#Ren & Mickey: HOO BOY THE TRAUMA IS STRONG HERE. HOW DO I FUCKING EXPLAIN THIS IN A WAY THAT'LL MAKE SENSE

[kas-the-unfriendly-ghost]

y'know. thought about some unintentional symbolism(?) with my two ocs and the animals they're associated with (and how that applies to their relationships with Ren).

AKA don't mind me, just. rambling about my ocs and whatnot because it's stuck in my head and i need to get it out. this'll only make sense to me, most likely.

Kasper - dogs. xe's a dog beastkin; it's literally part dog. sure, dogs as a symbol are usually used to represent undying loyalty and perhaps submission...but what about feral dogs? dogs with no master, no one they're loyal to? dogs who have been mistreated, who have only known violence? a dog that, when backed into a corner, doesn't back down, tail tucked between it's legs, but instead snarls and bites?

another thing worth noting: dogs and foxes are technically part of the same "family": Canidae. they might not be the same species, but they're pretty close in a sense.

Kas is taller than Ren; they're 5'6", he's 5'1". these two have practically known each other since the beginning; ever since Kas was the unlucky motherfucker that ended up in Strade's basement. in a sense, they know each other better than anyone.

Ren witnessed Kasper rip Strade's fucking throat out with her teeth after stabbing him. he knows Damn Well what she's capable of doing if she's pissed off enough.

Kasper has no interest in submitting to anyone. much less someone who's trying to force that submission. Strade being six feet under (or, well, in a freezer) is proof enough of that.

Kas' only interest is trying to put them and Ren on a similar playing field. a sort of way of saying "You're not any fucking better than me, and it's time you fucking realized that. It didn't work when Strade did it, it sure as hell won't work with you."

so long story short...maybe it's because they've known each other for so long. maybe it's because they know what they've both been through. maybe it's just because they both know (especially Ren) what they're both capable of. but either way...it's a weird sort of respect between the two of them.

now, on the other hand...

Mickey: rabbits. this one's quite a bit shorter. rabbits are timid animals, more likely to flee or freeze than fight a predator. rabbits are also prey to foxes.

Mickey has never been a talkative guy, more fine with staying off by himself or with those he considers close and trusted friends, within his "warren," you could even say. within his safe place. of course...sometimes he wishes to try his luck. sometimes he sticks his head out, just for some fresh air.

and sometimes, wolves come along.

Mickey isn't a fighter. he'll do whatever it takes to make sure he lives, but violence is a last resort for him. he'll run away, he'll stay still, he'll please whoever threatening him. so long as he doesn't fucking die.

in his eyes, death was the worst possible thing. at least if he's alive, he could pick the pieces back together somehow. so long as he's alive, no matter how broken he is, he'll be able to put himself back together.

he was stuck in Strade's house for three torturous months after that fateful night. but he got to know Ren, his only ally in the wolf's den.

but, as docile as rabbits typically are, they still have claws.

and Strade didn't realize that Mickey got a knife until it was too late.

he got a few stabs in himself, and fucked Mickey up pretty bad. but Mickey stabbed him in the neck. and that had sealed Strade's fate.

even in his art, done as a way to work through his trauma, the symbolism breaks through; an injured rabbit, curled up and fearful. it's not in many pieces, but...it's enough to raise some eyebrows.

when he and Ren, years later, meet up again in TPOF, and Mickey's put in the shows, it's almost...unnerving how quickly he fell back into old habits; just do what you can to live. no matter how humiliating, no matter how painful, just endure it. live. no matter what.

maybe it's the fact that they both knew each other so long ago, that they had genuinely been friends long ago (even if BTD2 was still a thing. but we'll ignore that for now), that makes Ren decide to spare him. maybe it's just from where Mickey tried to remind him that...he's in charge now; if he doesn't want to do what the chat wants, then...he doesn't have to. he's not with Strade anymore; no is an option.

but Mickey finds himself being given medical attention, with Ren shutting the cameras off. he....hasn't seen Ren that worried, no, scared in years. not since Mickey had killed Strade.

Mickey, surprisingly enough, doesn't mind staying with Ren. maybe, again, it's because he still views him as an old friend of sorts, even after...all of that. maybe it's some weird form of acceptance he isn't leaving. he doesn't seem to mind much; as long as he can continue his art like normal, he doesn't seem to care. maybe he's genuinely missed Ren over the years.

only Mickey knows...or maybe not. maybe he doesn't understand it either. but either way, the answer is probably somewhere in his mind, whether he knows what it is or not.