#mugggy

For reference, this is Jazz, my OC, and Viv, @mugggy‘s OC that they let me play with. Originally, we made these two for a ridiculously developed AU for TMNT that I have, and they’ve completely developed beyond anything either of us were expecting, and I love them so much. This is a sort of Arrow AU, where currently Jazz and Viv are vigilantes and partners.

“Oh, great, we’re targeting kids now, are we, Kai?” Jazz muttered. “Wonder what her dad’s up to.”

“I wonder why all of you are assassins,” Viv said flatly.

“I’d give you a smartass answer but I don’t have time,” Jazz said. Viv could see her moving quickly and surely up on the empty balcony, right above the entrance hall.

“I’ll be sure to pencil it in later,” she said. “Right after ‘brood in your room’ and ‘beat up a helpless old punching bag.’”

“Meditating and training,” Jazz whispered. “Legitimate things. You might want to look them up. Maybe they can help with that problem you have, the one where you always look constipated.”

“I love how funny you think you are.”

“I am a goddamn comedic genius, fuck off. Stop talking, you’re distracting me.”

The thing that makes me proud is less this particular part (although I think I’m hilarious), and more these two characters and their relationship and interactions. They are not romantically involved (in this iteration, I believe Viv is aroace, and Jazz is…focused on other things), but they are definitely two sides of a coin, and it is absolutely fascinating to me.

Jazz is very much loose with her morals, she’s been to the edge of where she’ll go and then crossed right over it, she doesn’t pay attention to the law, is incredibly reckless, suicidally so. She has trust and abandonment issues for very real and understandable reasons. She’s been fighting a war her entire life, just not one the rest of the world is privy to.

On the other hand, but somehow still on the same side, Viv is ex-military, a cop, big and badass and stoic and deadpan. She’s been fighting a war, too, she has her own issues. She uses the law to her advantage, she fights for justice and to make the world safer. She wants what she’s seen to not be something other generations see, and she wants it asap. Also, she wants to make puns.

So the thing I’m proud of is how different and yet similar these two are. They’re a good team and snarky as hell to each other, they drive each other fucking nuts but they absolutely trust each other, 100%, no questions asked. They’ve both seen and done things they’re not proud of, but they carry it in different ways. Viv holds it as a reminder - who she is, what she’s fought for, things she can never undo but can try to make up for. Jazz holds it as a fire, as something to fuel her anger and need for action. They both feel a desperate need for change.

Viv’s big and intimidating and stoic, if you didn’t know her you’d think she was cold. You’d be wrong, of course, but the point is she’s the one you’d pick out of a crowd as a very obvious threat. And she likes it that way. She’ll use it to her advantage, and God help her if you ever think she won’t use every inch of muscle she has to destroy you.

Jazz is smaller, younger, and very good at the art of deflection - you’ll look right past her, not even remembering her face, and this is where you’ve made a mistake. Because Jazz works in the shadows, and she likes it when you don’t see her coming. That’s how she does her best work.

They’re two very competent, dangerous women with different methods and stories aiming for the same outcome. They work so well together, and they are absolutely my favorite characters to write together out of literally every character I’ve had the privilege to write, original or otherwise. They’re just so fascinating to me, and honestly I’m pretty proud of every interaction of theirs I’ve written so far, because there’s such a good dynamic and chemistry between the two.