#swsa viper

[psychologicalwarclaire]

IM HERE!!! Here’s my fab art!! Hope you like it!!

(No one steal pls I worked hard on it :’)

NOTHING can describe how much I ADORE these, okay?! They're just so perfect!!

The spider brooches are so cool, Viper is terrifying (as she should be!), Donnie. Ohmigosh Donnie. aaaaaaaaAAAAAAAAAAAAAA like, okay, when I wrote the scene it was painful enough for me to do, but to see it happen; to see the fist that looks so much like Raph's actually collide with Donnie's beautiful mind... man that HURTS. Don't even get me started on Leo. His EYES. His TERRIFIED, HORRIFIED EYES. And the blood is so well done, splattered perfectly, absolutely haunting. I'm also a huge fan of traditional art, so impressive job for getting such bright colors to come through! Fantastic background, as well!

Seriously, thank you so much! I adore any and all Spider's Web art!

[psychologicalwarclaire]

I was researching cottonmouth snakes because I was bored

Did that have anything to do with how accurate Viper was when slicing Leo's face and how fast she is in the arena? Or is she just that good?

Also, it says that they're very venomous, and yet I don't remember Viper ever biting them. Does she reserve that for other opponents, or is it because Big Mama wanted him alive, or does she not have venom due to being a mutant, or something else?

Also, I find it interesting how cottonmouths also usually have stripes by their eyes

I can't stop thinking about how she did that to Leo just because she wanted to. There has to be some sort of motivation to do that, right? Was she the snake in that splinter pov chapter from the flashback? Is that what started her nexus campaign, being turned down by her idol Lou Jitsu, or fueled why she did that to Leo? Or did she just wake up one day and decide "you know what, I'm going to become a creepy battle nexus fighter and slice kid's faces open for fun"?

(I was also trying to think of questions because I know how good it feels to be asked about something you're passionate about so I might just be grasping at straws lol. And Viper is terrifying but so very interesting too.) Anyway hope you're doing well :)

Hello! It makes my day to have someone send something that shows that they're thinking about my fic.

Viper was that accurate because she was just that good. She's been fighting in the Nexus since Lou Jitsu was there, so over sixteen years; she knows what she's doing.

The only time Viper tried to bite someone in the fic was when she attempted to bite Raph in chapter 20. She definitely has venom, and should she try to use it, it would be extremely deadly. You are absolutely right that Big Mama instructed Viper to never bite the twins because she wanted them alive. Viper used to use her venom on opponents, but it made the fights boring because they were over so quickly. Viper loves to toy with her victims, and Big Mama wants interesting fights. It's a win win for her to use... other means.

They have stripes by their eyes??? That's... deliciously ironic >:)

Okay, here's the thing: YES, Viper was the snake in the flashback. She was just starting out in the Nexus and as a young rookie, she was doing very poorly. That moment with Lou Jitsu fundamentally changed her. His moment of cruelty (and also his advice) festered. From then on she was more vicious, ruthless, and violent, working her way up to being one of the best in the Nexus. As far as Viper knew, there was no connection between Lou Jitsu and this Astros fellow. She just saw a rookie doing a great job and specifically requested to fight him because she enjoys beating people down. The only reason she chose to fight Leo instead of Donnie is because cottonmouths are natural predators of red eared sliders. Her attack on Leo was planned; she knew exactly what she would do because she wanted to make an impact of this grinning, fresh-faced little child. Viper is just Like That. There was no personal vendetta against Leo.

Fun fact, in early drafts of chapter nine, Viper had a personal thing against Leo. She was going to be getting revenge on him for something, maybe Krang related. But in the end, I decided it was scarier and more haunting to have her cause such horrific pain for no reason other than she wanted to.

Thank you so much for your questions! I love talking about Viper because she is so fun for me to write

[psychologicalwarclaire]

Hiiiiiii imma spam you with questions :]

10.) Which version of Leonardo is your favorite?

11.) Which version of Raphael is your favorite?

12.) Which version of Donatello is your favorite?

13.) Which version of Michelangelo is your favorite?

14.) Which version of Splinter is your favorite?

15.) Which version of April is your favorite?

16.) Which version of Casey is your favorite?

17.) Which version of the Shredder is your favorite?

29.) What is one headcanon that you have?

32.) What was the first thing you've made for TMNT?

33.) What is your favorite thing you've made for TMNT?

39.) Do you have any TMNT OCs?

Answer as many or as little as you want!!! I apologize for how many there are hope I left enough for everyone else😂

Hiiii Obby! So many wonderful questions :)

10-16) Faves

Rise to all of them. Rise definitely has my favorite versions of Leo, Donnie, Raph, Mikey, April, Splinter, and Casey. (have I seen the entirety of the other iterations? ...no, BUT I plan to. One day)

17) Shredder

My favorite version of Shredder is the '87 one. He is so goofy and I love his 'old married couple' vibes with the Kraang.

29) Headcanon I have

When Leo and Raph would fight, Mikey would always go to Donnie. Donnie, in turn, would always have something to distract him or make him feel better. It's realistic sibling behavior (at least in my experience) and it just. means a lot to me.

32) First Thing I Made for TMNT

In the same vein as my favorite headcanon, the first thing I made for TMNT was a little ficlet based off of a drawing that spoke to me DEEPLY. You can find it here. I had never written the turtles before but it was a lot of fun and definitely springboarded my writing.

33) Favorite Thing I Made for TMNT

You might think it's Spider's Web With Strings Attached, but it's actually not my absolute favorite (when it's done it might be. Who knows). My favorite thing was my Donatello cosplay. I poured my heart and soul into that. I'm not a very crafty person, so it was really difficult, but SO worth it.

39) Any TMNT OC's?

I had to make a lot of OC's for Spider's Web in order for it to feel as immersive as I wanted. I needed the arena to feel alive with characters, so I had to make them from the ground up. Dr Mouse, Alpha and Omega, and Silkie are all examples of that. The most OCish out of all of them, however, has got to be Viper. I'm genuinely so proud of how terrifying I made Viper and how much she did for the characters and the plot. Go Viper, I love her.

Chapter 27 is going to have two OCish characters. They're backed up by canon, but only very slightly. I'm excited to get to write them and flesh them out, because they are some very wacky character concepts.

[psychologicalwarclaire]

What's your top five favorite lines you've written in swsa?

That is an insanely difficult question to answer, but I've managed to narrow it down.

Spoilers for Spider's Web With Strings Attached, and also tw for blood and violence.

I'm so proud of the entirety of chapter 9, especially how I built up Viper to be terrifying, but the impactful ending contains come of my favorite lines.

Next is Donnie's death in chapter 14. I needed to make it believable and suspenseful. "Time was the maddest genius of all" is one of my favorites within a favorite. It ties back to the clock and makes everything feel inevitable.

Chapter 20 contains banger line after banger line because I poured my heart and SOUL into literally every word. One of my favorite lines from the whole fic is when Mikey snaps. I'd been building up to it for 20 chapters, and executing a moment that is so rarely seen in the fandom was exhilarating.

Another chapter 20 scene that is one of my absolute favorites comes from the end. The vivid imagery, the alliteration (my beloved), capturing the awesomeness of being free, and just a hint of Donnie coming back. The whole hug scene in the bridge is my favorite part of the whole fic, and these lines in particular make me so happy.

Chapter 24 has some really great lines, especially during the Baby Blue part, but a line I just ADORE is Splinter reminiscing over the turtle tots. It shows their personalities so well, and it's a delightfully funny bit in a heavy chapter.

Some runners up: I don't remember where it is, but I mention Leo's scarred face looking like a mask of jade and ruby. The whole sequence of Donnie coming back, especially the study on hope. Leo washing the blood off of Donnie after he murders Alpha and Omega. All of chapter 20. Literally all of it. Splinter forgetting what memes are. Every single one of Casey's insults. Casey's smoke bomb bit. And the fact that it's called the Labyrinth Lollapalooza.

[psychologicalwarclaire]

Hi curly :] Don't know if this was ever asked before, but

Is there a scene or moment in SWSA that you think about a lot, but nobody seems to talk about it?

Hi Pixel!

Y'all are really great at noticing every moment that I wanted to be impactful, but I think April hasn't been getting enough love.

I'm really fond of the moment when she finds out that Donnie is alive. Vaulting over the couch, the light splitting the room with her shadow down the middle... Her first interaction with Donnie is also one of my favorite things that I've ever written. The whole, "You're a dork," moment is really really sweet. She's been suppressing her grief but she can't hide from her best friend, and I think it's great how she allows herself to let it all out.

I will also admit that I'm just a little disappointed that we don't talk about Alpha and Omega more. One line in chapter 13 that I'm super proud of is

because it was important to me that I show the switch in Donnie. It's a heavy chapter filled with heavy stuff. The impact of that first murder is something Donnie is still dealing with.

I'm also shocked we don't talk about the ticking more. It's a huge thing in multiple chapters (especially the next one heheheheeee). And my use of colors, especially red. Leo's red mask, Viper's red eyes, the pink cell, Raph's room, Raph, blood, red eared slider, etc. It's such a prevalent thing and I wonder how much people have noticed it.

[purplepixel]

SO MANY JUICY BEHIND THE SCENES INSIGHTS.

OH HO HO big mama stressing the entire fic is not the one I suspected, but it's one that makes sense. She had to do so much to make everything work. I suppose I never really paid attention to it bc I was too caught up in all the horribleness she did to Donnie and Leo and I only wanted her to see JUSTICE. Like I think the chapter where Donnie is revealed to be barely alive is the only time we see big mama losing it in 4k. Minus the climax and all.

HELP SHE GOT THE BROOCHES FROM DRAXUM?? This is kinda tragic. I kinda don't want them to ever know.

Ya there's no way big mama wanted Donnie to die. Never believed that. Back when I was in denial I was positive that she had staged something. But I was wondering why she put him in the death tournament to begin with and this whole explanation made sense. Panic mode. Donnie completely losing it in front of everyone after killing those two was NOT a good look. Audience was right to be asking questions.

Viper being told not to kill Leo. Wow. Man so many bts for viper. She's so great, I hate her. You've made one heck of a villain.

MIKEY AND RAPHS NAMES. OMG THESE ARE GOOD. I especially love terracotta. Swsa au where it's Mikey and raph that get taken

The rise villains giving the hamatos a gift basket is so. ;-;

POOR APRIL. But also yea. Grades don't matter when your brothers are missing. Love how she's the one that explained the slang to draxum. Again with my fav headcanon.

Asking some writers/artists I follow:

Is there anything in your fic/comic that you as the author know about, but won't end up in the actual story?

There is. a lot.

Spoilers for Spider's Web With Strings Attached (and a really long rant) below the cut

When she took Donnie's mask after Heinous Green bashed his head in, she kept it in her vault in case she needed to perform some sort of magic that required his DNA some day.

Big Mama never intended for Donnie to die.

That being said, she still recorded and sold copies of Donnie's death. It's her most sold recording ever.

Viper requested to fight Leo. Big Mama only agreed if she kept him alive and able to fight.

Like she got the orb that she captured all of New York in from Draxum, Big Mama got the spider brooches from Draxum many years ago. She only had two; she was lying about the other two for Raph and Mikey.

Before he knew where the twins were, Mikey kept having visions of them fighting people and getting hurt. He thought they were just nightmares.

Heinous Green was in the arena because Big Mama often partners with the Hidden City police. Criminals can work of time by serving the community. In this case, they serve the community by providing entertainment Roman Coliseum style.

Big Mama's family introduced arena fights to the humans.

There was going to be a fight where Tyrian fought a scorpion and writhed with agonizing poison for a chapter, but I forgot about it until it was too late to add it -_-

Raph and Mikey's arena names would have been Rouge and Terracotta.

Big Mama was panicking the majority of the fic. Because she kidnapped them very illegally, she had to manage their food, housing, medical care, and fight arrangements herself so none of the people who normally do that (legally) would get suspicious. Honestly, Big Mama didn't expect them to become SO well loved, and then worried about keeping audience interest by putting the twins in harder fights, but not killing off her greatest assets. She, like everyone else, thought that Leo would snap first. When Donnie snapped first and proved to be a very effective killer, some of the audience grew worried about what was happening behind the scenes and raised questions Big Mama couldn't answer. Panicking, she set up the death bracket, hoping that becoming the champion would turn public opinion of Tyrian positive again. She miscalculated, and Donnie died. She also didn't intend for Leo to get mixed up in the bracket. A LOT of people lost a LOT of money, and her stocks dropped. At that point, it became less about business and money making and much more about getting revenge via torture. By the time she offered Astros the 'out' that was one final fight, she was stressed out of her mind with upholding her reputation. Had Leo been in his right mind, he would have seen how much she was unraveling.

Todd turned his non profit lemonade into a fundraiser to find the twins back when they were first missing. There were a LOT of posters and Big Mama had a FIELD DAY trying to take them all down.

Mikey and Raph tried for DAYS to get the trackers back online, but it never worked.

After hearing that Donnie had died, Hypno, Warren, Meat Sweats, and Repo got together and made the Hamatos a gift basket.

April is failing most of her classes right now.

At some point during the recovery arc, Donnie snuck out to secretly turn every blinking red light in the Lair green. You know exactly why.

Raph was wrong when he said crime had been way down since the invasion. Casey Jr had been handling it without anyone knowing. The Purple Dragons hate him a lot now.

Draxum learned slang words from school, but April taught him what they meant

[charlighost]

Oh god every single time the ticking shows up in a fic, you know SOMETHING’S gonna happen…SWSA was the first one that taught me that, firefight was the second 🫠✨ But it still hits like crack nonetheless gosh dang it-

I swear, the play with colours was so fun and terrifying it’s still stuck in my mind dhssjsmdmdksjdksks

‘Two red eyes, two red ears, too much blood’ was such an amazing chapter title, was instantly traumatised by Viper the moment in the arena- that chapter literally spiked my heart rate and had me holding my breath every scene

AND DONT EVEN GET ME STARTED ON ‘TICK TOCK TORN TO TATTERS’!!!!-

*bangs desk intensely and starts internally crying/laughing maniacally because that chapter was beautiful despite all the horrors…sips on a bucket full of angst while staring at my ✨marvellous✨ collection of bookmarks…*

Hi curly :] Don't know if this was ever asked before, but

Is there a scene or moment in SWSA that you think about a lot, but nobody seems to talk about it?

Hi Pixel!

Y'all are really great at noticing every moment that I wanted to be impactful, but I think April hasn't been getting enough love.

I'm really fond of the moment when she finds out that Donnie is alive. Vaulting over the couch, the light splitting the room with her shadow down the middle... Her first interaction with Donnie is also one of my favorite things that I've ever written. The whole, "You're a dork," moment is really really sweet. She's been suppressing her grief but she can't hide from her best friend, and I think it's great how she allows herself to let it all out.

I will also admit that I'm just a little disappointed that we don't talk about Alpha and Omega more. One line in chapter 13 that I'm super proud of is

because it was important to me that I show the switch in Donnie. It's a heavy chapter filled with heavy stuff. The impact of that first murder is something Donnie is still dealing with.

I'm also shocked we don't talk about the ticking more. It's a huge thing in multiple chapters (especially the next one heheheheeee). And my use of colors, especially red. Leo's red mask, Viper's red eyes, the pink cell, Raph's room, Raph, blood, red eared slider, etc. It's such a prevalent thing and I wonder how much people have noticed it.