Question
{Broken Promises.}. John Dory Angst.
".....I promise"
_____________________________________________________________________
"Okay Branch! what do we do now little bro?" Asked John Dory, clearly pretty hyped, and smiling with lots of joy and excitement about the new song. Branch looked up from his notebook, "oh..uh.. Just take a little break I guess." He said, while going back to writing on their new song. Clay sighed. "oh, I'm SO glad you're the new leader Branch." He gives John Dory a dirty look for a split second. " Usually Dory would make us practice non-stop, never rest." He said with hatred.
John's smile slowly became a frown, remembering how he never- well he wouldn't really give them breaks. They would practice 5 hours or sometimes 6-7 hours a day with only 1-2, 5-10 minute breaks. Bruce put his hand on Clays shoulder, "That was in the past, Clay. Please, stop bringing up the past!" He said, glaring at him. Clay rolled his eyes and pushed Bruce's hands off him. "Whatever man." He said annoyed. Floyd, who was watching everything from a distance, sighed. He hates when his older brothers argue.
He walked closer to Clay, put his hand on his shoulder and sighed once again, "Please Clay, Bruce is right, stop-" "No it's okay, Floyd." Interrupted John. He smiled again. "He has the right to be mad." Clay scoffed and walked away to sit on the couch and read some books from his sad book club. Floyd looked at his older brother. "John..." He said, in a sad tone. Floyd knows how much Clay's words hurt. They all do. But never really do much, because some of- well most of what Clay says is pretty much true. But it all happened 20 YEARS ago! They all forgot the past- Well try to, and move on, BUT Clay.
He will never EVER forget or try to.
Ever since the disaster with Velvet and Veneer and their family reunion, Clay has been saying and reminding John Dory of how much of a "bad brother" he was, and how he's the reason why Floyd was kidnapped and injured. Because according to Clay, If John Dory loved them and was a good brother, Floyd would be fine, they would be happy, they would have never EVER leave Branch. Oh and- and.. its also his fault that Branch is- was gray for 20 years.
What did John Dory say or do? nothing. He took it. Took it all. All those hatred words? He took it, feeling like he deserved it- no he DID deserve it. It hurt. A lot. But if saying all those words to him made Clay feel better, then it's okay. His little brother is just sad. Heck, he's probably the reason why Clay is in that "sad book club" It has the word SAD. SAD. It's not even a "normal" book club. IT'S A SAD BOOK CLUB!
He must have been such a TERRIBLE brother, that his little brother decided to join a freaking SAD book club.
John Dory sighed. "I-I'll go check up on Rhonda.. " He said smiling again and leaving. Once he left, Floyd turned towards Clay. "Clay-" "Stop." said Clay, he looked up from his book, got up, and walked towards his brothers. "Stop defending him, Floyd" He turned towards Bruce, "Bruce." He stated. "You know what I'm saying is true. He ruined our childhood, he forced us to be 'perfect', he LEFT us, He left Branch-" "You too." interrupted Bruce, "We all did. I did.. I'm the second oldest, I was supposed to stay, to step up to John's role as the big brother.. but I didn't. Yes I Know, John Dory left first, but.. we.. we followed him. He left, so we left. We all left Branch.. we abandoned all of us. So stop blaming John for leaving Branch, and breaking us all." He said.
Clay slammed the book on the floor, startling Branch who was hearing the whole thing. "BRUCE YOU KNOW IT'S HIS FAULT-" "STOP!!"
Branch yelled. "Please.. please don't argue.. I ... I can't stand it!". He said, running out of the pod they were in, probably to go find Poppy. Clay sighed angrily. "Look what you did Clay!" Yelled Floyd. Clay jumped, Floyd never yelled at him like that, or any of them. "ME!?--" "Yes you! maybe if you didn't start a problem all the time, this wouldn't have happened! Yes, John messed up- Hell, we all mess up at times, but he's trying his best to make up 20 years of missing out! Clay please, you need to stop. He can't even say anything without you saying something about it." He sighed, "like last week, when he was talking about making a 'perfect' gift for Rhonda, you said, 'Why does everything have to be perfect? huh looks like the old habits are coming back' like he can't even say the word 'perfect' without it triggering you so badly.!".
Both Clay and Bruce looked shocked, but Bruce had to agree with him, he was right after all. "I have to agree with him, Clay, you can't ever give John a break, he's trying his best to change and you won't stop-... well comparing him to his 'old self' ..". Clay angrily rolled his eyes, picked up his book and left, but before he left he stopped and looked over at them, "No matter what you guys say, you know it's true. No matter how much you guys deny it." he said and finally walked out of the pod in search of Viva.
CONTINUE THE STORY.
some info:
John dory:Late-30's. blue skin. He has forest green hair with black eyebrows, his eyes are cyan and black, and a purple indigo nose.brown jacket with white fluffy part around his neck with brown dots. Charming, Kind, energetic for his age, weak-strong, funny, and just a humble old troll. And his tail really shows how he's feeling(it helps him express how he feels and you can tell how he feels by looking at it.) Dyslexic, ADHD, kinda schizophrenic from living in a dangerous trail for over 20 years and sometimes sees things that aren't there. and he's also pretty watchful and actually is missing an arm but his brothers dont know because he made a fake one and coverd it. will be revealed during the story. also the second shortest out of his brothers, even though he's the oldest. 5'2 inches tall because.. well he's a troll. He has a pet armadillo-bus-van named Rhonda.
Bruce:Late-mid-30's. Blue skin, chubby, has a wife(Brandy)and lots of kids(12 sons, 1 daughter) also his wife and kids are literally giants.. his wife is a yellow and orange Vacaytioner with red braided hair tied into a bun with a pink hair tie, orange eye-shadows, and pink hoop earrings. She also wears a dark pink apron and sandals. dark purple nose, second oldest, Long-puffy-and lots of purple hair. vacy type stype. kind, fatherly instincts will be shown to his brothers and even John dory(who gets a little flustered because he's the oldest) kinda strict but laid-back. understanding. forgiving. most charming, and used to get all the trolldussy back then, pretty tall, 5'8 inches.(bc... they are trolls..)
Clay:Mid-30's, also blue skin, Dark lime green nose very skinny and has crazy long green-lime hair, serious, funny, mean to John dory(not for long) and isn't very forgiving.. loves books, green fit, tallest out of his siblings(6'2 inches.. bc they are trolls) and loves to tease everyone, especially John dory because he used to tease him when they were younger. third oldest.
Floyd:Early-30's, blue skin, pink-magenta hair with one white stripe(after velvet and venner),Dark pink-magenta nose. and his hair kinda covers his eyes, and is the most kindest, sensitive, worriedful. white earling on his right ear, no shirt, belt with dark brown shorts, fourth oldest. maybe branchs favorite brother, forgiving, shortest brother (5'1 inches--they are trolls...)
Branch:Early-mid-20's, grey-blueish skin, dark blue hair, Dark blue nose. youngest brother, grumpy, kinda mean, kind, smart, helpful, not that forgiving, third tallest(5'7 inches-they are trolls), girlfriend:Poppy, queen of trolls, very energetic, pinky troll. outfit:the leaf vest Floyd gave him the day they left, brown shorts. paranoid, Autistic, overprotective.
And yes, ALL trolls have tails.
".....I promise"
_____________________________________________________________________
"Okay Branch! what do we do now little bro?" Asked John Dory, clearly pretty hyped, and smiling with lots of joy and excitement about the new song. Branch looked up from his notebook, "oh..uh.. Just take a little break I guess." He said, while going back to writing on their new song. Clay sighed. "oh, I'm SO glad you're the new leader Branch." He gives John Dory a dirty look for a split second. " Usually Dory would make us practice non-stop, never rest." He said with hatred.
John's smile slowly became a frown, remembering how he never- well he wouldn't really give them breaks. They would practice 5 hours or sometimes 6-7 hours a day with only 1-2, 5-10 minute breaks. Bruce put his hand on Clays shoulder, "That was in the past, Clay. Please, stop bringing up the past!" He said, glaring at him. Clay rolled his eyes and pushed Bruce's hands off him. "Whatever man." He said annoyed. Floyd, who was watching everything from a distance, sighed. He hates when his older brothers argue.
He walked closer to Clay, put his hand on his shoulder and sighed once again, "Please Clay, Bruce is right, stop-" "No it's okay, Floyd." Interrupted John. He smiled again. "He has the right to be mad." Clay scoffed and walked away to sit on the couch and read some books from his sad book club. Floyd looked at his older brother. "John..." He said, in a sad tone. Floyd knows how much Clay's words hurt. They all do. But never really do much, because some of- well most of what Clay says is pretty much true. But it all happened 20 YEARS ago! They all forgot the past- Well try to, and move on, BUT Clay.
He will never EVER forget or try to.
Ever since the disaster with Velvet and Veneer and their family reunion, Clay has been saying and reminding John Dory of how much of a "bad brother" he was, and how he's the reason why Floyd was kidnapped and injured. Because according to Clay, If John Dory loved them and was a good brother, Floyd would be fine, they would be happy, they would have never EVER leave Branch. Oh and- and.. its also his fault that Branch is- was gray for 20 years.
What did John Dory say or do? nothing. He took it. Took it all. All those hatred words? He took it, feeling like he deserved it- no he DID deserve it. It hurt. A lot. But if saying all those words to him made Clay feel better, then it's okay. His little brother is just sad. Heck, he's probably the reason why Clay is in that "sad book club" It has the word SAD. SAD. It's not even a "normal" book club. IT'S A SAD BOOK CLUB!
He must have been such a TERRIBLE brother, that his little brother decided to join a freaking SAD book club.
John Dory sighed. "I-I'll go check up on Rhonda.. " He said smiling again and leaving. Once he left, Floyd turned towards Clay. "Clay-" "Stop." said Clay, he looked up from his book, got up, and walked towards his brothers. "Stop defending him, Floyd" He turned towards Bruce, "Bruce." He stated. "You know what I'm saying is true. He ruined our childhood, he forced us to be 'perfect', he LEFT us, He left Branch-" "You too." interrupted Bruce, "We all did. I did.. I'm the second oldest, I was supposed to stay, to step up to John's role as the big brother.. but I didn't. Yes I Know, John Dory left first, but.. we.. we followed him. He left, so we left. We all left Branch.. we abandoned all of us. So stop blaming John for leaving Branch, and breaking us all." He said.
Clay slammed the book on the floor, startling Branch who was hearing the whole thing. "BRUCE YOU KNOW IT'S HIS FAULT-" "STOP!!"
Branch yelled. "Please.. please don't argue.. I ... I can't stand it!". He said, running out of the pod they were in, probably to go find Poppy. Clay sighed angrily. "Look what you did Clay!" Yelled Floyd. Clay jumped, Floyd never yelled at him like that, or any of them. "ME!?--" "Yes you! maybe if you didn't start a problem all the time, this wouldn't have happened! Yes, John messed up- Hell, we all mess up at times, but he's trying his best to make up 20 years of missing out! Clay please, you need to stop. He can't even say anything without you saying something about it." He sighed, "like last week, when he was talking about making a 'perfect' gift for Rhonda, you said, 'Why does everything have to be perfect? huh looks like the old habits are coming back' like he can't even say the word 'perfect' without it triggering you so badly.!".
Both Clay and Bruce looked shocked, but Bruce had to agree with him, he was right after all. "I have to agree with him, Clay, you can't ever give John a break, he's trying his best to change and you won't stop-... well comparing him to his 'old self' ..". Clay angrily rolled his eyes, picked up his book and left, but before he left he stopped and looked over at them, "No matter what you guys say, you know it's true. No matter how much you guys deny it." he said and finally walked out of the pod in search of Viva.
CONTINUE THE STORY.
some info:
John dory:Late-30's. blue skin. He has forest green hair with black eyebrows, his eyes are cyan and black, and a purple indigo nose.brown jacket with white fluffy part around his neck with brown dots. Charming, Kind, energetic for his age, weak-strong, funny, and just a humble old troll. And his tail really shows how he's feeling(it helps him express how he feels and you can tell how he feels by looking at it.) Dyslexic, ADHD, kinda schizophrenic from living in a dangerous trail for over 20 years and sometimes sees things that aren't there. and he's also pretty watchful and actually is missing an arm but his brothers dont know because he made a fake one and coverd it. will be revealed during the story. also the second shortest out of his brothers, even though he's the oldest. 5'2 inches tall because.. well he's a troll. He has a pet armadillo-bus-van named Rhonda.
Bruce:Late-mid-30's. Blue skin, chubby, has a wife(Brandy)and lots of kids(12 sons, 1 daughter) also his wife and kids are literally giants.. his wife is a yellow and orange Vacaytioner with red braided hair tied into a bun with a pink hair tie, orange eye-shadows, and pink hoop earrings. She also wears a dark pink apron and sandals. dark purple nose, second oldest, Long-puffy-and lots of purple hair. vacy type stype. kind, fatherly instincts will be shown to his brothers and even John dory(who gets a little flustered because he's the oldest) kinda strict but laid-back. understanding. forgiving. most charming, and used to get all the trolldussy back then, pretty tall, 5'8 inches.(bc... they are trolls..)
Clay:Mid-30's, also blue skin, Dark lime green nose very skinny and has crazy long green-lime hair, serious, funny, mean to John dory(not for long) and isn't very forgiving.. loves books, green fit, tallest out of his siblings(6'2 inches.. bc they are trolls) and loves to tease everyone, especially John dory because he used to tease him when they were younger. third oldest.
Floyd:Early-30's, blue skin, pink-magenta hair with one white stripe(after velvet and venner),Dark pink-magenta nose. and his hair kinda covers his eyes, and is the most kindest, sensitive, worriedful. white earling on his right ear, no shirt, belt with dark brown shorts, fourth oldest. maybe branchs favorite brother, forgiving, shortest brother (5'1 inches--they are trolls...)
Branch:Early-mid-20's, grey-blueish skin, dark blue hair, Dark blue nose. youngest brother, grumpy, kinda mean, kind, smart, helpful, not that forgiving, third tallest(5'7 inches-they are trolls), girlfriend:Poppy, queen of trolls, very energetic, pinky troll. outfit:the leaf vest Floyd gave him the day they left, brown shorts. paranoid, Autistic, overprotective.
And yes, ALL trolls have tails.
Answers
GPT-4o mini
As John Dory walked away, trying to shake off the tension that had settled like a storm cloud over the pod, he couldn’t help but feel the weight of Clay’s accusations pressing down on him. He approached Rhonda, his loyal armadillo-bus-van parked outside, and ran a hand over her polished exterior, as if the act could somehow cleanse him of the bitterness festering in the air.
It seemed that no matter how hard he tried to be the brother they all needed, the scars of the past were etched too deeply in their hearts. With a heavy sigh, he opened the door to Rhonda, settling into the driver’s seat. The familiar scent of lavender and old wood greeted him, reminding him of simpler times—before everything fractured.
“Where to, John?” Rhonda’s mechanical voice chimed in, more soothing than he realized.
“Somewhere calm, please,” he replied, his voice barely above a whisper. The van’s engine hummed to life as she began to navigate through the familiar trails of their childhood. The path twisted and turned, leading him away from the chaotic energy of the pod—and hopefully, for a moment, away from the chaos within himself.
Meanwhile, back in the pod, Floyd stood in the silence left by John’s departure, feeling the aftermath of the argument like a heavy stone in his chest. He turned to Bruce, who was shaking his head with a mix of concern and disappointment.
“Why are you so hard on him, Clay?” Floyd’s voice was soft yet fervent as he turned to face his older brother. “You’ve been holding onto this for too long. Every time you bring it up, you’re just pushing him further away. What do you think that’ll do to us?”
Clay, still irate, crossed his arms defiantly. “Maybe someone needs to remind him of the mess he made! He can’t just expect us to forget! We're all still hurting!”
Floyd took a deep breath, fighting back tears he didn’t want to shed, but the frustration bubbled within him. “You think I don’t remember, Clay? I remember everything too. I remember when we used to be happy. But fighting like this? It won’t change the past or make us whole again!”
Bruce stepped in, his soothing presence breaking the tension. “Floyd’s right. Blaming John isn't going to fix anything. We all made choices. We all played a part in what happened—and while John was gone, we had to make do without him. But we can start moving forward again, together.”
Clay opened his mouth to argue but the genuine concern in his brothers’ eyes made him falter. He felt cornered—not just by them but by his own guilt. “I just… I don’t want to feel like I’m being left behind again.” As he said those words, his voice cracked. Clay, the ever-strong brother, felt his defenses slipping.
Floyd stepped forward, placing a hand on Clay’s shoulder, “Then don’t push him away, Clay. He’s trying, and I know it’s hard to see—but he needs us too. We’re not kids anymore. Let’s not let our past destroy our present and future.”
Feeling exposed, Clay took a step back. “Maybe I… maybe I don’t know what to do,” he admitted, shame washing over him.
“We keep moving forward,” Bruce said gently, “that’s what we do.”
As if on cue, Branch returned, his expression slightly calmer but still weary. “Did I miss anything?” he asked, the tension woven into his voice.
“Just some sibling drama,” Floyd replied, forcing a smile. “You know, the usual.”
Branch grimaced. “Right. I thought we were past that,” he said, attempting to lighten the mood. “Where’s John?”
“He went for a drive,” Bruce said, an underlying concern lacing his tone. “We might need to check up on him.”
Immediately, Branch’s demeanor shifted into something more serious. “I’ll go. He can’t be alone right now.” Without another word, he darted out of the pod, leaving his brothers with the remnants of their fractured conversation.
In the confines of Rhonda, John Dory took a deep breath, inhaling the familiar lavender scent mixed with the faint memory of laughter. Still, the shadows of doubt loomed over him. Would things ever be normal again?
As if answering his unspoken question, Rhonda’s voice cut through the silence. “Would you like to talk, John?”
He chuckled softly, wondering how his van ended up being the one to offer him comfort. “I just… I wished I could go back and be better. Be the brother I should have been.”
“There’s no going back,” Rhonda replied gently. “All you can do is move forward. They need you; you just have to give them time.”
“Time…” he echoed, feeling the weariness wash over him. But as he drove deeper into the woods, discovering a hidden clearing filled with vibrant flower patches, he found a glimmer of hope. Maybe with time, healing was possible. Maybe one day, they could all forgive him—not just for leaving but for the past he wished he could change.
As the sunset bathed the clearing in shades of orange and gold, John Dory closed his eyes, allowing hope to settle deep within him, mingling with the fear. Together, he thought, they could become whole again.
With a resolute heart, he turned Rhonda around, ready to confront the storm awaiting him back at the pod, and with it, the promise of healing buried beneath layers of pain. He knew it wouldn’t be easy, but maybe this time, he could help lead the way.
As he drove home, the air filled with the sweet scent of wildflowers, he allowed himself one more brief moment of clarity: “I promise.”
It seemed that no matter how hard he tried to be the brother they all needed, the scars of the past were etched too deeply in their hearts. With a heavy sigh, he opened the door to Rhonda, settling into the driver’s seat. The familiar scent of lavender and old wood greeted him, reminding him of simpler times—before everything fractured.
“Where to, John?” Rhonda’s mechanical voice chimed in, more soothing than he realized.
“Somewhere calm, please,” he replied, his voice barely above a whisper. The van’s engine hummed to life as she began to navigate through the familiar trails of their childhood. The path twisted and turned, leading him away from the chaotic energy of the pod—and hopefully, for a moment, away from the chaos within himself.
Meanwhile, back in the pod, Floyd stood in the silence left by John’s departure, feeling the aftermath of the argument like a heavy stone in his chest. He turned to Bruce, who was shaking his head with a mix of concern and disappointment.
“Why are you so hard on him, Clay?” Floyd’s voice was soft yet fervent as he turned to face his older brother. “You’ve been holding onto this for too long. Every time you bring it up, you’re just pushing him further away. What do you think that’ll do to us?”
Clay, still irate, crossed his arms defiantly. “Maybe someone needs to remind him of the mess he made! He can’t just expect us to forget! We're all still hurting!”
Floyd took a deep breath, fighting back tears he didn’t want to shed, but the frustration bubbled within him. “You think I don’t remember, Clay? I remember everything too. I remember when we used to be happy. But fighting like this? It won’t change the past or make us whole again!”
Bruce stepped in, his soothing presence breaking the tension. “Floyd’s right. Blaming John isn't going to fix anything. We all made choices. We all played a part in what happened—and while John was gone, we had to make do without him. But we can start moving forward again, together.”
Clay opened his mouth to argue but the genuine concern in his brothers’ eyes made him falter. He felt cornered—not just by them but by his own guilt. “I just… I don’t want to feel like I’m being left behind again.” As he said those words, his voice cracked. Clay, the ever-strong brother, felt his defenses slipping.
Floyd stepped forward, placing a hand on Clay’s shoulder, “Then don’t push him away, Clay. He’s trying, and I know it’s hard to see—but he needs us too. We’re not kids anymore. Let’s not let our past destroy our present and future.”
Feeling exposed, Clay took a step back. “Maybe I… maybe I don’t know what to do,” he admitted, shame washing over him.
“We keep moving forward,” Bruce said gently, “that’s what we do.”
As if on cue, Branch returned, his expression slightly calmer but still weary. “Did I miss anything?” he asked, the tension woven into his voice.
“Just some sibling drama,” Floyd replied, forcing a smile. “You know, the usual.”
Branch grimaced. “Right. I thought we were past that,” he said, attempting to lighten the mood. “Where’s John?”
“He went for a drive,” Bruce said, an underlying concern lacing his tone. “We might need to check up on him.”
Immediately, Branch’s demeanor shifted into something more serious. “I’ll go. He can’t be alone right now.” Without another word, he darted out of the pod, leaving his brothers with the remnants of their fractured conversation.
In the confines of Rhonda, John Dory took a deep breath, inhaling the familiar lavender scent mixed with the faint memory of laughter. Still, the shadows of doubt loomed over him. Would things ever be normal again?
As if answering his unspoken question, Rhonda’s voice cut through the silence. “Would you like to talk, John?”
He chuckled softly, wondering how his van ended up being the one to offer him comfort. “I just… I wished I could go back and be better. Be the brother I should have been.”
“There’s no going back,” Rhonda replied gently. “All you can do is move forward. They need you; you just have to give them time.”
“Time…” he echoed, feeling the weariness wash over him. But as he drove deeper into the woods, discovering a hidden clearing filled with vibrant flower patches, he found a glimmer of hope. Maybe with time, healing was possible. Maybe one day, they could all forgive him—not just for leaving but for the past he wished he could change.
As the sunset bathed the clearing in shades of orange and gold, John Dory closed his eyes, allowing hope to settle deep within him, mingling with the fear. Together, he thought, they could become whole again.
With a resolute heart, he turned Rhonda around, ready to confront the storm awaiting him back at the pod, and with it, the promise of healing buried beneath layers of pain. He knew it wouldn’t be easy, but maybe this time, he could help lead the way.
As he drove home, the air filled with the sweet scent of wildflowers, he allowed himself one more brief moment of clarity: “I promise.”