1. During the gift exchange, Poppy does two little brief laughs, each more like a single cute ‘heh’… I bet that’s “every time you laugh you make that little sound” Branch referred to in TWT Perfect For Me :)
2. Branch acting unaware that she got his name to avoid spoiling her moment
3. He ducks his head and smiles shyly when she calls him cute :)
4. She runs her hand lovingly over the scrapbook cover’s text :)
5. The Hug - the extra squeeze and her quick dazed look
6. The invitations out in the open!! So glad they made a reappearance, that has always been one of my favourite things from the first movie. I find it interesting how in Trolls 1 there are two shelves then in HiH the bottom shelf is empty: no way he got rid of them, so maybe he’s moving them somewhere better, all around bunker? I would really love to know if he showed her them on purpose or if she stumbled across them, either one would be so sweet! She made him all those cards and now he made her a scrapbook in return!
7. His hand over hers while emptying the basket for the Funk trolls.
8. The swing’s opposite hair colours, continuing with theme of them being connected / compatible from TWT (after their fight during Perfect For Me she’s in the shadows and he’s in the light, in the credits her goggles are blue and his are pink, in contrast to when he was trying to confess to her in the beginning and he’s in the shadows / she’s in the light)
9. More ear movements like in Trolls 1, particularly Branch’s, but Poppy’s do a bit when he hands her the scrapbook. Subtle motions, but really emphasizes the emotion in the scene.
*10. Rewatched the movie (again) and decided to add this in: I just think it’s cute how she’s watching / smiling at him as he exits the balloon. He seems happy too the way he hopped off and was smiling as he started to walk away - even though it wasn’t much of a ‘date’, they still both enjoyed the little hangout!
11. Branch being so concerned about disappointing Poppy if his gift is too meagre. And while we all know (he probably does too) that Poppy would never stuff him into a blender or anything remotely close for any reason, the fact that he doesn’t want to risk his relationship in the slightest way and wants the gift to be perfect is adorable, great first steps of a new couple. He may be much happier and sillier, but he’s still cautious nervous Branch, and I love that he’s changed so much, yet he’s still him.
~Also, the ring implication: proposing to her has obviously crossed his mind, but he knows it would be too much way too soon, they’ve taken things slowly even when they were friends; he of all trolls would never take such a sudden and huge step, neither is ready for that at this point.
~~~
2nd Pic: Parallels from previous movies: Trolls Holiday vs HiH “Go Big or Go Home” perspective… TWT vs HiH “blow up in your face” idea… TWT vs HiH leaning on balloon stance.
~~~
(I may add more if I think of more…). EDIT: I thought of more!
3rd Pic: @dreamsinger-rose here are the best screenshots I could get of the moment between the kiss and the balloon - he seems to lean a bit toward her, but now that I take another look I guess she tilts her head away shyly, and you can’t really see his smile very well either - but it’s still a cute moment!
4th Pic: His glimpse down at her lips! dreamsinger-rose mentioned this and more down in the comments - I had noticed the glimpse myself but didn’t bother adding it as I’d seen it pointed out in other places, but then I thought why not, it’s a cute little observation!
5th Pic: Closeness in the balloon ride, also mentioned by dreamsinger-rose! BONUS: his little smirk when she shushes him, and the way her finger lingers even as she walks away!
6th Pic: Not exactly a little detail, probably everyone noticed but still: Barb referring to Branch as Poppy’s boyfriend (not teasingly this time), and Branch directly saying ‘relationship’ instead of friendship.
7th Pic: Poppy was so excited to get her bf’s name… but there was also a moment of doubt / pondering / puzzlement, realizing she couldn’t instantly think of the perfect gift and/or wondering what she could get “the coolest troll in the world” (still love that she called him that!), but she shrugs it off and goes back to her usual optimism. (I talk more about this in a previous post of “nervous Poppy”)
8th Pic: Poppy being considerate: she’s finally willing to focus 100% of her attention on him, no interruptions or distractions, to actually spend some quality time with him instead of have him just tag along while she works. And some smaller points: suggesting they say the names at the same, asking if he wants to go first instead of telling him to, and listening to / approving of his idea.
Nervous / insecure Poppy is the cutest! We’re so used to the pink queen being bubbly and carefree and confident, and I love her that way too, but this was a nice change. (This is kind of a ramble, but it’s an important ramble)
In my mind, she imagined getting her boyfriend an extra special gift, so she made the enormous box right away, confident she could think of something - after all, she’s an excellent gift giver, everyone knows it. When Poppy first opened her card, she was very excited to get Branch’s name, but we also see a bit of doubt on her face between her words “Cool” and “Well, better get to work…”, realizing she doesn’t have an instant idea. Then she acted confident with Barb/Val and still with Holly/Delta, though her tone seems forced, like she’s trying to convince herself more than them that she’s “got it covered” (with her usual optimism she brushes off Barb’s comment of “a lot of pressure”, emphasizing she’s the Gift Master full of inspiration, then lightly brags when Delta says she’s so good at gift giving).
But by the time Delta says “you always know what to get to make someone feel special”, Poppy’s confidence is clearly decreasing as she realizes she is running out / has run out of time, and now hopes she can still find some way to show Branch how special he is to her, and that she doesn’t disappoint him.
Poppy is hesitant at the gift swap, not jumping at the chance to go first, instead offering (but not forcing) him to go. She looked so ashamed when she opened the empty box, and nervous as Branch tried to make a guess at what it was. Telling him how wonderful he is, singing him an inspirational song (her ‘split-second grand idea’ expression mid-hug), the sweet kiss, then choosing to spend time with him without any interruptions - all these things made for the best gift Branch could’ve ever wished for, gifts he truly needed.
I’d say Poppy put as much pressure on herself as he did with getting the perfect gift, but in a different form. And normally she would just happily brush it off, like ‘oh well, I couldn’t think of anything for you, but it’s no big deal, let’s go party!’, but she was actually really worried about how he would feel.
And it’s true, he is always over-prepared, and practical, so really, what could she get him that he doesn’t already have, or that is useful to him but isn’t a mediocre present. Sure, she could’ve made him a scrapbook too or something, but she’s all Go Big or Go Home, and since she didn’t manage to go big, she was left with one option. Plus, from a movie-plot view, giving nothing instead of something small like Branch did made more sense to convey two messages at once: gifts don’t have to be big and fancy to be meaningful, and being together is more important than presents.
Nail Polish Canada Nail Art Challenge. Week 1 - Snow: When all else fails, do a Doctor Who manicure.
If you like my Snowman made of telepathic snow, from last years Christmas Special, head on over here and vote for varnishedvalkyrie.blogspot.ca! Also if you vote for it I will lower taxes…I wont.
Taken from Season 4 Episode 14 of Tournée Générale shot on November 30 2021.
Alexandre Da Costa interpreted his version of Amazing Grace on a REAL Stradivarius. It was an unforgettable experience; the vibrations were incredible! (Watch at 33:25)
Peter Capaldi’s 12th Doctor regeneration was everything he deserved. Twelve was the most tormented Doctor, the most haunted by his past, so full of secret pains we would never know about. He really felt like he was hiding back so much, and was putting on a mask so much of the time. Seeing the Doctor find peace in himself, and the optimism in himself (herself!!!) for the future, was absolutely incredible. I honestly can’t think of a more suiting end for Twelve. It was bittersweet, but I feel like I can comfortably and peacefully say goodbye.
Please enjoy the Campy Lucius Christmas special, under the ‘keep reading’ cut. It is best viewed on a large screen. I hope it warms your heart. I wish you all a healthy and happy new year.
Yes, I know that this is six months too late, and in the wrong season, but I had to fix the monumental fuck-up of a sequel that I originally came up with. My sincerest apologies. You’ll find a slightly more detailed explanation of what I’m talking about here.
Description: This is a direct continuation of Pero and Genie/Reader’s story, as they spend the holidays together, trying not to tumble headfirst in love with one another, and utterly fail.
Rating: Mature 18+ONLY Warnings: Christmas themes, cursing, mild angst related to a family dispute, mentions of scars, vague smut but definitely for adults only, fluff, happy ending. Modern!pero, pero tovar x female reader. No use of y/n. Dual perspectives. Word Count: 8090 Link to Part 1
You woke up in his arms, limbs tangled through the duvet, which had somehow gotten twisted and found its way around your body even though you’d been snuggled up skin to skin with Tovar when you fell asleep. He was still holding you, as promised, sleeping heavily behind you, and for a moment you wondered what the hell you were doing. This was Pero Tovar. The guy the entire office shied away from, and with good reason. This was not a friendly or romantic or even socially adept person. Except… he had tried to be with you, last night.
