#i wrote this as characterization practice for hickory i think

[captainunderkrupp]

Ok @kiingcorobo ’s headcanons about Hickory and food are adorable and sad and reminded me of this unfinished ficlet thing sitting in my drafts

Off in the distance, a table full of sweets was sitting. Hickory bit his lip, trying to hold back a squeal of excitement, unable to keep the grin off his face.

Dickory rolled his eyes. "Go nuts," he said, walking away. Hickory bolted.

When he got to the table, Branch and Poppy were standing there, seemingly discussing whether the chocolate or white chocolate covered strawberries were better. Poppy seemed like she could be on either side of the issue, but Branch seemed to be arguing for chocolate because it was... nutritious? That couldn't be right; Hickory must be hearing things.

He nabbed a chocolate chip muffin from between them, trying to act casual about it instead of grabbing a plate and piling it as high as he could. "Howdy," he greeted them.

Poppy brightened immediately. "Hickory!" she cheered, nearly throwing her plate in hugging him. Branch just nodded at him, and put a chocolate covered pretzel on his plate. Oh, Hickory was going to have to try that.

Hickory decided to attempt small talk. "So, this is the dessert table?"

Poppy kind of stared at him. "Sort of...? It's all kind of one table," she explained, as if she wasn't sure she should, gesturing at the ridiculously long table set up. Well, a very large tablecloth was creating the illusion of the longest table ever, anyway.

"Just assume that's a yes," Branch added, adding even more chocolate to his plate. The guy certainly liked his chocolate. "It's all food."

Hickory decided to let it go. He was just trying to make conversation anyway. "So, what do y'all recommend? I've really only had the gumdrops and this scrumptious muffin," he gestured at the nearly devoured item in his hand.

Poppy giggled. "Try the cupcakes!" she recommended, pointing farther down the table. "Ooh, and if you liked the gumdrops, maybe the gummies. Careful with the sour!" Looking around for other sweets to recommend, she squealed. "Ooh, looks like someone made dirt cake! That would be perfect!"

"Dirt cake?" he asked, confused. Poppy suddenly produced a plateful of what genuinely looked like dirt and worms, but smelled like fruit and chocolate.

"This!" she said, passing it to him. He stared at it; it didn't look too appetizing, but it smelled delicious anyway. He supposed he should try it.

Branch suddenly raised an eyebrow at him. "Wait, you haven't tried any sweets except the gumdrops?"

Hickory flushed. "Well, no. I've tried chocolate, and... such. But I never had gumdrops or... cupcakes before. And some of the combinations you guys have here seem real interesting!" he added, gesturing toward the dipped and decorated pretzels he'd noticed earlier. In the same motion, he snatched up a few covered in sprinkles and caramel.

"Well, I guess we ought to introduce you to them all!" Poppy declared, and Hickory couldn't hold back his grin at all. His favorite people besides his brother, helping him try out sweets? Sounded like a dream.

Then someone screamed.

He spun around, reaching for rope he knew wasn't there. He scanned the crowd, searching for the screamer and Dickory at the same time. Dickory must have been doing the same, because the brothers suddenly made eye contact and Dickory ran over.

More screams were spreading, within a split second of the first, like something was spreading, or rampaging through the crowd. Hickory and Dickory got into battle positions they'd practiced, and used, thousands of times. Out of the corner of his eye, Hickory saw Branch and Poppy also in position, searching for the threat, though in different forms.

Then the screaming crowd started to disperse enough to see... Prince D? He was standing in the middle of the clearing they'd chosen for the buffet, looking confused and holding some tupperware.

"What?" he asked, clearly baffled by the screaming.

Cooper walked up, looking nervously at the tupperware. "Bro, why are you bringing poison to the party?" he asked.

Prince D only looked more confused. "It's green beans, I thought it would make a nice side. The invite said it was potluck."

Branch suddenly rolled forward in a professional looking tumble, standing up to inspect the vegetables. He looked hesitant to actually lean in and smell them, let alone taste them, but he still took a good look at it. "These look like the thing that Bridget is growing on her balcony, but... smaller."

Poppy walked forward to get a glimpse as well. "It looks like a lot of the poisonous plants around here, but it smells a little better. Not great, but better." When Prince D looked vaguely offended, she quickly assured him, "Sorry, I don't mean to offend any work you put into it, but it does still smell a bit like someone cooked poison."

After a moment, Prince D shrugged it off. "That's fine. I don't expect anyone to eat it if they really don't want to, or if they can't." He took a moment to glance back down at the tupperware. "Why poison, though? It's just regular green beans."

Branch shrugged. "Lots of plants around here aren't edible. And there's a wide variety of them. Not so fortunate for us, but we make do." He gestured at the table. "I can help you make a label for it if you like."

Cooper grinned. "Yeah! Like, kind of a warning, explanation thing?"

Prince D smiled right back. "Eh, sure, that works."

Hickory stared as they walked over to the far end of the table, where there was surprisingly less main courses than he expected, and popped one of the gummy worms into his mouth. It was like eating thick, fruit flavored spaghetti, especially with chocolate slathered over half of it. It tasted quite nice.

He was still staring at the table, trying to figure out what was bugging him, when Branch and Poppy walked back over.

"Well, glad it wasn't too big of a deal," Branch said, wiping his hands together before picking his plate back up and refilling it with food. He carefully picked up the dumped items with the tip of his hair and threw them in one of the nearby trashcans.

Their impressive hair was another thing Hickory wanted to ask them about, but that was later. He was still considering the table.

"Hey, Hickory, have you had apple pie? Biggie has a really good recipe!" Poppy held a plate with a slice of apple pie a la mode out to Hickory.

That was it. "Why are there so few main courses?" he asked, gesturing toward the beginning of the table with his fork.

Poppy blinked, as if her train of thought had been interrupted. "What are you talking about? There are plenty of main courses."

Hickory shook his head. "A funk buffet would have a couple meat dishes, a few vegetable sides, plenty of snacks and chips before the dessert table. Maybe even drinks in between. Your tables go almost directly from some fruit platters and a couple casseroles to the desserts." A country troll trotted up and set a plate of burgers in the middle of the table, alongside a plate of buns. "Correction. One meat dish."

Poppy looked like she was about to faint. "Wait. You eat those?!" she cried, pointing at the burgers.

Branch also looked uncomfortable. "I... don't like the idea of eating something that was bigger than me when it was alive," he said.

Hickory was confused again. "Wait, did you not realize what the burgers were being made for? And... you know what, I have too many questions for this. What is your guys' regular diet?"

Branch stared at him. "Uh."

"You don't need to explain it in detail, just give me a couple ideas so I have an actual jumping off point for my questions."

"Lots of fruit!" Poppy interjected. "Maybe some bugs for protein. And plenty of sugar!"

"Chocolate, apples, berries, grubs are my go-to," Branch listed off, "Pie is difficult, but nice, and oatmeal is pretty easy."

"Muffins are breakfast food, cupcakes are lunch or dinner, if you care about that kind of thing."

"I've found some good roots for teas and stews. I swear I'm forgetting something..."

"I tried blueberries once, but it turns out I'm allergic. I still love strawberries though."

"Gelatin is good for preserving things. And sometimes thickened for gummies like what you're eating."

"Honestly I think the casseroles were brought by some of the funk trolls. Or a rock troll? I'm not sure."

Hickory regretted asking. That was a lot of details to process at once. "Ok, ok, I think I get it. Lots of sweets and sugar and fruit, some protein, not many vegetables."

"Uh, define vegetables," Branch said, "Because I was at a rock party and I heard some people arguing whether a tomato was one, and I don't get that."

Hickory frowned. "Have you... never heard of a tomato?"

Poppy squinted. "You can make sauce out of it, right? That's what was on the Bergen's pizza?"

"Oh, fish!" Branch shouted. "Fish is pretty good, though I don't catch it often."

"What in the world reminded you of that?"

"Remember how Bridget's favorite pizza is mayo and anchovies?"

"Eeeehh, right. I still don't get that, do anchovies taste better than they smell?"

"You've never had fish?"

"I don't think so..."

He looked between the two as they spoke, jaw dropped. After a second, he finally gathered himself and decided to interrupt the rapid fire food discussion. "Ok, you guys have a weird definition of food," he muttered to himself. Louder, he said, "I think some trolls are waiting."

Branch and Poppy stopped to look behind them, and Poppy chuckled nervously when they both saw a long line of people, some waiting patiently, and some looking like they wanted to wallop the three trolls holding up the buffet. Branch gave an awkward smile and wave and started shoving both his friends away from the table.

[dreamworksoverdisney]

Lol

The pop trolls diet is dessert, dessert and more dessert.

At first i thought that the trolls were screaming cus "Ew veggies!" (pop trolls are literal children)

But its actually a neat bit of would building.

Hickory please get your partners to each an actual meal.

This is hilarious and and i loved the lore.

@captainunderkrupp

Ok @kiingcorobo ’s headcanons about Hickory and food are adorable and sad and reminded me of this unfinished ficlet thing sitting in my drafts

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