting if the trauma of living in the troll tree while trollstice was still a thing for the first 20 years #of his life was like. still a thing for him.#and he's a survivalist who lived largely in isolation while the formal removal of trollstice was pretty recent so it's very plausible #that jd didn't hear about trollstice no longer being a thing #and then for branch... he has a point but also. branch. buddy. you put everything aside to go on an adventure in wt #true there wasn't an upcoming wedding in that movie but like. branch. none of these adventures take more than a few days you'll be FINE #the travel cloak branch wears makes its first appearance in world tour but i haven't written anything for that movie yet whoops #bridget's final line is a ref to a joke i make all the time in the discord server. it's not a funny joke to anyone but me tho

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blade-that-was-broken · 6 months

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Ok two questions

In I’m Still Here au do Brozone ever learn about King Peppy pushing the Perfect Family Harmony?

And

Do they learn about Rosiepuff wanting them to leave?

Oh wow two hard hitters huh? XD lol okay so I have to be careful how to answer these without unwanted spoilers.

For the Family Harmony. Short answer - maybe. There’s only a few people who know, and one of them doesn’t know she knows. This will depend on how much after TBT Moment to Be Real I write. Currently I have nothing already written but I’d like to write something afterwards cause this au holds a special place in my heart.

If someone does find out, it’ll be Clay which may make sense as Book 3 goes on because of his vicinity and friendship with Viva. It might make sense as things go on. Soooooo possibly. I’m not sure if everyone will find out but perhaps at least some of them.

As for Rosiepuff, probably yes. I’m still debating on how. The chapters that involve Branch telling his brothers are vague at best cause he doesn’t really want to expand. So either they do find out on the road OR they find out afterwards, in whatever writing I do next/after TBT

Either way it’s kind of shock and there is mixed reactions because she was supposed to be the guardian/parental figure and in some ways she kind of flopped on it a bit. And the boys will recognize this especially with learning she was wanting them to leave. She never said anything when it came to their fights and when they all left - also not a word. Letting her grandsons tear each other apart and their family.

I’ve got some feelings haha 😅

#ask #I’m still here au

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destinyc1020 · 1 year

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The historian that posted those pics of Tom and Z at the royal palace was at TBT Gala and was one of the speakers, so she knows the Hollands well. Unfortunately she deleted her posts probably because they garnered too much attention. One of her most famous books is a biography of Thomas Cromwell. Tom played his son Gregory in Wolf Hall https://twitter.com/TracyBorman/status/1623795000516530181?s=20

Oh wow....You're right! Good eye Anon! 😃

I also saw this tweet in the comments section... I am SHOOKETH! LOL 😅🤣

#thanks anon!!

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unproduciblesmackdown · 2 years

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prompted by your tags on my [taylor singing] post, consider this a free space to discuss any and all concepts related to [taylor goes on a road trip], especially those involving them singing

oh hell yes, can go without saying nothing's concrete or comprehensive or like "wow i could present this concept So well at any moment," but when is it ever??? it's always time for the vague or brief or messy ideas and throwing them out there for fun, love A Prompt to do ofc when one can manifest and kind of provide general parameters as a springboard

naturally your quiz bowl au is an Inspiration for this realm, supposing there's a team carpool to events at other schools / locations, and those having to happen early enough to arrive on time, which sure throws [passengers might partake of a car nap] in the mix. like that maybe taylor is the driver and sings quietly to themself for fun when everyone else is seemingly asleep, whether that's accurate or not. or sings a little to help wake themself up more, whether driving or not, hopefully the latter, and perhaps after having had a car nap themself if the latter (and how maybe they're a little more unfiltered if they've just woken up & aren't quite firing on all cylinders yet). or to kind of get themself more In The Moment / shake things off in anticipation of being ready for the event, after perhaps studying/practice that is all well and good but now It's Game Time impends and also being a little more flexible is relevant, never know what you're gonna get out here. or that, being in college, ft. the idea they're still figuring out gender &/or just now abt to put having figured some things out into practice, & everything that they might have to be dealing with now / going forward involving that, and that rather what you might want to shake some stuff off about could stem from events re: that at any time. or b/c imagine something like the team made up some ritual like "oh we gotta sing [xyz song] before every quiz bowl" that isn't actually taken seriously but they reliably do it anyways & taylor gamely participates. or Just Because, Nbd, say, e.g. someone else on the roadtrip to the quiz bowl location sings along to smthing they especially like and taylor does too b/c they also like it, perhaps mild surprise from anyone else but nbd.

obviously another classic scenario, technically non au beyond [as attuned to our tastes & interests], being that like, Taylor Takes A Road Trip To Some Event For Which Winston Is Their Formal/Informal Plus One for practical support, company, emotional support, fun, any/all of these and/or more....like the idea that they take a trip to/through Wherever They're From hundreds of miles from water, and meeting up with / encountering family will occur whether that's the point of the entire trip, and whether or not this is post (probably post) disasters w/douglas that's always going to be a mixed bag / perhaps somewhat fraught at least at times. and they'll bring winston along. just endless possibilities, and singing could happen at any time....take it back to the [quiz bowl au] section and singing to try to be more In The Moment / shake something off, whether that's happening before or after any family time....

and Of Course. of course thinking of [winston is taylor's plus one / helping out on some trip/event] re: anything business and that means thinking of Your Manifestation of such a scene, hate that i'm failing to track down the post rn (unassisted by tumblr's Search of course) (edit: fuck yes this one), where taylor & winston go to a job fair and are checking in at a hotel (where they share a room...) and winston calls taylor comforting, to their surprise....an all-time classic, somewhat in the road trip genre lol

oh and before i forget, tbt the concept of a combo benston/tayston scenario wherein ben agrees to be this quasi chauffeur for the occasion of a Scenic Drive for the purposes of: so taylor and winston can fool around in the back seat =) which can perhaps feature some singing lol, if someone driving might need to partake of a distraction at all / shake some Tension off about knowing this will happen, and then is happening....

back to a Road Trip For Business: supposing that at any time it's possible there might be those trips like, here's a business event to go to, here's more of a vacation but you have to go for the fact of working here, or something in between. and maybe the presumption is like oh everyone simply flies out everywhere zzz, but fuck it, road trip. with any combination of people, but with taylor involved, let's please for all our sakes let the vast majority of ppl be tmc members or team ben (honorary members) or sacker (also honorary enough re: working w/taylor twice (already preceded by the concept that they should)) or philip (straightforward and/or honorary inclusion in any relevant scenarios of course) like others must be outliers here, the vibe / pace / tone must be set by these ppl w/more affinity/proximity re: taylor. any standard Sharing A Journey goings on may proceed. just the idea of the interactions that can unfold in ordinary little situations, pit stops, food stops, overnight stops, sightseeing stops....

though that prior scenario has been more of an axe cap thing....what if at any point there was a tmc trip and it was a roadtrip b/c at any point there's been five at them at most w/names & dialogue capabilities....wherein if it's a tmc event, presumably taylor doesn't have to just hope they're okay with the location and events, and certainly not be dragged along. if anyone else is taking the helm it's so taylor doesn't have to be literally driving things....which kind of overlaps with a particularly nebulous idea of like, people partcipate in a surprise vacation / trip For taylor lol. perhaps in a like "please take a break btw" way somewhat, probably always relevant, but some times more than others....easy enough to think of any and all tmc members getting behind that kind of thing / actively participating. unfortunately re: canon groupings and the way at any given time that configuration is kind of "[everyone else]......& winston, maybe" gotta get extra [the au of one's tastes & interests] to consider him Getting to get in on it at all & not just be stuck in the back listening to his headphones or being ignored, might have to whittle it down. but then you get to classic situations like "he's still kind of '......& winston, maybe'd when it's just him and literally one other person working for taylor" but yknow hey, winston & rian have worked together and talked and hung out all just out of frame, the consideration has always been there like, extra motivation to coordinate re: taylor (& that's somewhat manifested too lol, some of their most [a unit in this one] quantent being built around their alignment on some point vs taylor) like i think they could handle a road trip. and if the [being stuck in the same places / having to keep interacting] of figuratively and perhaps literally driving a road trip leads to any conflicts / negative tension then yknow, hey, feel free to kind of have unspectacular instances of arguing / manifesting that....much less hashing anything out / anyone learning anything for once in our lives lol....unsurprising if canon will have someone never heading in a more constructive direction re: things like [rian apparently having zero thoughts re: power differences besides that it's fine when they're in her favor & assuming they couldn't/wouldn't be leveraged when they're not] but winston is out here as this (accidental?) foil for taylor & tayloresque people who could be very helpful for them lol, he just doesn't get to be talked to / taken seriously / considered to have stakes........But What If He Did. and the thought of taylor gamely chilling in the back seat of some trip while this thread of [brewing conflict] spools betwixt your quants who are ignoring that / setting it aside atm to deal with traffic or a flat or sm shit rn and maybe mafee is also there like well i don't really know what's going on here but what else is new :I ....but there doesn't have to be any dramatic scenes or revelations either, you Will know a little more about each other by the end of some trip, you Will be more familiar w/each other, for better or worse. but so long as everyone manages it you will be rewarded w/the destination and goings on / further flexibility/opportunities there, too. taylor can have the aux especially if some trip is For them to any degree lol. whether that means singing ever or not....noticing the dynamic is weird but you can't walk away and get back to work within the next 50 sec? try going "oh hey, this song" and just....do that lol.

taylor also never has to be accompanied by anyone, like, of course Solo Road Trip is an option, for work, to visit anyone (including that [uh oh: their family] scenario again....), even for other things....and/or of course any one on ones where the other one isn't winston, but for as vague as all my ideas are, of course left entirely to my own devices it's even more like [uhhhh fuckin um. gimme a minute] with those. but considering that, of course, taylor isn't one of the likelier characters to comfortably (or at all) sing in front of others, the more Others there are, the less likely.

it's also fun if they just do it for fun, as Unlikelily as anyone could want; e.g. like, whatever grouping of people, in some unassuming moment, taylor Just sings a few lines or refrain of some song and then everyone can just roll with that like, oh, huh, well okay....they sure do sometimes just have a relatively more spontaneous moment of expressing themself, or, of course, when they put on a bit of a show

less fun but more [anything to say about that] would be like, taking it back to earlier sections, perhaps singing as a distraction from Whatever, where of course [whatever] can be something upsetting, and/or their already being upset. singing a bit as a [i'm busy doing this with my voice, so don't try to talk to me way]

more fun is how, of course, anyone who might feel particularly affectionate towards taylor (a requirement re: working for them (or being Honorarily [tmc] enough)) isn't just going to pay attention / have a Reaction, internal or external, re: taylor singing b/c of like wow how surprising i didn't think you have or would ever [cue things they'd surely have done or would ever do, like, of course] b/c you're so Weird, right, but where "well, i'm Taking Notice Especially b/c it's Them" has a whole different nuance there. tbt full circle to like, that first [quiz bowl au] section and taylor perhaps casually quietly singing a bit b/c any & everyone else is seemingly asleep, but are they really??? no one sitting upright like "whoa omg you're singing" b/c that's not the reaction they'd be moved to based on the experience they're having....anyone conscious perhaps having Been mostly asleep, now still with a leg over in [dozing off], feeling less filtered, w/a more freeform understanding of what's going on in general at all, even if totally alert aware that for one thing taylor's trying to not wake anyone so you'll give it another ten min of award-winning performance at least....

also would be fun if taylor ever like, spontaneously invented / tried out some harmonies. or otherwise followed along some other musical path in a song besides the [lead singer] part. tapping out a rhythm on their knee or a doorframe....neil....

#throwing things at the wall; a classic genre #winston billions #tayston #benston #nothing else mentioned w/enough specificity / granularity but anyone feel free to kiss whoever on these road trips....many combos

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