#waves garret

[songs-of-the-windfish]

Playing with boxes and using Waves Garret as my subject!

[songofnewlife]

"I could hear all the fuss from the other end of the island so I had to check things out for myself! Happy to say I'm not disappointed.

I'm LOVING the paint, the leather, and the bones. I'm surprised to hear this is your first tournament because you are rocking this scene! I am SO looking forward to seeing how you go toe to toe with some of the seasoned warriors. It's always good to get new blood in this business...literally and figuratively!"

"It may be my first tournament, but I am far from inexperienced! And my people are all about making a splash and flaunting what makes us us. A friend of mine suggested I play a heel given my outside reputation." He chuckled. Though Fyrr seemed less amused.

"Honestly, yeah, a bit of a shame he didn't tag along, I would love to meet the guy, given I know his son and stuff." Fjord shrugged with a smile as he signed the page.

"Anyway, when y'all see Fat Fin, let him know The Sea Shredder is ready for a challenge! Oh, and sends news that his other son is faring well." He smiled as he handed the poster back, "Hope I can give you all a show worth watching~!"

[songs-of-the-windfish]

Waves Garret the Mantis Shrimp

the talk about Waves Garret got me motivated to finish up some rough sketches of him. Still a work in progress, but this one is my favorite!

[songs-of-the-windfish]

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How tall is Garret?

He's a foot tall! Compared to the other shrimps, he's massive!

[songs-of-the-windfish]

Fat Fin: Tides that Bind Part 2

I'm back with more character ramblings!

Part 1 can be found here, while this time we dive into his relationships post-exile

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Fat Fin is no stranger when it comes to relationships. Presently, he's quite content with how he's managing things, but in his youth it was rough and oftentimes ugly.

After his exile, he was hurting, lost, and lonely. The foundation that was his family and clan were suddenly gone, and he had to adapt to his new situation or die. Though he found stability when it came to fending for himself, he still longed for emotional connection and began reaching out to others. 

Fat Fin was so desperate for attention, so desperate to be something of worth, that he was willing to go through any kind of treatment to be acknowledged. He began to mirror those he was around as a way to be accepted, but it often backfired. His partners began to see things they didn't like about themselves when Fat Fin exacerbated those traits, and others felt he was a bland partner with no agency. Despite that, he kept pursuing partners and allowed them to walk all over him.

When he began wrestling, he naturally took to being a Heel because of how people perceived the zorca. Being a heel was a mixed bag: while it brought attention, it was genuinely negative at first. He would make himself a nuisance in the ring to get a rise out of the audience and his opponents, but he also did poorly in the fights themselves because that negativity affected his own morale.

Fat Fin’s had a history of relationships (both with fans and other opponents) who grew too attached to his wrestler persona. He was eager to indulge their whims and so he would ignore the red flags. There were several, for example, who saw him as a beast to be tamed because of the stereotypes that came with being a Zorca. This caused complications: after all, outside the ring, Fat Fin wasn't some capricious and dangerous monster, just someone desperate for any form of connection. It left people angry and disappointed, and Fat Fin's self worth kept plummeting.

Things started to change when he met Waves Garret, and later on, Hook Shot. They both helped him see the harmful behaviors in others (and himself) and encouraged him to set up his own boundaries. In time he learned to be more selective with partners, as well as treating his value as worth way more than what people treated him as. Then, after he was pardoned, he tentatively joined the other Zorca Clans during the Turning the Wheel courting events, if only to socialize and acclimatize with his own kind again.

Fat Fin still enjoys seeking out social and emotional connections with others, but now he does so without causing detriment to his own well being. Nowadays he knows himself better than he did in his youth, and is more vocal when standing up for himself. And while he still mirrors others, he consciously employs it as a way to help others feel at ease rather than a way to seek approval. 

Chell

The overseer of Shattered Mast Keys saw potential in a young Fat Fin when he started becoming a regular contender in the S.M.A.S.H. tournaments. Chell never knew about Fat Fin’s family issues but they suspected something awful must have happened to leave him so lost and angry. The old turtle wanted to take him on as a pupil to help him adjust to the lifestyle of a Shattered Mast warrior, but they also had Big Blue under their tutelage. From the instant the two met, Big Blue and Fat Fin developed a rivalry so fierce that Chell spent more time keeping them apart rather than training either of them. 

Not wanting to see Fat Fin’s talents fall by the wayside, Chell asked Waves Garret to take them as their apprentice instead. Since then Chell would occasionally stop by to see how Fat Fin was progressing, and during tournaments they’d put the young zorca through his paces to gauge Fat Fin’s skills. What baffles Chell to this day is Fat Fin’s reluctance to win the championship title. Big Blue, on occasion, has bested Chell but when up against Fat Fin, they can’t help but notice the zorca throwing the match in some manner. It makes for a good show for the fans, but Chell knows by now the zorca is easily on par with Big Blue. They suspect it has to do with their self-worth, but it’s something the old turtle cannot help him with.

What Chell doesn’t know is that Fat Fin quickly realized that if he should defeat the island’s most beloved figure, the fan backlash could be so terrible it might send him on a second exile.

Song: Hammer of Justice

Big Blue

There’s a strange love/hate relationship between Big Blue and Fat Fin, and Fat Fin loves to antagonize him every chance he gets. The crowds definitely love it too! Big Blue is someone who takes pride in his role as “Boss Brawler” and is always happy to encourage new faces when they join the profession. He sees himself as the “heir” to Chell’s position as overseer of Shattered Mast so he can be a little arrogant. Chell has never announced such a thing and Fat Fin likes to remind Big Blue of that every once in a while to kick him down a peg. 

Whenever they’re paired in a match, Big Blue tends to take it personally. He feels he needs to put the zorca in his place for his impertinence, especially around Chell. He has a very black and white point of view regarding matches, so in his mind Faces always triumph and Heels must learn their place. Their rivalry never fails to entertain the crowds each time they were matched, and Big Blue always comes out the victor which fuels his black and white belief (as well as his ego) Despite his string of losses, Fat Fin is always determined to show him that life can come in a whole spectrum of color. In the Boss Brawler's case, it’s black and blue.

Song: Rather Die

Waves Garret

Waves is a grumpy and scrappy mantis shrimp zora who met Fat Fin when he was young and struggling in his matches. At the time, Waves was already a veteran fighter himself and at Chell’s suggestion he decided to take the zorca under his fin. Like others before him, Fat Fin equated the shrimp's size as lack of any talent but he was quickly corrected when Waves effortlessly gave him a black eye. The two have something akin to a father/son relationship as Fat Fin learned quickly to respect Wave’s talent and wisdom, and has come to defer to him for any advice he might need.

Waves learned that Fat Fin's lack of identity was causing him to flounder in and out of the ring and taught him the art of showboating in order to be a better Heel. Thanks to Wave’s training and advice, Fat Fin learned how to let the jeers of the crowds roll off his back, and he began to lean into the theatrical side of wrestling. To the observer, it always appears that Waves is constantly annoyed with Fat Fin’s behavior, but like the Zorca, he’s also playing keyfabe. When neither are performing for the public Waves can be surprisingly considerate underneath his gruff exterior, but he gets easily embarrassed when showing any signs of vulnerability.

Song: One Last Hope

Hook Shot

Hook Shot marks Fat Fin’s first positive experience with another Zorca since his exile. They met when they were both young and when she was looking for a wrestler to sponsor for her own fan club. Because they were both from Clan Levias, she was able to bring him news of home. From there they built a rapport, and their personalities meshed well. She was honest, and encouraging; he, meanwhile, was charming and playful. It wasn’t a surprise that the two eventually began seeing each other romantically.

There was nothing specifically wrong with the relationship, but Hook Shot made the decision to end things between them as Fat Fin’s popularity grew. After all, she knew it would be impossible to maintain a professional image while the two were engaged in physical activities. Fat Fin agreed, and despite the break up the two have remained close. They flatter and tease one another but Fat Fin has always respected the boundary she placed between them.

Because of their history, Hook Shot has plenty of intimate knowledge about Fat Fin and has kept it all close to her chest. She also treats him differently compared to others but it's not exactly the special treatment one might expect. Hook Shot has become quite adept at bullying him into obeying her whims (not that she has to twist his arm in most cases), but since she's one of the few that know about his old life she also has become a little protective because of it.

Fat Fin may be a lucrative business venture for her but he's also her friend.

Song: My Beloved Monster

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Cursed bonus ask! >=3

🧬Fuse two characters together forrrr...

Waves and Fat Fin

AHA! Jokes on you! This turned out really cool 👀

[songs-of-the-windfish]

Enjoying a cupcake, courtesy of @myz-wykkyd's Finnian 🧁