Blehhhhhhhh cat guard characters with my hc designs.
Been a long ass time since I've drawn BBT. But I've missed drawing cats, so this was bound to happen.
If you're interested in their brief, non-fanfic-spoilery lore for them, it's below (along with progress photos and some spooky images so be warned):
Back when Zynt and I were first drafting the original concept for Stamper's Stupendously Stressful Story in 2023, we (me) wanted to humanize the cats a bit so they could be actual characters instead of obstacles. It's not like we got that far in the fic to begin with but shhhh.
We did that, but in the process we sorta woobiefied them and made them sillier, and in turn, removed the "fear factor" the characters had in game. After revisiting it, I decided to rework a lot of the cats I characterized. I wanted to make them a bit more unhinged and violent but still silly like their in-game counterparts.
These two cats who dish out weapons for yarn were affectionately named Tess and Fluffles "Fluffie" Pawstrike. They are a duo (and married).
Tess was originally a security guard who was placed with prisoners. She learned English there and actaully speaks it really well compared to most of her peers. She was one of their best guards at the time, but after being blinded in one eye as a result of a "successful" escape attempt by a small group of prisoners, she began to lose it a little and out of rage would occasionally take out her frustrations on the prisoners. The hostility caused her to be pulled from the position and placed in a more "calm" environment. It's there she meets Fluffles and the rest might be discussed in the fic if we get that far.
However, she still has those prison guard tendencies. She gets a kick out of scaring the prisoners while they make their trades.
Tess: Whaaaat? DO I SCARE YOU? PRISONER??
Fluffles on the other hand, has had no actual combat experience. Sure, she's trained in artillery, but she's never been tossed into any true conflict, which she is grateful for. For a while they were a stagehand helping with prop work before being promoted to arms dealer, where she meets Tess. Fluffles was brought up mostly worked away from prisoners. As a result, she hardly interacts with them, so she's cautious, distant, and has no idea about English both speaking and comprehension. But she is cold and protective, especially of her goods and Tess. So, when she perceives prisoners act up, she's the one to be truly fearful of over Tess.
Tess finds this incredibly attractive btw, she loves seeing her wife threaten their patrons.
Here are their OLD 2023 designs oooooooooooooooooooof. They were... not photographed well. But you can see a few differences I've made to make them more unique/serious. Perks of art growth ig.
Progress images.
Oh yeah and for those curious, here are "better" images of the cats they're based on.
If people like them, I'll make more redesigns and pester Zynt with a whip into writing more of the fic in honor of the Quality of Life update.
Me when I randomly show up in the BBT tag again. Hey hi it's me.
I have been trying to get Zynt to get off their ass and work on Stamper's Stupendously Stressful Story cuz they keep going on and on about how much they want to write about it and how they have so many ideas, but they are just NEVER DOING ANYTHINGGGG. Comment one laughing disco and maybe they'll lock in finally.
ANYWAYSSSSS
Haiiiiiiiii I have made two new designs for characters in SSSS. They are Otis Clawsly, the cat that shows up at the end of Chapter 3 in the fic, and Crystaleen, who has not shown up yet but will make an appearance in the newest chapter.
Lore and progress images below cut teehee I love the new outfits for the Quality of Life update it gets me so inspired:
Otis is the cat that grades the scenes for certain performers. He's a snob who comes off as very nonchalant, but he is actually veeeery passionate about things regarding his job. The cats do bet on prisoners using cash, and that's one of his favorite hobbies, so if a prisoner doesn't do as well as expected, he takes it very personally, especially if his funds are on the line. However, if he likes you and you do insanely well when he bets on you, he might give you a little tip for your A+ performance *wink* *wink*.
Crystaleen (who goes by her last name "Sabers" on set) is a very introverted cat who doesn't speak or understand English and absolutely hates interacting with the prisoners. Because of her hulking size and pretty crazy strength, she is often bulled by her co-workers for being a wuss and not wanting to be more of a stagehand with the prisoners. Instead, she is a "catburglar", which is an affectionate nickname for cats who control prisoner currencies based on how many goodies they collect per scene. She is in charge of the same prisoners Otis is reasonable for grading.
Otis: Why don't you ask your lovely accountant here?
The two of them have been co-workers for a good amount of time. Although Crystaleen has been in the workforce for only a few years whereas Otis has been there for a good 10, the two of them have been assigned to the same groups on every occasion. Otis quite likes Crystaleen, but he also likes to pick on her like everyone else. He will oftentimes rope her into situations that amplify her anxiety (unintentionally).
This oftentimes makes her very unsettling to the prisoners. Whereas Otis pisses prisoners off via ragebait and getting pissed at them for loosing bets, Crystaleen's anxiety makes her very tense and hostile to sudden movements, which can lead to unintentional injury. However, Otis is pretty good as keeping his favorites unharmed and does leave Crystaleen alone when she has the guts to get up and leave or openly shows she's not in the mood. They are your average work siblings in that way, cat hierarchy or smth yada yada.
Thanks for caring about cats I have turned into my ocs I appreciate y'all alot <33 Have a wonderful day <333
BATTLEBLOCK THEATER FANS MY SIBLING (and I) POSTED THE SECOND CHAPTER OF THEIR FANFIC ON AO333333!!!
Stamper's Stupendously Stressful Story - Chapter 3 - rainbowwolf120 - BattleBlock Theater [Archive of Our Own]
Also, I'm currently in the works designing some of the main characters and how they look. This one in particular is the big scary cat that drags Stamper to the stage. He's one of my current favorites <33
If anyone has any questions about the fic or anything, feel free to ask @rainbow-wolf120 and/or I and we'll answer👍
