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To strengthen bonds between the tribes after Barb’s world tour, Poppy and a group of Pop Trolls were going around the kingdoms, learning about the various cultures and encouraging others to do the same. The Pop Queen was also secretly hoping that it would garner support for her neutral village idea. She had learned so much about everyone else, and wished every troll could get the same experience.
The other trolls weren’t quite as interested in a village where trolls of various genres lived together. She knew they could be, though!
Currently, the procession was in Volcano Rock City. They were last on the tour, since Barb and most of her rockers had been traveling around too, learning about other cultures and helping them rebuild from her attacks.
The two queens had had their own diplomatic meeting, but had finished the day before.
At that moment, they were just sitting on the second largest stage in the city, since no one had reserved it for the day. A lot of the Pop Trolls went out exploring, so it was just Poppy, Barb, and her band.
“I just think you would rock if you just let yourself be angry!” Barb argued, looking at the Pop Queen.
“Oh, no, I don't get angry,” Poppy said, diplomatically. She fixed her skirt, brushing off some ash that had settled on it.
Barb scoffed, rolling her eyes. “Really? Then what do you call how you reacted to being captured?”
The pink pop queen was thrashing, growling, and cursing at Barb. The two trolls holding her back faltered, and a third came out to help hold her. Even still, she managed to sock one of them across the face and almost lunged at Barb-
“A lapse in judgement,” she said firmly. Her hair fluffed itself, and she clasped her hands on her lap, sitting tall. “Unbefitting of a Pop Queen.”
“But, dude,” Riff spoke up, nervously. “When you pretended to be a zombie, you, like, shredded… or something.”
Poppy shrugged. “I’m sure there’s some non-angry rock songs. I don’t need to be angry or anything.” She had heard more than a few encouraging songs, empowering songs, even some romantic songs while she had been touring Volcano Rock City.
“You don’t have to,” Barb agreed. “But wouldn’t it be fun?” She smiled wickedly- she could see the Pop Queen faltering. “Come on! Isn’t there something that makes you mad?”
“Nope!” Poppy said, brightly. She unclasped her hands, before shifting to hold them the opposite way. Her back stayed perfectly straight. “I’m totally happy, all the time! No one needs an angry queen!”
Carol hissed through her teeth, which she was picking with her finger nail. “That sounds like toxic positivity.”
“What?” Poppy faltered, shocked. “How can positivity be toxic?”
“When it makes you feel bad for feeling other things, or whatever,” Riff explained. He shrugged, making himself smaller when she looked at him. “Or it becomes an obligation rather than an honest expression.”
“Oh.”
“Come on, Popstar,” Barb chided, leaning into the other queen’s space. “Isn’t there something like, I don’t know, one of your parties getting ruined that made you mad?”
Poppy shrugged, fixing her posture once again. “I usually just repurpose what’s left into a new party! Every mistake is just an opportunity for change!” She shrugged again, reclasping her hands again. “And the one time I couldn’t, I was more scared than angry.”
The rockers stared at her. “Right, okay, but what about when someone breaks something of yours?” Carol suggested.
“Well, usually that means they have something else going on! When that happens, I just feel sad for them!” She said, firmly. Her eyes grew sad, though her smile remained. “As queen, I need to make sure all my people are happy!”
“All of them?” Barb hissed, feeling slightly judged. “Surely there’s one troll who you can’t stand.”
“Like, maybe an ex, or something?” Riff added, nervously.
Carol perked up. “Oh! Or maybe someone who puts your people in danger!”
Poppy groaned, dropping all decorum, and the others perked up curiously.
“Ooh!” Barb said, teasingly. She elbowed Poppy lightly in the side. “Who is it? I won’t be offended if it’s me.”
“No!” Poppy said, frantically. “I can’t be mad at him!” She argued, straightening herself back out. “He was in an impossible position, and the rest of the village has forgiven him. I can’t still be mad at him.”
The rockers blinked in surprise. “But… you can,” Barb said, slowly. “You don’t exist only as a queen. You’re a troll, too.” Coming from another queen? Poppy glanced away awkwardly, and Barb frowned. “Poppy, you’re allowed to be angry.”
“What did this guy do?” Carol asked, eager for drama.
The pink troll winced, bringing her arms up to hold each other. “Well, for years, he, uh… well, for context, Branch was kinda a loner? He was all gray, like, dark gray. So, I tried to help him, cheer him up, make sure he was doing okay, you know?” The rock trolls nodded slowly. “And this troll… well, I thought he wanted to help too.”
“Did he go behind your back, or something?” Riff asked.
Poppy shook her head. “...Branch had to tell me this troll was just being sarcastic the entire time. That he had been angry and aggressive towards me because he thought I was a part of the ‘big joke.’ I just… don’t get sarcasm very well.” She faltered, looking up at the others. “That’s not an excuse, or anything! I should have known better!” She said, frantically, hands splayed up in front of her. “I mean, I kinda figured out he didn’t like Branch, but I thought he was still being cordial-” She cut herself off, frowning as her brows furrowed.
“It sounds to me like he was being an asshole,” Barb cut in, flatly. “Not in an ‘impossible position.’”
“That’s not the situation,” Poppy said, quickly. “I mean, if I was mad at everyone who was mean to Branch, I would be mad at everyone! No, I mean when he sold out the village to giants who were going to eat us!”
Riff lifted up his beanie. “I’m sorry, what?!” The others mirrored his shock.
“He and some of my other friends were captured at a party,” she rushed to explain. “-That’s the party that got ruined and made me scared, by the way- But! Anyways, he was captured, and they were going to eat him, so he gave up everyone so he wouldn’t die!” Her face shifted. “And right before he stole my cowbell, which he used to draw out everyone else, he told me that ‘he’ll have to live with the guilt, but at least I get to die with a clear conscience,’ but the village forgave him!” She said, angrily. “So I have to forgive him too! Even though he used a gesture he used when we were dating to mock me as I was about to be killed!” Her knuckles were turning white from clutching her arms tightly. “And he managed to sneak his way onto this journey, so I’ve had to put up with his stupid demeaning speeches, and I’ve had to listen to him try to convince me to get back together with him!! Even though he made me feel like I was shot through the heart!!”
Something entered her field of vision, and she looked up to see Barb present her with her guitar.
She faltered, deflating. “No, I can’t,” she insisted. “While I wear my crown, I have to be fair and kind to all of my people.”
“What if…” Carol spoke up. “You weren’t wearing your crown?”
“Come on,” Barb said, grinning. “Let’s get you changed. Those feelings would make a great rock song.”
“I don’t-”
“Aren’t you here to learn about our culture?” Barb said, teasingly. “Well, our culture includes getting mad and singing angry songs about your exes.”
Poppy frowned. “I-”
—
A few minutes later, Branch walked up to the stage, holding the items he had bought tightly as Creek followed behind him.
“-I’m just concerned, Branch!” He said, sarcastically. “I mean, your aura is just so… dim. Poppy’s brightness doesn’t need someone like you dragging her down.”
Branch frowned. He never liked when Creek talked about Poppy like that- like she couldn’t make her own choices. She was a complex person, and the two of them in particular should know about her anger more than anyone else.
Speaking of Poppy, he glanced at the stage to find she wasn’t there anymore. He looked around, before he noticed the curtain pulling back.
A flickering fire was visible in the darkness, drawing trolls’ attention.
Creek scoffed next to him. “What grating noise will these rock trolls make now?” He muttered, crossing his arms and leaning away in disinterest.
“Shot through the heart, and you’re to blame! Darling, you give love a bad name!”
The fire moved, revealing Poppy to the crowd. Different from her rock-zombie outfit, where her hair was pink and black striped, it was a roaring flame, lighting up the stage around her. It was barely being held back by a black-spiked headband that was reminiscent of her rock-zombie one, but with bigger spikes. She was wearing a fishnet top that reached all the way down to her palms. Over top of it, she wore a red top that was hand-cut, so it fell off her shoulder on one side and only reached halfway down her torso. On the left side, there was a black heart icon. She wore black jeans that were shredded all over the place. Her face was adorned with dramatic make-up as well.
She shredded on her guitar, closing her eyes and feeling herself in the music. Barb stood behind her, grinning widely as she played rhythm guitar for the song. To the other side, Carol played her bass, and in the back, Riff wailed on his drums.
Trolls became excited, watching the show closely. Riff dropped out, and Poppy opened her eyes as she played, not hesitating, but face dropping nervously as she scanned the crowd. Her eyes locked on Creek, shifting through emotions before settling on anger.
“An angel’s smile is what you sell. You promised me heaven but put me through hell. Chains of love had a hold on me- I risked my life, but you turned on me.”
She glared at him, pointing her guitar at him. Barb and Carol joined for vocals briefly. Some of the crowd started murmuring.
“Whoah, you’re a loaded gun. Oh, there’s nowhere to run. No one can save me, the damage is done!”
The rock trolls were jumping and screaming happily as they got into the song. A few pop trolls were watching in awe.
Poppy launched into the chorus, joined by Barb and Carol and again, except for the last line, where she strutted over and played at Creek directly. She walked back to the middle of the stage for the next verse, playing to the crowd until the end of the song.
She faded out at the end, repeating a line as the crowd started screaming.
The cheers shocked her, but not nearly as much as Barb tackling her from behind.
“That was killer!!” She yelled, excitedly.
Poppy giggled, her fire-hair flaring brighter. A particularly loud yell from the crowd caught her attention, and she looked up to find Branch- having dropped his purchases to cheer louder.
Right behind him was Creek, looking terrified. Looking at her.
Poppy faltered, flames growing dull as guilt petered up.
Her sight was cut off, though, as Barb pulled her behind the closing curtain.
“Whoah, hey, Popcorn, what’s wrong?” She asked, once they were out of sight.
“I- he was scared,” she said, almost in a whisper. “I scared him.”
“But, he scared you, right?” The other queen tried to reason, as the other two approached. “With the giants? Surely one angry song isn’t anywhere near that?”
“No!” Poppy snapped, sending a sharp glare her way. “Because he did that out of desperation! I did this for fun!!” A second passed, before she faltered, stepping away from them. “No, I’m sorry- I didn’t mean to yell, I’m so sorry-”
“Hey, Popperdip, it’s okay,” Barb said, raising her hands placatingly.
“It’s not!” Poppy insisted, trying to pull off her rock accessories desperately. “I feel terrible!”
“And that’s okay,” Riff said, taking the items from her hands. “That’s what rock’s all about, or something.”
“No, I don’t get angry!” She insisted again, carefully breathing and running her fingers through her hair. “I’m stronger than that-!”
“And I’m not?!” Barb burst out, bristling. Poppy froze, opening and closing her mouth, coming up blank. “Am I weak for getting mad?! For feeling so much all the time?!”
“No!” Poppy said, quickly. “Anger comes from hurt! Your emotions are valid!”
“And yours aren’t?!” Barb said, narrowing her eyes.
“No!” Poppy said, immediately.
“Why not?!”
“Because I’m-” queen. Poppy stopped. So was Barb. She… didn’t know what else. She was always telling trolls that their emotions were valid- she had just told Barb it was okay for her to be angry. She- she froze. Her anger dissipated to frustrated tears. “I don’t like feeling like this,” she said, instead.
“No one does,” Carol said, rolling her eyes. “That’s why we get it out in song.”
Barb scoffed. “Speak for yourself, I like feeling angry.” The others shot her a look and she shrugged. “I mean, I get stuff done when I’m angry. It tells me when I need to start a riot or whatever.”
“Poppy!” A new voice called out. She turned to find Smidge bursting backstage, Satin and Chenille on her tail. The three of them stopped right in front of her, ignoring the rock trolls. “Oh my gosh, I didn’t realize he was making you feel this way!”
“We like, totally thought he was annoying,” Chenille said.
“But we didn’t realize he was still causing problems!” Satin agreed.
Branch stepped in behind them, a questioning look on his face as he approached the pop queen.
“Oh, look,” Barb said. “Here’s the riot.”
Poppy faltered, before allowing herself to fall into her friends’ arms.