#mute!branch

While Pop trolls are still working on getting their own currency, there’s one thing that has been used in place of that which Branch has no idea about.

Cute photos of Branch in exchange for items they want, the cuter the picture, the better the item. Brozone and Kismet have a monopoly on those photos, while the Branch Gaurd also act as secret paparazzi for hire.

@tantei-chan01

I'm just saying the series is REALLY hyping. Branch up as the ideal Dream Boy for a pop troll to get with, and then I think to how he was literally an outcast in the first movie and can't help but laugh my ass off. Like... I bet a lot of Trolls in Pop Village that used to mske fun of him very much had expressions akin to sucking on a sour lemon when they realized Branch was Bitty B AND the presumed leader of whatever NSYNC's Troll name was.

And that's before we take the events of the movies in account and just focus on his background up until the day Rosie died! Boy had been a full on Pop Troll legend before he reached puberty and then became a hero and the best candidate for future king in later life, you can bet Poppy is gonna see this and be so damn smug her best friend/crush is such a catch and she was the only damn person to see it for so long. Like full on pointing st him and be like,

"THAT IS MY MAN! YA'LL THOUGH TI WAS CRAZY FOR TEYING BUT LOOK WHOS LAUGHING NOW!?"

Like... ever heard Skater Boi from Avril Lavigne it's gonna be a total situation like that in Pop Village when they have that concert

Classic case of "Be careful who you bully in high school"

It's not just Pop trolls, Branch has qualities that the other tribes find very attractive.

His intelligence and engineering abilities are very sought after in the Funk and Techno tribes.

Musical and composing skills are very attractive features for the Classical tribe.

The Country trolls always appreciate a hardworking, honest, and loyal troll in their community.

All those qualities together make him a highly desired troll amongst the Rock tribe.

Barb totally breaks JD's nose.

When the group returns to pop village, Poppy immediately calls the other tribes to tell them about what happened and to be wary in case something like this happens again.

The rulers get there quickly along with their best doctors to make sure they're all OK. JD, Bruce, and Clay seem to be fine, if a little dizzy and fatigued. Floyd's condition was more concerning. He's going to need physical therapy and time to get back to how he was. His hair, though, will most likely continue to have white at the roots.

Branch had few bruised ribs and exhaustion, but nothing too serious.

Trollex and Trolzart are disappointed with the brothers after hearing what happened, but ultimately respected Branch's feelings, so they weren't chewed out too harshly.

Barb, on the other hand, immediately tried to attack them, getting a good hit on JD before Sid Fret could hold her back. It's going to be a while for her to trust them with her unofficial brother.

Delta was surprisingly cordial with them, saying she's disappointed but will give them a chance to redeem themselves. This is mostly because she and JD used to date before they mutually decided to break up.

Xxxxx

Once the World Tour is taken care of, with the rock trolls agreeing to help with the damages, the rest of the tribes return to their respective territories. There's just one issue, the wild life have gotten bolder.

Since the attack, many of their defenses have been destroyed, causing the local wildlife to get closer to the residents. There haven't been any attacks, but it does make the citizens nervous.

Techno trolls have sharks, eels, and large squid that are their natural predators. It's also the time of year for the giant mana ray migration, so they need to figure out a way to redirect them without their tech.

The Classical trolls have large preditory birds to worry about, and they're having trouble getting their eighth goats under control.

The Country trolls have many poisoness animals in the desert. Their cattle have been scared off so many times that they won't get close to the town.

The Funk trolls have to stay grounded until repairs are done on the ship, since they haven't been on the ground for so long, they're not quite sure how to deal with many of the creatures.

The Rock trolls also have a problem, with so many of the citizens in different territories to help with repairs. They've neglected their own issues with the lava crocs and boulder buzzards.

When Poppy learns of this, she sends in the one troll who can help them.

Enter Branch.

At first, Branch was a little apprehensive to leave the village, they still have some repairs to do, and it's mating season for the puffalo. The Snack Pack tell him that they can handle the reconstruction and Milton can help with the puffalo. So he packs up his bags and starts heading toward the other tribes.

Xxx

Branch spends a month in each tribe to do his job. He tackles the predators first, spending two weeks studying their habits and memorizing their sounds. Once he finds a pattern in the communication or an exploitable weakness, he makes a strategy and collaborates with the other trolls on how to best go through it. Some animals he was able to convince to move areas, others he had no choice but use force.

Once the predators are taken care of, he gets to the domestic animals. Like before, he memorizes the habits and sounds. Once he has a form of communication going, he'll ask them what they need. He then relays the message to the trolls, and they start making accommodations.

The other tribes notice how their pets and livestock seem much calmer around the once gray troll. Even the more temperamental of their creature become putty in his hands. Many have called him the 'Animal Whisperer', and the more romantic types call him an Angel.

To say thanks for helping them, each tribe gives him an animal.

Techno gave him a Low beat Turtle, similar to Suki's bugs, the have a turntable on their back. They can move on land and can create a low vibration sound that has a calming effect.

Classical gave him three eighth goats as they do better in a herd than by themselves. Their wool is fluffy and warm, making incredible blankets, pillows, and sweaters. They also have a melodious bleat.

Country gave him a dairy Bluegrass Buffalo, they're a sandy blue color cow. They make a delicious and nutritious milk and are very gentle.

Funk gave him a snug-a-lug since Branch can talk to them. He can figure out how to hug it without multiplying. And yes, Branch can make that cute little warble it does.

Rock gave him a Lava Snake, they vary in color from dark red to an ashy gray. Their hide is very tough while their underbelly is quite soft. They can withstand extremely high temperatures, and their skin can be melted to create many things once they shed. The young one likes to sleep in the fireplace.

I bet in this au, branch would've kept in touch with his former band Kismet and probably visited branch when they had the chance. And during their visits branch taught them sign language. I wonder how they would've reacted to branch being muted, but shocked that he's slowly talking/singing again. Or are they super protective of branch when brozone tries to get him (forcefully) to speak to them. I'm pretty sure brozone would be jealous/possessive of their brother (trying to make up for lost time). Or brozone being completely jelly of branch's new band family and support system.

Kismet and Branch were friends in the beginnings of kindergarten and have performed a few times before Branch went gray. They tried to be there for him, but their parents kept pulling them away when the rumor of gray trolls infecting other trolls began circulating. By the time they became adults, Branch completely isolated himself and wouldn't respond to their attempts of reconnection.

After the first movie, Branch was the one who approached them, apologizing for not acknowledging them. They started slow in redeveloping their friendship, but it’s worth it.

When Branch was being shunned for not forgiving Creek, they all openly shunned the rest of the trolls, especially Poppy. Going as far as canceling any performance they had agreed before hand.

When Branch came back from the events of World Tour, he wanted to start performing with them again. They all excitedly began practicing together again, reminiscing about the times they first started singing together.

Xxxx

By the time the World Tour begins, Branch is comfortable talking to the snack pack, and the village is quite fluent with sign language. Once it's revealed that they're not the only trolls in the world, he's obviously apprehensive. After spending 20 years of being the outcast, he's not sure how other tribes will react to a mute troll.

Branch brings his notebook with him as the travel, which raised some eyebrows, but none of the trolls commented on it, seeing as there were more pressing matters to focus on.

Once the tribes regained their music, Barb asks Poppy about Branch with the other tribes still there. She's seen him sing, but when everything was put right, she noticed how he hadn't said a word yet. Poppy looked towards Branch to make sure it was ok. He nervously agrees to it.

She didn't go into great detail, but does explain that he experienced something horrific, causing him to go completely mute for 20 years and only just regained his voice.

Obviously, the tribes are all horrified that a troll experienced something that awful.

Xxx

The Classical and Techno trolls are sympathetic, while singing is not really used as much in their music. To lose the ability to communicate with their fellow trolls is a huge blow to their emotional connections.

The Country and Funk trolls are deeply saddened. Singing was a way for them to connect to others, to let other trolls know how they felt, and to embrace their unique souls. For someone to be cut off from that connection deeply hurts their hearts.

The Rock trolls take it the hardest. Music itself was their life, the ability to express every emotion they had. Anger, sorrow, pain, and passion were all in their music. To live without it would basically be a death sentence. They were amazed that not only did he live like that for so long, but he also regained that ability, albeit slowly.

A small idea I had; what if the trauma of Grandma Rosiepuff's death was so great that it caused Branch to become completely mute?

King Peppy tries to help but can't convince Branch to make a word. This causes him to become a bigger outcast than in canon. They call him unnatural, a fake troll due to his refusal to talk and his gray coloring. He becomes even more withdrawn and rarely goes into the village, preferring to stay in his bunker or deep in the forest.

Branch still tries to protect the village in his usual way and creates a sign language to at least talk with King Peppy. Poppy still tries to befriend Branch and has learned a few of his signs, but with the village's treatment of him, he's distrustful of any troll.