#cs!branch

[thatbennybee]

JD accidentally missing the events of Cord Strike because he was in a vacation in the neverglades

Yeah he probably would...

Yeah it'd prolly go something like this i imagine

[thatbennybee]

Sketch of my pookies since I'm dying from finals and needed something to keep me alive

[thatbennybee]

ChordStriker Branch

Branch kept Pop Village safe after hounding Barbie for months about it, so they're safe and sound and totally Bergen-proof! Not to mention, he remedied Queen Barbie's concern of other outsiders being able to find them as well, so no one will ever be hurt or ambushed on Branch's watch. All without a single thank you, no less.

The only problem is, that it's not outsiders that are getting in the way or ruining the protections Branch has in place, it's the reckless, party addicted residents of the village making it 10x harder for Branch to manage the upkeep of his handiwork!

But seriously, who'd listen to a buzzkill like Branch when he's telling them to tone down the fun? Certainly not the villagers or even Queen Barbie and her friends—ridiculous!

Just when Branch thought that things couldn't get any worse, Poppy—the Queen of the Rock Tribe—breaks down his security measures and comes barreling through to collect the Pop String, whatever that is.

The bigger concern he has, is why he feels truly welcomed and comfortable when Queen Poppy invites him to live with her, with the promise that he'd be encouraged be himself.

Can he truly find himself with a second chance at life without any judgements he's faced before? Will she true to her word?

[thatbennybee]

Some ChordStriker Branch outfit concepts i doodled during some free time!! I feel like he'd change a lot the longer he stays in Volcano Rock City.

(Sorry I'm not around much, I'm going through a lot of life changes right now and things are finally smoothing out just a little bit :'] I've only had time to write for things while I'm at work having down time, so bare with me!! 💔)

[thatbennybee]

Any new pieces you're working on? Any sketches you wanna share?

I do have plenty of sketches to share and it's related to this AU comic project I'm working on the side. It's called

Chord Striker!

Here's some sketch snippets I've drawn a little while back. Everyone seemed to like it, it's a role swap for World Tour but it's going to be VERY different...

More sketches/art ↓↓↓

I think I've posted most of my story snippets of this to my Instagram so check them out there if you'd like to see more! Though, most of my wips will be on my side Twitter acc tho because it's where I'm most active!

Pop!Barb & Rock!Creek

The sillies being gross

Rock!Poppy is definitely a little strange and her motives are a bit questionable... But it seems like she means well, even if she's a little obsessive over people/things she's interested in.

I think Poppy and Barb would be incredibly different kinds of people based on their circumstances, families and personalities if they were leading each other's tribes.

This will take a bit longer to do as it requires me to draw but hope you like the idea!

[thatbennybee]

ChordStriker!AU Q&A

I'm doing a bit of a Q&A about my ChordStriker!AU on insta after sharing this teaser WIP, so I figured I'd present some of the questions here! (Feel free to ask more btw!)

↓↓↓

Rock!Poppy

Q: "Is Poppy's family (Peppy & Viva) still with her since the Bergens didn't attack them?"

A: Peppy is with her, but he is confused/in mental decline like canon King Thrash was. Viva is missing. Poppy was old enough to remember her.

Q: "Will Viva play somewhat of a role in this AU?"

A: Yes, she's had a much bigger impact on Poppy's life, even till this day even though she's been missing for many years now. Poppy has never stopped looking for her.

Q: "Is King Peppy still a liar in your AU?"

A: Nah, he's normal. Sometimes hating him with my entire being is hard, so he gets to be a good dad this time. He's just not all there mentally so Poppy is more like his caretaker now.

Q: "Poppy's relationships don't last long because she gets bored... So how long is Branch going to last?"

A: The Rat Pack (Snack Pack) is wondering the same thing, but Poppy's never used the bf/gf/partner labels before meeting him which is strange... 👀

Q: "Does Poppy still party?"

A: She's a total party animal! Her parties are even more intense than a Pop Troll party since Rock Trolls are pretty extreme. LOL

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Pop!Barb (Barbie)

Q: "What does Barb look like?"

A: For now, this is her design, it might change once I have time to draw her digitally.

Q: "Does this mean Barb has to go through the events of Trolls 1?"

A: Nope, Barb never befriends Bridget because they have never met. They have found a way to remain undetected in the forest. (Thanks to Branch’s constant nagging about safety)

Q: "How does Barb's gang look? Is there any significant differences in their dynamics?"

A: I haven't had time to finish them all, but here's some of them for now. There's more members of The Lunch Rush, but this is all I have for now!

Val Thundershock → Valentina Wondershock.

Only Queen Barbie calls her Val. She is very optimistic & loves to sing & dance! She's Barbie’s right-hand troll, BFFL & knows everything about her. They have a very... "close" relationship. ;] She's a popstar who's managed by Demo and loves to help make Pop Village a happier place.

Riff

He's a university student studying to be an engineer. He's very soft spoken, doesn't like to make a fuss and is probably the nicest guy around. He's quite close to Barbie and sees her as an older sister. He's actually on friendly terms with Branch. His favorite treat is lollipops. 🍭

Carol

But you can call her Carrie! Everyone does. She's a bit of a diva, loves to look good & dull things bore her. She will ignore anything that doesn't catch her eye, even trolls. Best to be looking your very best!

Sid Fret

Just call him Sid, no need to be so formal. He is every trolls dream guy and he knows it! He's a great roller derby racer and loves the attention trolls give him. Sure, he's a little self-absorbed, but he's a very loyal friend.

Demo

Not much has changed about Demo. He's perfect as he is <3 He's just a little more excitable & cutesy than before. He cares about Valentina a lot & they are very close friends.

Petra

She is the blueprint, she's the moment, she's everything. A model, actress, singer, you name it, she can do it. She's perfect... Who doesn't want to be her?

---

Branch

Q: "How different is Branch in this AU vs canon Branch?"

A: He is the same Branch essentially, just without the development he gains at the end of Trolls 1 & so-on. None of it occurred, so he is still grey, miserable & a recluse. He helped Barb to come up with a plan to keep everyone safe after nagging & warning her for ages, but after that, he returned to his bunker & is still not well-liked by the village.

Q: "Does she know Branch's whole past? If she does, what was her reaction?"

A: Not sure if you meant Barb or Poppy, so I'll answer for both. Barb—no. I don't think she'd ever find out, and she's also not the type to ask. Their personalities clash a bit too much, she stays out of his way like he asks her to.

For Poppy—I think it would come up naturally in conversation after a while when Branch feels more comfortable sharing. Poppy isn't the type to pry, but makes it clear that it's out of understanding, not a lack of caring. She can tell that he is closed off for a reason. She relates to that. I think she'd be beyond pissed once he told her, though.

Q: "Will Branch's brothers be in this?"

A: Yes, but Floyd will be getting the bigger role this time.

Q: "How quickly does Branch fall for Poppy? I'm sure the answer is yes, but is he happy?"

A: I'd say he's quite guarded in the beginning. He is cautious around her for the first few weeks, but he starts to come around once he picks up on Poppy being emotionally guarded herself.

Things move quickly once their walls come down around each other, & a mutual understanding is there. Poppy fell for him first. (At least, that's what Branch lets her believe, as it was love at first sight for him, but he'd never tell her that; she'd get a big head about it.)

[thatbennybee]

What's probably the dumbest and most in character thing (Chord Striker Pop Troll) Barb can say towards Branch or Poppy or the others times in general? Mostly asking this question with the one art (on twitter) you did of her saying "you don't really want him" about Branch and Poppy looking get to go back to prison. Thank one really stuck with me. Your so good with facial expression on your art❤💚💚💜💙🥰😍😍🤩

She honestly says too many unintentionally rude things tbh 💀 it's kind of how I characterize her!! She's a lot less naïve in the way that canon Poppy was and is instead more naïve from parroting her dad's mindset and opinions. She is told that Pop trolls tend to be a bit absentminded and she ends up belittling them by accident because she views herself as smarter than most trolls bc King Thrash says so.

Her mindset kind of goes unchecked because Pop Trolls are easy to please and honestly just don't even realize they're being belittled anyways because they believe that Barb often knows what's best for them.

It's why Branch and Barb don't get along very well, Branch feels belittled by her and hates feeling like he's being given handouts or that he's a charity case. When Branch rejects her suggestions and offers to him, she often unintentionally says things that would kind of hurt to anyone privy to what's being implied.

She'd likely say something offensive about rock culture or Poppy’s personality based off of the biased knowledge of rock trolls from her dad.

Here would be an example of something she'd say to Branch:

"Branch, I know you're just feeling a bit shy and confused. You're not used to the way we do things because you're really different from the rest of us, I get it! I'm just trying to help make it easier for you! :)"

But that could feel really belittling because it's implying not only that Branch is being treated like a weirdo, but also because it implies that he isn't capable or smart enough to help himself. Then, at the same time, he knows Barb is being earnest when she says it & everyone around him would make him feel like he was wrong for refusing. That is really confusing for him.

That's how Barb makes him feel; confused and often conflicted. I kind of liked canon Barb's characterization of being a bit passive aggressive, a bit wild and being knowledgeable, yet incredibly ignorant at the same time.

I wanted to keep that trait in Barb the same way that Poppy is still well liked, often remains in good spirits and wants to help others.

[thatbennybee]

how was CS Poppy's relationship with other in the past? What's the difference between them and branch's?

I'm guessing you mean with like, romantic interests?

Well, she was always very nice and fun to be around, the trolls she pursued often fall for her, but it is never reciprocated from Poppy because she never allows herself to love. The thought of getting too close to others only to lose them is not something she likes dealing with, so why open your heart at all?

She'll have flings, have intimate connections but they are never a couple, she just gives them whatever connection they're searching for in exchange for a short time experiencing something new and fun with a new troll.

If they need to feel appreciated and listened to, she'll hear whatever you have to say and say whatever you want to hear. They feel lonely or just broke up with someone? She'll be there for you in an instant! Never had your first kiss? She'll make it so special!

But her heart? Never. It's risky.

She always knows when is the right time to move on to the next troll. It's when they hint about using labels. Then she says it's over, but they can always just be friends!

She's a heartbreaker and everyone knows it, but it's hard not to fall for her anyways. :']

...

But for Branch, she keeps breaking a lot of her usual situationship rules for him. No one understands why. Is it because she's up to something, or finally opening her heart?

No one ever knows what's going on in her head, and she never tells.