#dash doodle

Tried to put some sense into their designs ngl, both in fashion at the time and how practical it would be to their fighting styles.

Dogday, being the leader and "boring" one of the squad, obviously follows the basic superhero design - skintight suit. Though I added pads because I think he'd be cautious like that. I had to add them too since using just his normal palette made the entire outfit feel like it's lacking, which I wanna avoid. The hat is based on a trooper/hunter hat with ear muffs, since I've seen old images of hunters that bring dogs with them wearing those kind of hats. There's a specific image I based it on, but I can't find it anymore. As for his tail, it's a belt. because baseball players wear belts (he is one in this au)! and um. a slight reference with the canon... I guess...

I imagine that Barkk's chances of getting a morally good/bad user is more neutral compared to the popular ones like Ladybug or Butterfly's. In the Au, at least, she had experienced 50/50. (This is part of my personal hc that alternate timelines affect who become holders of a miraculous. It's kind of like a "time traveller drops a coin" thing. Ex. the holders who used the Ladybug miraculous will be different from the holders that are present when Marinette is Ladybug)

The holders that appear when the kagatama is activated are holders that were personally memorable to Barkk and have long passed. There's a chance she had more, but her memories with them had fallen back into her subconsciousness hence why they might not be visible to the current holder (honestly just my explanation to deal with one-day holders present in the show)

I feel Barkk would have mixed feelings with her holders. On one hand, she'd feel some kind of attachment with them. On the other hand... she keeps her distance. Granted, she may have different thoughts with each of her holder (some less liked than others). But she was there in their highest high and lowest low. That time spent together can't be erased. So regardless if she liked her holder or not, she cares for them. Wants best for them. But having to witness each of her holder's brutal ends, it messes with her emotionally and existentially. The holder before Dennis especially affected her so much, it pushed her to become more serious, strict, and even ready to bluntly scold Dennis whenever he was being a bit brash with trust or his decision.

Extra note on this, Barkk will deny on having a favorite, when she does. She absolutely does. (It's the holder before Dennis)

Any knowledge or power learned/earned of a user is automatically transferred to its Kwami. However, while innate and passed down, the predecessor/receiver will have to work for it to unlock it. 

Kwamis ultimately have a say as to how far they can receive those earned knowledge/power, which many be unlocked through the gift of kwatagama. (This might be why Hawkmoth’s skills are stale or stuck with the basics. Just my theory and logic for this AU, idk.)

Barkk would probably give Dennis a kwatagama after a very tough akuma battle, a fight that left Dennis upset. Barkk comforted him as usual, but this time Dennis was so down about it. The kwatagama was a sign of thanks to him for his resilience and choice as a hero.

Oh and btw - the person Dennis was talking to is based on another fictional dog character I've grown attached to. There's also another fictional dog character I used who in this AU, is Barkk's holder literally before being found by Dennis. If you know who either of them are then (> u >) we vibin!

most of the nightmare critters are a bit older than the smiling critters

Contemplating whether to make some of the Smiling Critters attend different schools (like that of other magical girl shows) or should they ALL attend the same school... I don't know yet, tbh. But for now? making them attend the same school

Similarly, I'm contemplating whether to make the nightmare critters attend in the same school the smiling critters go to or not. For now I'm making them attend a rival school. They'll all meet during a big field trip or city festival

The nightmare critters are mean-spirited teens, but they're more likely to keep to themselves if left unbothered. They're only cruel because it's their defense mechanism of being mistreated and bullied by more popular/well-known students

[I have more but this'll become more about information between each character and man, I already typed too much here already. Let me know if. you want that. I will make a post about it. or pm you.]

---LORE FLOW [timeline on when they received and used miraculouses + other lore context] ---

Subtle akumatizations have been occurring but they're not public knowledge yet

Theodore and Edgar first receive their miraculouses. Both decide to test out their powers and do the "mystery" person's bidding in secret

Weeks later, Dennis receives his miraculous in his locker. A few minutes later the first public akumatization (Huggy Wuggy) occurred. When Dennis first turned Dogday, that's when Theodore started to publicly show himself and intervene as Catnap

Dogday and Catnap are the only ones to be actively use the miraculous in public. Edgar still works in secret, but Theodore knows this. This occured for months

In between, a special trio (they function similarly to Master Fu in this au) introduce themselves to Dennis. He starts learning stuff about the miraculous, and how they have a few and are searching for the others, especially the Ladybug's. Dennis wanted to tell Catnap about them but they prohibited him, so Catnap is still clueless about their existence (remember - Theo and Dennis still don't know each others' identities!)

In Halloween, Jolyne finds a miraculous, which was actually found by her mom. She steals it to gift it to Elizabeth. Elizabeth eventually discovers its use and at first, used it to keep everyone at bay, but then later used it to try to beat Dogday to shut him up (she fails) (she gets away with the miraculous though)

A day later, Elizabeth is approached by Harley Sawyer (via akuma maybe), who gives her promises w/ being free from her "suffering" and honing her powers... typical manipulation stuff. Elizabeth first resists but eventually after a few weeks gives in

Plot reveal that Sawyer actually have some of the other miraculouses, he just didn't see any point on risking in using them until he witnessed the halloween incident

One by one, the others got their miraculous, and soon the Nightmare Critters were now becoming an active threat (well, not too active. They join in when they feel like it. They're teenagers after all)

Edgar was eventually offerred a miraculous, which they refused - giving off the impression that they found the superpowered ability to be lame and overrated. Deep down, it's giving Edgar a dilemma

Not prepared to fight multiple users for long, Dennis went to the special trio for help. That's when they started to trust Dennis to choose miraculouses to help them fight

Naturally, Dennis chooses his friends bc he knew them best, but they do return it to him after each fight. Some get to keep it for a few days when the fights get worse

When Dogday starts doing this, Catnap became suspicious of him. Catnap is then surprised that Dogday refuses to tell him about where he got the miraculouses (Dogday never kept things other than his identity to himself). Likewise, Dogday started wondering why Catnap is getting more interested on the miraculouses he's giving away temporarily for aid. A rift of trust is starting.

In one of the fights, one of the nightmare critters eventually gets defeated. Dogday and Catnap were about to confiscate the miraculous when Covert intervenes and stops them, giving the defeated critter time to escape. Catnap had to pretend he didn't know who they were

Catnap and Edgar eventually meet up in secret, where they usually meet w/ their "mystery" guy. Edgar ends their dedication to the "mystery" person, unfazed of the threats.