⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀< ❈Iris' POV❈ >
Hair stretched upwards, grasping the branch and hauling forward the young female Troll as she happily skipped over the tree. The sun was shining brightly, the air was warm, and birdsong sounded everywhere. She could even hear a few other Trolls down below singing. Singing! One of her favorite things!
The blue-skinned female skidded to a halt at the edge of a thin branch, her blue and pink hair retracting back into its normal position. Her bright pink eyes flickered proudly over everyone. "My name is Iris, and I am the Princess of Troll Tree," she muttered under her breath. It was something she recited every morning while doing her daily exercises.
Iris did not originally like the idea of having a morning workout routine. But one of her mother's old friends, Smidge, had highly encouraged it. The little yellow female was an admiration for her. She was the strongest Troll in all the land.
Iris bunched together the muscles in her legs and sprang off the branch, feeling her feet collide with the tree trunk as she slid towards the ground. She landed on her feet, but swayed just slightly. She was still trying to improve on that landing. Smidge could've done it perfectly. I'll have to ask her for more advise.
"There you are!"
Iris turned around and saw her mother, Poppy, the Queen of Troll Tree. The pink female rushed over and wrapped her arms around her daughter. Iris hugged back, smiling brightly. "Were you exercising again?" Poppy asked with amusement.
"Of course! Smidge said it's good for me!" Iris declared.
"Well, I know it's good for you. But why don't you hang out with your friends? They're probably bored without you!" Poppy chuckled, sweeping her fingers through Iris' soft, split-colored hair.
Iris looked over as movement caught her attention from her peripheral vision. Her father, Branch, was approaching them with a smile on his face. He came to stand next to Poppy, pressing himself against her and gazing at Iris. "I'm sure Titian is looking for you," her father said with a wink.
Iris felt heat creeping through her cheeks at the mention of her friend. He was the son of Guy Diamond and DJ Suki. He looked pretty much just like a red equivalent to his father, and he was one of the most stunning Trolls in Troll Tree. But Titian also had a little sister named Blossom who was pink with white hair, having slight specks of glitter on her body but not all over the place. Iris was somewhat close to her too.
"I'm sure he isn't," Iris replied. "He's probably busy with something else. Dancing, I'd assume."
Poppy and Branch exchanged amused glances.
"Whatever you say, Princess," Branch chuckled, coming over and hugging her before turning back to Poppy. "Come on. Let's leave Iris to have her fun. You know sixteen-year-olds. Gotta go, go, go! No time for your parents." He snickered wildly with Poppy as they walked off towards their house.
Iris sighed in annoyance. Titian is just a friend, she thought. She didn't want to see him as anything else. He was currently her best friend, and worried that if something like that changed, she'd ruin their relationship. The Princess sighed once again and slowly walked off, deciding she'd join the other Trolls in the current fun they were having.
A lot of them were dancing and singing, while others were just talking. She caught a few in the weightlifting section. And, as usual, Smidge was there. She was beating everyone by far, her eyes glimmering with satisfaction. Iris wanted to approach the mini Troll, but she decided she wouldn't. What if she startled Smidge? Getting a weight launched at her was not something she was thrilled about. She walked off in another direction, only to slam into the body of someone else.
Her breath hitched in her throat as her eyes collided with with the dark, forest-green disks that glittered like the night sky. A handsome face with a tender smile near hers. She felt her heart rapping hard against her chest, backing up slightly as she felt herself panicking.
It was Titian. The sunlight danced on his sparkly red body, shimmering in his paler hair. His green eyes were locked on Iris with a friendly stare. "Are you okay?" he asked. Like his father, Titian could do an auto-tuned voice and when he wasn't doing that, it had that same distinctive accent. When Iris didn't answer at first, he repeated his question. Curiosity lightened his gaze.
"What? Oh! Yeah, I-I'm fine," she replied, shuffling her feet against the ground. She swallowed hard, trying to rid of the anxiety swelling up inside of her. It felt like icy water flowing through her veins. She winced slightly at it.
"Are you sure? You look...tense?" Titian moved closer to her, offering her support by holding out his hand and grabbing her arm. "Come on, let's join the others. They seem to be having a lot of fun!"
The glittery Troll led her through the crowd. She was given warm greetings and smiles as she passed everyone, a few cheering her name. Being Princess meant a lot of attention would be directed at you. She wasn't sure she totally enjoyed it. Sometimes she just wanted to keep to herself and be in her own little world. They weren't kidding when they said I'm more like my father, she thought. She remembered hearing old stories of how her father used to be a complete grump. He had turned all gray and never once smiled. He did not get along with anyone, and was usually avoided as he hoarded things for survival purposes. Now he was a very happy Troll, probably one of the happiest. But no one beat her mother's vivacity and energy. She was the happiest, sweetest, most positive Troll to ever exist. She remembered everyone saying Poppy was always a very popular girl and as Princess, she was constantly throwing parties and leading musical numbers.
I don't think I'd ever be able to handle that, she thought. She'd always been more calm and reserved like Branch. She even had the same skin color as him, and one part of her hair was the same shade of blue, while the other was the same shade of pink Poppy had. Her eyes were exactly like her mother's, bright, pretty, and pink.
"All hail the Princess of Troll Tree!"
Iris halted as she saw Biggie standing nearby, Mr. Dinkles propped in his arms as usual. Biggie was a close friend of her mother's, once again. He bowed down in respect to Iris as she passed him, and she felt her face flush red with embarrassment as several other Trolls turned to look at her. They began cheering her name and she shyly smiled.
"Everyone, that's enough!" Iris called out.
They all quieted down immediately. She hated the respect. She wasn't just a Princess. She wanted to be treated like everyone else, not like some goddess who had come down straight from the skies.
A few Trolls smiled at her as she walked away with Titian. Her friend pressed himself against her, and she felt her heart lurch. "Is that overwhelming for you?" he asked kindly
Iris sighed. "Yes," she replied. "I'm tired of being seen as some celebrity. I just want to walk in a room without everyone stopping to stare at me, cheer my name, and bombard me with questions and random crap. Is that too much to ask? I just want to be loved for who I am, not what I am!"
Titian set his sparkly hand on her shoulder. "They look at you and think of Poppy," he said. "She's always been a popular Troll, so they're just excited to see her daughter. I can see similarities between your faces. Don't get to upset by it. They don't mean any harm." He brought her into a quick hug. The sweet, cinnamon-like scent of his body filled her nostrils and she just didn't want to let go. He was a very good friend, always helping her through this annoyance.
"You're right, Titian," she replied. "But it's just...hard."
"I understand," the red male responded affectionately.
Iris gazed up towards the top, far-away branches of the Troll Tree. This would be her kingdom one day, and the thought made her a little dizzy with anxiety. She was nothing like her mother. She did not hold the same positive vibes, she did not throw parties every other day, and she certainly did not go around preaching happiness. Sure, as a Troll she was very happy and okay with her life. But this was just that one thing you have to put up with like a crick in your neck. She closed her eyes, letting Titian's words of comfort and the soft ring of his accent calm her.
Aye! Thanks for reading! Yes, I will be doing a question for every chapter just like I did in Blue Poppy!
(Also, yes, there will be some cute Broppy moments. I'm not letting that amazing ship go down the trash. This story isn't just going to focus on Iris. Lol I could never rid of Poppy and Branch. I LOVE THEM TOO MUCH!)
Question:
How old will you be when Trolls 2 comes out in 2020?
My answer:
I'll almost be 18 years old. The scheduled release date is 19 days away from my birthday.
Give me your answer in the comments and don't forget to vote!