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atypical-artisan · 1 year ago

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I did some ship chart stuff a while ago and I've been sitting on it for too long lmao. So here it is with some bonus colors as well!! Original is by redcrowz here

(Btw this is more my headcanons about the inter-character relationships than my feelings on the ship itself cause I don't care too much about them aside from otps, lol.)

Color-coded versions with more analysis under the cut

I'd like to add that I think all the circuit are their own friend groups except the special circuit because the bruiser bros don't have many friends. I have more friendships as well, but this is meant to be the more important friendships, lol.

Narcis and Dragon + Heike are a bit of a given since they're the youngest boxers in the West coast wvba gang, so they quickly became friends and started hanging out together despite their different skill levels.

Hoy and Gabby are friends mostly because they're the oldest boxers, though Hoy still sees Gabby as a 'kid', much like the rest of his co-workers. Gabby doesn't mind though, he thinks it's funny.

Dragon and Hoy are another pair that sprung up due to coincidence. When Dragon first came to the US, he knew nothing about it and Hoy took him under his wing and kept close watch on him, bonding over shared culture and experiences. Even though they speak different forms of Chinese, they got along really well and still remain close.

Gabby and Joe are in a similar boat. Gabby watched over and befriended Joe when he was younger and they've had a very familial relationship since. Gabby and Joe see each other basically as surrogate brothers and by now nothing can change that.

Joe and Bob are more of a weird pair, bonding over a love of music and singing after having met through Gabby. They chill together when in the same city and Joe sometimes makes guest apperances singing/playing piano for Bob's music.

Clown and Bear are second cousins twice removed via marriage and met at a wedding in Italy. They were overjoyed to see each other in the ring again and have their 'buddy I went on hijinks with at that one wedding' back!

Bear is friends with Sandman and SMM mostly because they're all Jewish and feel a lot of solidarity because of that. They like to have debates about anything and anything they can think of which, though they can get heated, are all in good fun.

Hondo and Carmen are friends through Don and are often seen talking about sailor moon together.

Carmen and Disco meeting was a complete accident as they ran into each other at a salon once and got into a conversation about their hair (And bleaching it). They were both really surprised to meet each other in the wvba building and laughed their asses off at the whole situation.

Disco is friends with Doc exclusively because they both like disco music. Disco adores Doc's leopard print jacket and looks up to him as a boxer as well.

Disco is buddies with Sandman and Soda mostly cause he thinks they're both cool. With Soda especially, they share a very bouncy and positive look on life as well a a sense of humor. Sandman is someone he just really respects and vibes with.

Hippo and SMM are big surfing buddies and hang out mostly because of that. Also Macho really likes Hippo's Hot Wheels collection and has contributed to it many times.

Pretty much everyone dislikes the bruiser bros but I put the especially bad relationships down here.

Sandy doesn't like them especially because, though he tries to be neutral, he gets the worst vibes and especially doesn't like Nick for being such an asshole to Joe.

Hoy... well Nick is just ablest to him, saying that if he needs a staff to get around he's too pathetic to be a boxer.

Nick didn't take his loss to Joe well whatsoever and harassed him for months. It got so bad Joe needed a restraining order. He never told Mr. Dream because he's too scared of what either of the brothers might do as revenge.

Pizza just loathes Clown because he thinks Clown makes their country look like a joke. This is part of the reason why he no longer even watches boxing.

These are guys I just hc as aro so no romance for them. Though Mr. Dream is pretty positive about romance himself, Macho and Hippo are more negative about it and don't want it in their lives.

These are 'other' characters I ship the guys with. Bear and Pizza both have wives they adore and Disco has a boyfriend stuck in another state.

Not pictured: All of Carmen and Don's side-partners.

For Don and Hondo, their relationship is complicated due to them being mutually in love but unable to bring romance into their relationship because Don agreed that Carmen would be his only romantic involvement.

Pizza, Dream, and Doc all fought together back in the day, once close friends, but drifted after Pizza left the boxing world and America itself due to mob threats. Deep down, he still misses them.

This is characters who have a mutual crush, but won't really pursue those relationships.

Aran and Mask really admire each other's cheating but mutually agree that a relationship between them, especially a long-distance one, just wouldn't work. They meet up every once and a while to hang out and mess around, though.

Hondo kinda has a crush on Carmen, and vice versa, but Hondo is scared to pursue anything with her due to the whole thing with Don.

Don is crushing hard on Joe and Joe would happily reciprocate a date, but Don is having a hard enough time dealing with his love for Hondo so he refuses to pursue Joe. Joe meanwhile thinks Don is taken fully and loathes the idea of 'taking' him from Carmen.

Sandy and Joe have a strong mutual crush but are too scared of each other to do anything about it. Joe looks down on himself a lot and thinks Sandy would think he's weird. Sandy meanwhile is scared of hurting Joe and thinks Joe secretly fears him.

These are one-sided crushes, the arrow points to who has a crush on who.

Narcis and Don both really like Wii Aran, but he doesn't feel much the same. Narcis doesn't try to hide his feelings much but Don definitely does. Aran doesn't hate either of them (Okay, he used to hate Narcis because he dislikes British people by default) and might even consider a relationship with either if they brought it up to him. However, he just wouldn't be able to trust them or develop feelings on the same level.

Disco has always had a mild crush on Heike but it's never been reciprocated. Heike is aware of Disco's crush and has put out very gentle hints that he really likes Dragon instead.

Kaiser has always liked Joe a lot, but never dropped hints or let Joe know. Joe's feelings are complex because though he thinks he still likes Kaiser romantically, he doesn't actually love him like that or want them to be anything more than close friends.

Nick has a raging crush on Joe and HATES IT. He hates himself, he hates Joe more, and he's madly obsessed with the guy who beat him. Joe is 100% oblivious. It's chaos.

And now my very weird otps!!!

Joe/Aran (Burnt Bread) is obvious as my fave. I just think that their dynamic is perfect for what the other really wants in life. For Joe, he wants to be bold and brash and embrace his weird side like Aran. For Aran, he wants to be able to accept that he actually has people who care about him and have more stability and trust both in his life and relationships like Joe. Also I like the idea of Joe just becoming so weird because of Aran, it's hilarious. They're perfect for each other.

Don/Carmen (Perfecto) is obviously perfect (Or as close as you can get). It's a long-lasting love from childhood situation with these two, almost like a fairytale. They've loved each other deeply for years and years and had plans for marriage since they were kids. Even while loving other people, they're each other's soulmate. If they were to ever separate, they'd both be devastated. This ship is perfect for angst and drama as they balance their love for each other with their desire for others and deal with all the emotional chaos that can bring.

Kaiser/Tiger (Magic Combat Boots)... Okay, I'll admit, this one is weird. I don't remember what drew me to ship them in the first place- maybe some fanart, maybe the shared 'stache power, idk. But no matter what it was, this relationship is like a marshmallow, sweet, soft, and easy. Tiger and Kaiser come off, to me, as very normal guys who are straightforward and down to earth and are the types who don't need a lot of chaos in their love lives. This ship is 110% fluff and very mellow- no drama, no chaos, just two aro/aspec dudes with great mustaches falling in love. I also like the dynamic of Tiger becoming a parent to Kaiser's adopted boys as well :).

Bull/Soda (Angry and Sweet) is the cat/dog dynamic I have for punch out. Though they don't have opposite personalities, they do contrast a lot and have different ways of approaching life. However, they definitely desire each other for such strong personalities and find a mutual bond in a lot of their traumas and with being gentle to each other. Another fluffy ship, but with a lot more angst potential with how I write their backstories.

Bob/Hurricane (Hurricane Shuffle) this one is another 'opposites attract' type ship. This time however it's an introvert/extrovert pairing. Bob is a huge overwhelming extrovert and Hurricane is a self-conscious introvert. They're the type to not stray form their comfort zones, but with each other's help, they both grow more mature and comfortable with their lives. Though there's definitely drama to be had with them, there isn't much angst and much more fluff.

Heike/Dragon (Mandarin Ducklings) is all about young, inexperienced love. These two are some of the youngest boxers, so it makes sense for their relationship to be kinda clunky and awkward, in a cute way of course. For them, it would be chaotic and strange to deal with since they're each other's first serious relationship. A lot of this ship, imo, is about figuring things out, dealing with common problems, and just navigating through love! Sweet in a super chaotic way.

Narcis/Snes Aran (Prince and the pauper) is an unlikely friends to lovers story. Despite Narcis being kind of a brat, there isn't any initial dislike between him and Snes Aran like I hc with him and Wii Aran. Instead, I think Snes Aran starts hanging with him to satiate his own curiosity, before actually coming to like him a lot, and vice versa. Snes is head over heels for Narcis and ends up following him around as his bestie for a time before Narcis realizes he LIKE likes this un-civil, low-class guy. Snes is Narcis' bro and backs him up whenever and doesn't challenge him very much at all, while Narcis not only doesn't look down on snes but does what he can to make him feel equal. And that's what they want in relationships!

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bonefall · 1 year ago

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⭕️Hey Bones! Is it ok if you explain and/or elaborate how Crowfeather is abusive to Breezepelt if please?⭕️

I do KNOW that crowfeather is indeed, abusive to Breezepelt, due to the fact that he emotionally and/or physically neglected him - with child neglect being known to BE a form of child abuse - and I also heard that he slashed and/or hit him within one of the books, which I believe is in the book Outcast, in chapter 16.

But I also wish people would talk and be informed about it more within the fandom, because in the parts of the fandom I’ve known portrayed Crowfeather’s neglect on Breezepelt as negative and bad, but not in a way that made me think and/or feel: “Wow, that’s pretty bad. That’s…actually abusive.” I suppose? So I hope more people will talk about it more in that type of way.

Also, please be aware that I have NOT read PoT, OoTS, etc. or barely any warrior cats books, since the majority of the information I got from the series is from the wiki and the fandom, so that probably explains why I didn’t know this part of Crowfeather’s character is as bad as it actually is until now. Also, feel free to talk about Crowfeather’s abuse on Breezepelt I haven’t mentioned and/or don’t know right now as well if you want.

I’m SO sorry that if this ask is unintentionally quite long, and feel free to make sure to take all the time you need to answer it. Thank you!

OH LET'S GOOOO

Breezepelt is both physically and emotionally abused by Crowfeather. I'm not talking about only child neglect; he is screamed at, belittled, and even once hit on-screen.

The fact that Crowfeather both neglected and abused him is very important to the canonical story of Breezepaw. There's actually a lot more to this character than people remember! Even from his first appearances he displays good qualities, a strained relationship with his father and adult clanmates, and is clearly shown to be troubled before we understand why.

As many problems as I have with the direction of Breezepelt's arc (especially Crowfeather's Trial), his setup is legitimately a praiseworthy bit of writing from Po3 which carries over into OotS. To say that Breezepelt was not abused is to completely miss two arcs worth of books SCREAMING it.

BIG POST. Glossary;

INTRO TO BREEZEPELT: The Sight and Dark River

ABUSE: Outcast, Social Alienation, the Tribe Journey.

DARK FOREST: How these factors push him towards radicalization.

For "brevity," I'm not getting into anything post-OotS. I'm just showing that Breezepelt was abused, the narrative wants you to know that he was abused, and that his status as a victim of child abuse is CENTRAL to understanding why he is training in the Dark Forest.

INTRO TO BREEZEPELT: The Sight and Dark River

Our very first introduction to Breeze is when Jaypaw walks off a cliff in the first book of Po3 and is rescued by a WindClan patrol. He's making snarky remarks, and Whitetail and Crowfeather are not happy about it. Whitetail snaps for Crow to teach his son some manners, and Crow growls for Breezepaw to be quiet.

But our proper introduction to him is at his announcement gathering, when Heatherpaw playfully introduces him as a friend,

From the offset something's not entirely right here between Breezepaw and his father. He's cut off by Heatherpaw here, but he's touchy whenever his father is involved, and we're not entirely sure why.

Throughout Book 1, he's just rude, with a notable xenophobic streak. He's a bit of a mean rival character for Lionpaw, as they're both interested in the affections of Heatherpaw and make bids to get her attention, but nothing particularly violent yet.

He participates in the beloved Kitty Olympics and gets buried in liquid dirt with Lionpaw, basically a rite of passage for any arc.

(And Nightcloud has a cute moment where she watches over them until they fall asleep)

As the books progress, the relationship between Crow and Breeze visibly deteriorates. They start from being simply tense with each other in The Sight, to the open shouting and hitting we see in Outcast.

In the very first chapter of Dark River, we learn where his behavioral issues are really coming from;

Crowfeather.

Breezepelt is getting xenophobia from his father. Occasionally he says something bigoted and his dad will agree and chime in, and those are the only positive moments they have together.

(Note: In contrast, Nightcloud explicitly pushes back against xenophobia, chiding Breezepelt for his rudeness to Lionpaw in back in The Sight, Chapter 21. The Sight is the book where a lot of "evidence" that the Evil Overbearing Woman is actually responsible for the rift between father and son but. No. She's not. Though she can be overprotective; Crow and Breeze have a bad relationship when she's not even around in Breeze's first appearance and even his Crowfeather's Trial Epiphany refutes it. Anyway this post isn't about Nightcloud.)

So he starts acting on his bigotry, accusing cats in other Clans of stealing, running really close to the border. What's interesting though, is that this is not entirely his doing. The first time we get physical trouble from Breezepaw, DUSTPELT aggressed it. Breezepaw and Harepaw were just chasing a squirrel and hadn't yet gone over the border at all.

We learn that WindClan is teaching its apprentices how to hunt in woodland, and tensions between the two Clans is starting to escalate as ThunderClan isn't entirely trusting of their intentions.

The second time, fighting breaks out over him and Harepaw actually crossing the border and catching a squirrel. WindClan is adamant that because it came from their land, it's their squirrel. So it's as if Breezepaw is modelling the aggression around him, learning how to behave from the older warriors and his father.

When he joins Heatherpaw and The Three to go find Gorsetail's kits in the tunnels, he's grouchy towards the ThunderClan cats, but very gentle with the kittens. Notably so. When Thistlekit is dangerously cold, he cuddles up next to her, and even assures Swallowkit when she's scared,

Through this entire excursion, he's the one in the comforting roles for the kittens. Breezepaw is the one who is taking time to tell the kits they'll be okay, that he'll protect them, and physically supporting them when they're weak, even when he's terrified.

And it's always contrasted to Heatherpaw who's way more 'disciplined,' as a side note. It's a detail I'm just fond of.

All this to point out,

Breezepelt displays his best qualities when he's away from the older warriors of WindClan, and he's at his worst whenever he's near Crowfeather. Even while he's essentially just a bully character for The Three to deal with. He's gruff but cooperative when it's just him and Heatherpaw interacting with The Three, but mean when there is an adult to please.

We're getting to the on-screen abuse now, but Po3 actually sets up Breezepaw's troubles and dynamics well before it's finally confirmed that he is a victim of child abuse.

ABUSE: Outcast, the Tribe Journey.

In Outcast, Breezepaw's problems have escalated into open aggression towards cats of other Clans, and is now a legitimate concern for his own safety. Yet, he's spoken over by older warriors, and reprimanded at nearly every opportunity, right in front of the warrior of another Clan.

Squilf just asked the poor kid how his training was going, and then Whitetail JUMPS to talk over him so she can complain, RIGHT in front of his face.

They can't even wait until they're alone to grumble something rude about Breezepaw, who is still just a teenager here;

They taught him already that a bit of prey that runs off their own territory still belongs to WindClan, encourage him to blow past borders in pursuit, and started a battle with ThunderClan over this. And then they're pissed off at him for being aggressive, thinking it's deserved to scold him in public.

When Onestar announces that he wants Breezepaw to go on the Tribe Journey, he's devastated by it...

Because he thinks WindClan doesn't like him, and he's right. He's gossiped about, torn into in front of a ThunderClan warrior, and even his own dad doesn't want to be around him. It's clear that Breezepaw's impulsive "codebreaking" behaviors are a desire to prove himself, and once you realize that, the way that he's being alienated is heartbreaking.

But Wait!! Hold on a minute! Where did he get a "patrol of apprentices" from to confront the dogs with, exactly?

Simple. Breezepaw CAN make friends! He actually values them a lot! So much that it's the first thing Crowfeather snaps at him over, out of frustration that his son is also being forced on this journey with him. It's an angry response to his child having emotional and physical needs, resentment that will continue all journey long.

Note that it's plural, friends. Breezepelt has multiple friends, at least one who is not Heatherpaw, and she promises to say goodbye to them.

Up next, they state over and over, Crowfeather and Breezepaw do not like each other. Crowfeather resents being around him and dealing with his rudeness, embarrassed and angry, and Breezepaw is absolutely miserable being sent on a journey to the mountains with a man who hates his guts.

The whole while, Crowfeather is brooding longingly about Feathertail, already thinking about her as soon as he kitty-kisses Nightcloud goodbye, his eyes looking somewhere distant. He makes a jab about loyalty when Breezepaw doesn't understand why they're helping the Tribe.

Breezepaw gets smacked after he's "shoved" at Purdy and acts rude to him, while the other three manage to be polite (while still having internal dialogue about how stinky he is).

Without so much as a, "cut that out," Crowfeather raises his paw and hits him. Breeze is quiet after that.

I don't give a shit how rude your teenager is being. Do not hit kids. Being throttled on the head is not okay.

In spite of the Three not liking Breezepaw, or even Crowfeather, they're constantly noting that their arguments are not normal, and that Crow is a cold, unsupportive father who digs into his kid constantly, and the only time he ever DOES "discipline" his child it's through immediately smacking him.

At one point, the apprentices get hungry, and decide to foolishly hunt in a barn that they know has dogs in it against Purdy's warnings. Once again, JUST like the first two books, Breezepaw is more friendly when Crowfeather is not around.

EVERY time he is alone with cats his own age, he's grumpy but cooperative. Even enthusiastic at times! The minute Crowfeather is in the picture, he's nasty.

Naturally, the dogs show up, but Purdy rescues them. Though Brambleclaw also chews his kids out (and i have strong opinions about bramble's parenting style for another time), Hollypaw is taken aback by the contrast of what a scolding from Brambleclaw looks like vs how Crowfeather reacts.

The narrative is desperately trying to tell you that the way Crowfeather treats his son is not normal.

And then Crowfeather is pissed off that Breezepaw is exhausted from running for his life from hungry dogs,

And he's constantly losing his shit whenever Breezepaw says something as innocuous as "dad im hungry"

Then, Breezepaw is made to watch his dad pine over the grave of a woman who died long before Crowfeather was even considering his mother for a mate. What he feels is jealousy, because he knows his own father doesn't love him anywhere near as much as he loves the memory of Feathertail.

This really goes on and on and on. The ENTIRE trip is like this, with Crowfeather treating Breezepelt poorly, giving him a smack before even verbally warning him, pushing him past his limits and blowing up on him when he asks simple questions about eating or resting.

It all comes to a head in this one exchange, towards the end. Hollypaw ends up snapping at Breezepaw for his rudeness, before having an epiphany.

It's explicit. Crowfeather's emotional abuse, his "scorn" for Breezepelt, is what is driving a wedge between him and all of his older Clanmates. Between EVERYONE in Breezepelt's life who wasn't already his friend. This awful treatment is only making him worse and worse.

Realizing this, she has more sympathy for him, but it's too late. He continues to be rude to her because he feels insulted, and her patience completely runs out. She's just a kid. They're both just kids. She's not responsible for fixing him when he's pushing everyone away at this point.

That's the end of Breezepelt in Outcast. It can't be helped anymore. Any spark of friendship they had together in the barn, or in the tunnels, is gone.

As the series progresses, Crowfeather continues to refuse any personal responsibility for the mistreatment of his son, even pinning all of Breezepelt's behavioral problems on Nightcloud. He is a cold, selfish father who only ever thinks about his own pain and reputation.

DARK FOREST: How these factors push him towards radicalization.

Everyone talks about the Attack on Poppyfrost, which happens in the first book of OotS, in oversimplified terms. YES he is going after a nun and a pregnant woman. I've never said that's not Bad.

But no one talks about "WHY", and that reason is NOT just that he desires power like so many other WC villains. Breezepelt makes his motivation very clear on the page.

Escalating to violence was about making Jayfeather feel the way that he does.

When Breezepelt says that he wants Jay to be surrounded by "lies, hatred, and things that should never have happened," he's talking about the way HE grew up, knowing his father never wanted him, and that his Clan HATES him as a result. Killing Poppyfrost is about trying to frame Jayfeather for her murder, so ThunderClan won't trust him anymore.

When Jayfeather points out the simple truth that what Breezepelt is saying doesn't make any goddamn sense, his hatred "falters." He's blaming his half-clan half-brother for his own treatment because of the reveal, but totally failed to consider that JAYFEATHER'S ALREADY GOING THROUGH IT... so his response is just this pitiful, "s-shut up, man."

Then the ghost of Brokenstar and Breezepelt bounce him back and forth between them like a beach ball for a bit until Honeyfern's spirit shows up.

Breezepelt's childhood abuse and social alienation was a hook that the Dark Forest latched onto, to reel him in. His anger at his half-brother is so obviously misplaced that its absurdity was something Jayfeather pointed out.

We soon learn that it's the Dark Forest who's planting that ridiculous idea in his head;

The narration is SCREAMING, "The Dark Forest is validating the anger he feels towards his father, and redirecting it towards The Three." He's described as 'kitlike,' Tigerstar's eyes are compared to a hypnotizing snake.

This prose could not make it more obvious if it drove to your house, beat you with it, and then spoon fed you the point while you were hospitalized.

At the end of this scene, Tigerstar sends Hawkfrost to recruit Ivypaw. This scene where Breezepelt is being lovebombed, and the command to start grooming Ivypaw, ARE LINKED. That was a choice.

A VERY GOOD choice! Again, as many issues as I have with OotS, its handling of indoctrination is unironically fantastic, and it owes a good amount of that to the outstanding setup of Breezepelt that was done back in Po3. And that setup doesn't work if Crowfeather was merely distant.

Breezepelt was abused by his father, both verbally and physically. It drove him to be more aggressive to prove himself, modeling the battle culture around him. The adults of WindClan judged him based off Crowfeather's responses, shunning and belittling the 'problem' teenager, which eventually drove Breezepelt to the only group that he felt "understood" him.

In a book series that is RIFE with abuse apologia, this is one of the few times that there's any behavioral consequences for abuse and the narrative holds the perpetrator accountable for it.

But people hear Crowfeather's deflective excuse in The Last Hope where he says he never hated him, blames Nightcloud for everything, and just lick it up uncritically.

Gee whiz, I wonder why the guy who never blames himself for any of his problems would suddenly say it was his ex-wife's fault. Real headscratcher!

(Crowfeather's Trial then goes onto, for all my own problems with it, also hold Crow accountable as the reason why Breezepelt turned out like he did. But that's a topic for another day.)

#This is headcanon territory here. But one day I realized I can read Breezy-P with BPD and he became a blorbo.#Never been able to unsee it and it massively endears him to me... Breeze Pelt Disorder...#I actually REALLY hate how his arc was resolved and strongly feel that he should have progressed into a bigger problem #But I equally strongly feel that being redeemed is the ideal ending for him #so if it was between him being pure evil/redemption death or the awful halting we got at the end of oots....#I'd pick the halting over him being pure evil or a redemption death.#I think BB made me REALLY fall in love with him. He's my sweet cheese. My good time boy.#Bones when he sees an angry black cat: ''i can fix you. first i must break you. but then i can fix you''#Like. what i dislike about where he went is that even if your anger issues came from abuse. you STILL are responsible for your actions #but in the end getting that Shitty Dad Approval fixes him. Not his own growth or self-reflection.#it feels like BREEZE gets his agency stripped away for HIS ABUSIVE DAD'S character arc #It retcons in a reason why Breezepelt is not still a problem and then he faded into the background.#while Crowfeather continues to get supporting roles and every now and then Breeze now looks at him fondly #BLECH.#Crowfeather #Breezepelt #Abuse #Child Abuse #Warrior Cats Analysis #And now you know anon!!

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