And an advanced 'good riddance!' to 2021 as a whole! I'd like to thank you all for sticking around through the mess that was 2021 guys. Hopefully, I'll be able to hit the asks twice as hard to make up for it next year. Happy Yule to you all! This blog will be back in January!
-Wasty
Just a heads up, gonna be doing a little Yule art of the BellHunter Pack to close out the ask blog for the year. Didn't want to leave you guys in the dark just cause no text went up today.
See ya soon with some art!
-Wasty
Wasty: The NMU was originally comprised of several different native and colonizing nation's claims. The colonizing nations primarily included Great Kitten, Mane, and Prance, and much of the land colonized largely had to be negotiated for from the local native tribes. Of course, not every one of these trade deals was exactly 'fair', and upon review the less than fair ones we're renegotiated or completely undone within the last century. However, a bulk of many of these negotiations would result in the local natives and settlers combining forces and living on the land together. They traded goods, taught each other various skills, and a large amount of the interaction was peaceful. Within a century settling in the new world, a great many of those living there had stopped distinguishing natives from settler descendants. Of course, this was largely helped along due to the romantic intermingling from both sides. Sure, species still mattered, but most had come to see the NMU as a new nation in and of itself, and that those who lived there, settlers and natives alike, were its citizens. Naturally, that mindset, coupled with aggressive taxation that only worsened with each decade from the settlers home countries, as well as Zootopia's own independence acting as inspiration, would inevitably lead to a full-scale revolution, one of which neither Kitten, Mane, or Prance were truly prepared to handle with such a slow overseas response time.
This is where events sort of coincide with our own America, the thirteen colonies, the Revolutionary War, and some of our famous figures from American and British history come into play. However, in the world of my Zootopia, the Revolutionary war is of a much bigger scale and sees not just Kitten cut off from the NMU, but Mane and Prance as well. At the end of said war of independence. about half of the NMU as we know it, (The Eastern half) was united under one largely democratic banner. Over the next few centuries, as exploration moved west, more nations and tribes would be brought into the fold of the NMU. However, it is only within the last twenty years that Canidea and Mexicat joined, effectively establishing the modern North Mammalian Union as mammals like Dawn and Vern would know it.
The government of the NMU is largely based off of America's own government system, with elements taken from the EU due to it being a multi-nation country. There is still a constitution, bill of rights, etcetera...however each of the regions in the NMU can have different laws and behave slightly differently. I've already briefly discussed the system in place in terms of senators, regional presidents, and then the president themselves in order to give some idea on how this system works in a previous ask, but the point is there is a big emphasis on the people of each region and each state feeling like they truly have a voice in their home country.
Wasty: I think I've said before that I've considered an AU where Dawn and Vern don't get separated as kids, and end up getting tithed shortly after high school. In that AU, both Dawn and Vern end up becoming officers of the North Meadowland's Police Department, essentially taking Zach and Vanna's place while Zach ends up a city cop and meets Vanna that way. So in a 'wild west meets cyber punk' setting, I could very easily see Dawn and Vern taking up the Sheriff and Deputy role, if the Sheriff position wasn't already held by Dorian. Of course, who is in what role is up to your imagination. This would be going off that AU to make it work. Otherwise, Dawn would have to take up the role of an Outlaw looking for redemption, which only Sheriff Vernon would be willing to give a chance to.
I imagine Dawn and Vern wouldn't often go far from the town or city they are defending unless dragged along by someone like Judy or the other Hunters. I can't see them being super keen on going off-planet to settle something, and there's a could chance I'd make one of them prone to 'space-sickness' if that is indeed a thing.
Gus: While I know it's probably a case-by-case basis for each hippo, I can't help but admit Massetdlr made me think a hippo's diets largely consisted of pure garbage. I mean, he practically drained every vending machine we had in the store when he visited, and gobbled down the food without giving even the slightest indication he actually tasted it.
Vernon: Massetdlr? That's the fella y'all banned right?
Gus: Oh yeah, he still holds the prestigious position of being the first and only customer banned from my store to this very day.
Vernon: Is that cause he was a creeper? I remember y'all talkin' about him comin' on to Melly and Val a couple o' times.
Broomie: It would have been bad enough if that was all he did...Cervidwen's hooves that guy was an absolute nightmare.
Gus: Overly aggressive and childish when it came to any games other customers were willing to let him participate him. Always hogging the game system demo stations like he was in an eighties arcade and had a day's worth of quarters stacked on the machine panel. To top that all off he had a nasty habit of eavesdropping on games he wasn't invited to either.
Joel: Yeesh...I remember...Nothing like having a massive mammal looming over you to trigger that primal prey fight or flight response.
Vernon: *Chuckles* Prey aren't the only mammals who got a fight er' flight. Even ancient preds feared bigger mammals, and were sometimes hunted by other preds. And the gods know I felt that fear too when he was standin' behind me...just...breathin' loudly.
Joel: At least that's all he was doing. I had to listen to his horrible...lippy smacky slurpy noises as he decimated the mound of food he pulled from the candy and chip machines.
Broomie: Didn't he ruin your character sheet that day? He drooled on it right?
Joel: Dropped a massive plop of Hippo saliva right on it. Well, saliva mixed with chocolate chunks and powdered cheese...ugh...*shudders* At least I had a backup copy but 'mam, that sheet was totaled.
Gus: He also defaced a few of my displays with his...weird drawings. Seriously...there were so many things I tried to overlook because he was a big spender, but at the end of the day keeping him around just wasn't worth the stress.
Joel: Well that, and the fact he tried to pepper spray you.
Gus: Thankfully he missed my eyes, but I had to close the store for a whole day after that just to air it out.
Joel: Speaking of 'airing things out', do all hippos smell that rank, or had he just never heard of personal hygiene?
Vernon: Hoo yeah...hard to believe a mammal whose ancestors spent so much time in water could stink that badly...
Broomie: You know, I heard he got arrested recently. Actually looks like he's going to jail this time, granted I can't really remember why...
Gus: Finally, I knew his luck had to run out at some point. He always managed to get away with a slap on the wrist before. That said, it's surprising you don't remember what he did this time if it was so serious.
Broomie: I don't know why, I just know it was really bad. Bad enough that I think that my mind might be actively suppressing the memory in order to spare my sanity.
Vernon: Zebra's 'er jerks huh? Well...I'm gessin' if I had to spend my life wearin' a pelt that looked like some mammal gave me a 'dazzle paint' job, I'd have a chip on my shoulder too...
Dawn: *Snort* *Giggle* Puppy!
Nick: *Laughs* Damn, beat me to it. Granted I don't know what a "dazzle paint' job" is, but I'm sure I could have come up with a pretty decent substitution. Something more palatable to a general audience.
Vernon: It's somethin' they used to do to ships durin' The Great War, paintin' em like a crazy mess disoriented enemies from spottin' 'em.
Dawn: Did Dom tell you that?
Vernon: Hey, I know some history stuff! I mean...I mean I was a straight B student, and-.
Dawn: *flashes the wolf a dubious expression, a small smirk crossing her muzzle.* Puppy...
Vernon: Alright fine, it was Dom...
Dawn: Last 'wolf club' meeting?
Nick: Wolf club? You guys have a club now? I hope you have jackets...
Vernon: It's more of a...'er...wolf's night out. Kodi pushed fer me and Wade to be there, even iffin' I don't drink.
Nick: As if you and Dawn weren't already enough of a buzzkill, the whole 'I don't drink' adds a whole 'nother level.
Judy: Nick. Dial it back...
Vernon *Coughs* Anywho, I mean...I ain't got much experience with Zebra folk, especially when it comes to a herd's worth at a time. I vaguely knew a zebra in high school, but she was a total sweetheart...at least based on my few interactions with her. What about you Darlin'?
Dawn: Well, as most of our listeners are probably aware by now, I...didn't have much of a social life even in college. I mean, there were a few Zebras at college, but I never really interacted with them. And in terms of fights...I mean, unless a mammal was killed on campus during one, I didn't really hear about it. I was...more focused on keeping my head down and studying.
Nick: Again, you guys sure are party animals huh?
Judy: Nick. Behave.
Vernon: Well what about you guys? Y'all work for the ZPD right?
Nick: No, I'm actually a male stripper. This is just my favorite costume from my collection.
Judy: *Slaps paw to her muzzle in a desperate attempt to stifle her snicker.* N-Nick!
Vernon: Well I mean iffin' anyone one of us had an interaction like this with a herd o' Zebra, I figure it'd be some police officers. Wade?
Wade: I mean, not really Vernon. You don't exactly see a lot of...'Savannah mammals' living up in Tundra town. It's usually a little too cold fer 'em.
Dawn: What about Giselle?
Wade: Giselle is what y'all would call an outlier. She actually likes the cold, and adamantly refuses to be forced to live Savannah Central just because Downtown is pretty much the only place with Megafauna Housing.
Vernon: Well what about y'all Nick and Judy? Surely you got some stories.
Judy: Well, It probably isn't really safe to-.
Nick: Oh yeah, Zebras are total jerks, and that's putting it lightly.
Judy: NICK!
Nick: What, I'm just stating a fact.
Judy: That's speciest!
Nick: What? This is coming from a mammal who will freely admit that a lot of inner-city foxes tend to be domestic abusers or total alcoholics, there's no bias here. And considering how many 'zebra fights' we've had to break up, usually with two or three of them spending a night in jail, I'd say it's a fair assessment.
Judy: Ugh...We are going to be in so much trouble.
Vernon: So iffin' that's true, why do y'all think they 'er like that.
Nick: Well, most of the times we've had to deal with ornery herds of Zebra, they were usually at a nightclub, strip joint, or bar. I think grouping together kind of activates this sort of primal...territorial tic in them.
Judy: To be fair, a lot of pack or herd mammals have issues like that. It's why the term is called a 'pack mentality'.
Nick: Plus, it's usually an all-male group, and on the young side too, so the testosterone is surging. Couple that with the fact that they are usually drinking or on some 'blue moon' and you've got a bunch of rowdy stallions ready to start trouble with whatever mammal happens to glance their way.
Vernon: Blue moon?
Judy: It's a night howler-based recreational drug that's wormed its way onto the streets. It's really rife in seedy nightclubs and bars right now, which only amplifies problems like this.
Nick: *Chuckles*
Judy: What's so funny?
Nick: Sorry, I was just imagining a world where they never changed prison uniforms to that orange little number. Can you imagine a bunch of zebras in the old horizontal stripes get-up? *Laughs* Talk about a dazzle paint job, they'd look naked from a distance!
Judy: *Rolls her eyes*, And you wonder why your jokes got you banned from posting on the ZPD's official Critter?
Nick: Hey! That three-humped camel joke is a classic! It's not my fault Critter has no sense of humor!
Dawn: Well, the two largest and most prevalent political parties in the city are the "Pregressive Party", and the "Predtionalist Party"
Vernon: Me and Dawn both learn more towards Preygressive views on a lotta issues, but we do agree with some Preditionalist stuff too...so I guess that makes us centrist?
Dawn: I don't know if I can call myself a centrist, if only because I ran as a Preygressive during my Assistant Mayor years. *Giggles* I think that kinda marks me for life.
Vernon: *Chuckles* I don't think y'all gotta worry about that unless yer plannin' on runnin' again.
Dawn: Lamb Sakes no! At this point in my life, I think I'd rather go back to working at a Bug Burga with you than running for a political office again, if they'd even let me.
Vernon: S'pose we should explain the differences between the parties, right Lamb Chop?
Dawn: Oh, right. Got a little off track there. *Ahem* The major difference between Preygressives and Preditionalists, aside from the names being rather skewed toward either predators or prey, is that Preygressives tend to focus more on issues surrounding labor, worker's rights, and social programs. They tend to take more positions that they feel will help Zootopia as a whole, and push for 'adapting to a changing world' as they would say. If you want the party that championed accommodation to species of all diets and sizes throughout the city, that's the party you'd look to.
Vernon: Preditionalists are more about supportin' a mammal's individual rights over a collective sorta thing. They also tend to be about perservin' a lot of the constitutional rights bestowed on Zootopians since the city was founded, includin' defendin' free speech, (even if it is unsavory sometimes), 'er the right to bear arms. They are also some of the strongest advocates fer keepin' corporations paws tied behind their back, and keep them from tryin' to undo anything that would allow them to get their claws deeper into the political spectrum, which...admittedly don't extend to all of 'em *Cough* *cough* Lionheart.
Dawn: *Snickering* Puppy. Remember, his lawyers are watching.
Vernon: Who's lawyers? *Chuckles* I didn't say 'nothin'...
Dawn: Puppy...
Vernon: Anyway...Preygressives 'er more soft on that as they often think that loosening some o' them restrictions will see these companies better help Zoot as a whole...of course whether the really believe that, 'er are just chompin' at the bit to be rollin' in corporate zbuck kickbacks well, that depends on the candidate.
Dawn: Generally speaking, Zootopia prefers to have one representative of each party in power at a time. And by that I mean, if the main ticket identifies as one party, their assistant Mayor tends to be selected from the opposite party. This is because...at least in theory, as it's believed that a Mayor and Assistant Mayor would obviously have a good working relationship, that the pair having differing positions would lead to a fairly decent rate of compromise, and thus make both parties happy. In my own case, Lionheart was running as a 'Preditionalist', whereas I was running under him as a 'Preygressive', and we were running against a party with the opposite ticket.
Vernon: That was...what, Miss Vicunia runnin' fer the preygressive, right? The llama lady?
Dawn: Right, and her Assistant Mayor Candidate was a Preditionalist. Martin Rubins.
Vernon: Wait, was that...he was the real tiny cat right? Like, he looked like a kitten?
Dawn: Yes, he's a rusty-spotted cat. Apparently, that's as big as they get...poor things.
Vernon: I can't believe they actually put him up as a candidate. Everyone probably thought he was just a kitten in a suit. Like Vicunia had adopted him just to drag around from event to event like a show animal.
Dawn: Puppy stop. *Snicker*, that's not...a very preygressive thing to say...
Vernon: Fer real, what were they thinkin'?
Dawn: I think they were hoping his cuteness would bolster mammals to vote, and overshadow the fact that he appeared inexperienced thanks to the fact that he looked quite young. Plus he wasn't the main candidate. But our campaign dashed any hope of that by fearmongering the prospect of him ever getting in the 'big chair'. Nobody liked the idea of someone that looked like like a kitten with his paw on the button.
Just a quick update, I was about for fairly long response asks deep and getting ready to post them when my Openoffice just...closed...No warning, no crash report. Despite having autosave on, it failed to save any of the new asks I had been working on. Needless to say I'm livid as I had spent the last two hours on them. I'm going to start over tomorrow, but for now I just...I can't re-write them. I'm too tired and pissed off.
-Wasty
Before we begin, I'd like to start out with my usual Patreon shout-outs as is tradition at this point. And I wouldn't risk breaking tradition, especially during this time of year. Anyway, thank you guys so much for your continued support.
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If there's one thing I hate talking about publically it's my health problems. This is for multiple reasons. Divulging that stuff makes me feel like I'm burdening others with my issues, which I hate. I also feel like I'm letting people down, as having to talk about this stuff publically is usually related to me already being behind in my work, or that I'm about to be, which makes me feel ashamed. But the nature of what I do, with the work and the Patreon means I have an obligation to discuss it when it directly impacts output regardless of how I feel. That said, it makes it worse for me that it feels like such 'health updates' have become 'every other week' deals for the last few months.
My health hasn't exactly been great since well before I took up the mantel of "Wasted Time's Erotic Experiments". It was something I had to learn to work around as best I could, and even at that, it didn't always go according to plan. I'd have flare-ups or sinus infections that would interrupt workflow for brief periods, but I tended to be able to work through them for the most part. Within the last few years, my health has deteriorated fairly incrementally. My joints getting worse, or brain fog making writing harder and harder to do, but it was still a rather slow creep. And while my downtime periods ended up longer, I'd still manage to work around them in the end.
However, during the last five months my health began to take a sharp nosedive, centering around my inability to catch my breath with moderate exertion, tripping all over myself, and feeling as though I'm gonna faint half the time, the situation has started to...basically become disabling. When I'm not suffering from these issues I'm unconscious, as my body can't seem to get enough sleep. At first, I believed I was suffering altitude sickness, but as the weeks and months went on with no actual improvement it became clear that wasn't the case, and by that point, my doctors were once again throwing up their hands in utter confusion. Like what I was already dealing with health-wise, I was becoming certain that it was yet another unnamed or weird condition that I would have to learn to live around despite how difficult it was to.
However, it was my heart doctor who would finally manage to put all the pieces together rather than simply treat my immediate symptoms, and discover exactly what has been going on for not just the last few months, but the last few years as well.
Aside from being formally diagnosed with "Chronic Lyme disease", which is something I was pretty sure I was dealing with, but no other docs suggested treating it again. I have also been diagnosed with something called Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome, (Or POTS) for short. The basic rundown is that my body has circulation issues, and it's reached a point where my blood has a habit of pooling below the waist. I guess this means when I'm sitting and standing my heart has to work harder to pump blood up to the vitals above the waistline, which is responsible for my breathing problems, chest pain, fatigue, brain fog, coordination issues, and why I feel like fainting so often.
On top of that (And please don't take this as an Anti-vaxx thing, I recommend consulting your doc about whether a covid vaccination is doable for you.) I also apparently have developed some sort of...post-vaccination immune disorder? This is probably due to getting the shot with my immune system already compromised by Lyme.
Now the bad news is, this POTS condition is a lifelong thing. There is no cure. I will have this for the rest of my life, and apparently, it might have been brewing for a while and I simply never noticed it until my breathing got worse. (This would explain two years of ever-increasing brain fog.) It wouldn't surprise me, as I already have "Reynaud's Disease" which is another disorder that causes poor circulation.
However, the diagnosis isn't as grim as it seems. With a positive, hard diagnosis, not only do I feel....well, it's weird to feel happy do know what I'm dealing with? I guess the correct word would be 'vindicated'. But more importantly, these are treatable things. My heart Doctor is sending me to a specialist who he believes will want to place me on a longer regimen of very specific Lyme meds to oust the bulk of it from my body, and while POTS can't be cured, it can be managed with specific vitamin and other supplements regiments. The Lyme treatment should also help the covid shot side effect. For the first time in years, I have some semblance of a road map to go by. For the first time in a long time, I've got a sense of hope that I may actually be able to get better and get these things under control. To get my life back.
I'm supposed to meet with my specialist on Friday, so hopefully, I'll have an even clearer plan then.
Now, all that health preamble was essentially to better explain why I've been struggling to put out content, and been missing my ask blog days practically every other week as of late. I would like to say for sure that I know things will improve from here on out, but...honestly, I can't make a promise on that. I will say I'm hopeful however that within the next few weeks, and especially by the start of next year I'll begin to improve health-wise, and as such my art and fic output will increase along with it.
Now is the part where I usually go over my work road map, however...this time I'm not going to. I will say I intend to work on the "Savage Love" comic and get "The Family Vulpes" Chapter five out within about a month, but it would be foolish of me to give any kind of...more specific estimate considering my current circumstances.
All that said, I'd like to thank everyone who's stood by me through all of this stuff...especially the Patreon backers. Between the fire, and my health issues, and the myriad of other bullshit the last year has slung at me, having the support has really helped me hold on to some semblance of sanity. You guys mean the world to me.
I hope to have better news for the next "Monthly Update", and I want to believe that things will look even better by then. Thanks for understanding, and sorry for the "Wasty's myriad of medical Malady's Lore Dump".
-Wasty
Dawn: It's quite alright...It's not...too troubling to me personally to talk about him. My only concern with a question like this is that discussing it might have Lionheart's lawyers after me.
Vernon: It wouldn't be the first time after all. Dawn did get some legal threats after releasin' her first book from Lionheart's attorney. Granted, they didn't end up goin' anywhere.
Dawn: That's because I had tried my hardest to keep any deep discussions about my time working under him in "Predator Seeking Prey" limited to only the most relevant and traumatic events I personally experienced. As well as keeping any 'personal opinions' I held about him almost entirely out of the novel. But that was still enough to have him clamoring to sue me on the grounds of defamation and slander. So I imagine divulging any sort of...intimate details about his personal life...save for the ones he divulged in his 'audiobook' might have him looking to sue us again.
Vernon: I imagine he's only gotten more desperate since last time...so I wouldn't doubt him pitchin' a fit over this.
Dawn: So for the sake of protecting myself and my family, I will indeed try and limit myself to dry and clinical facts. Basically, you'll be getting a wikipawdia excerpt mixed with portions of his audiobook...with maybe just a tad more ...well I wouldn't want to say 'truth', but the perspective of those around him, particularly those of his public relations manager, as that's where I learned a majority more about Leodore's past. She was a really sweet, older warthog who...honestly put up with a lot. I can't blame her for walking out just a few months after Leodore was elected. *Chuckles weakly* Even if it added 'defacto PR manager' top my own growing list of responsibilities. She just had reached her limit in terms of...counseling him.
Vernon: So we're goin' with the whole 'these were 'her' words' defense?"
Dawn: *Giggling* Oh stop it Puppy. As I said I'm going to keep this as professional as possible. I don't plan on throwing anyone under the bus.
*Ahem* So, the Lionhearts are a rather prestigious family in Zootopia. The reason should be obvious, at least if you live in Zootopia and parts of the NMU. But for those outside of the west, and western Roarope, their prestige is due to them being directly related to King Richard Lionheart, the one and the same who would discover and found Zootopia along with several other Roaropean nations. The mammal is a legend, and thus the name Lionheart carries that legendary status in a similar fashion to those who bear the name Blackwool or Duclaw. The Lionheart family in Zootopia has maintained a political presence throughout Zootopia's history, and as such has always remained a rather wealthy and important family in the eyes of the public. If I'm not mistaken there were at least four other Lionhearts who held the title of Zootopia's Mayor since the position was established, with Leodore being the fifth. That said, I can imagine that like with my family...there was a lot of...pressure to live up to the family name. From what I am to understand, Leodore was basically being shaped from birth to be a politician. His youth was spent in Zootopia's most prestigious private schools, and he took on a great number of extracurricular activities to bolster his records for his eventual enrollment in college, specifically the ivy league institution "St. Richard the Lionhearted's".
Vernon: I can imagine where that went...I'm purty sure neither of our families got a college named after one of our ancestors after all. *Chuckles* At least, not in North Mammalia.
Dawn: Indeed. There was pretty much no way he wasn't going to end up a politician. Even without all the effort on his part, his family had enough contacts and connections thanks to their namesake to ensure a robust political career for Leodore. Of course, whether that's what he actually wanted to do with his life...well, I can't say. I honestly don't know...and his audiobook didn't make it any easier to discern.
Vernon: Somehow havin' a transcript made most of it harder to understand than just the audio alone.
Dawn: *Giggles* Vernon, shush...Remember, 'clinical and professional'.
Vernon: Right, right...
Dawn: Leodore has never been married, and as far as anyone knows he doesn't have any cubs. In terms of running for a political office, it's kind of unusual to see a single mammal run for office. The public generally likes a family mammal. But Leodore's PR manager was willing to take the risk and break the mold by pushing the image of Leodore as the 'charismatic charming bachelor' that any female had a chance of being fortunate enough to snare as a mate. She even made sure to keep things muddy as to Leodore's species preference in order to draw the widest appeal. It was a risky maneuver, but it ended up paying dividends in terms of his election as there was a disconcerting amount of female mammals of all stripes admitting voting for him because he was "handsome".
Vernon: Yeesh...that's a frightnin' thought there...
Dawn: As for how he got out of jail, well...I mean his sentence was already quite soft. I believe it was something close to a four-year maximum with the possibility of monitored parole after two years. However after...well...after I was exposed and tried for my crimes, which was also admittedly a soft sentence all things considered, Leodore's sentence was reduced to a year in prison before being paroled, although be would still be monitored for two years afterward. So basically, to answer your question, he served his time and was released accordingly. And with that, I think that's all I can and should say about Leodore's personal history. If you want to know more I...er...recommend listening to his audiobook.
Vernon: He's also got a public email out there on the homepage fer his book...so y'all could probably ask him directly. That is iffin' he'd even answer it...and if he did, well...yer probably gonna get somethin' less concise, and less truthful fer that matter...
Dawn: Ugh...that's definitely going to get us a 'strong legal warning' Puppy...even if you're right.
Dawn: In Zootopia it's pretty much a standard regardless of what district you are in that pre-high schoolers go to school on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays. Whereas lambs in high school attend classes on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday. The reason for the gap is that education experts believe that more than two days back to back of regimented study hurts learning retention.
Vernon: 'Sides, they're still pups. Ain't no reason to load 'em up with a fully simulated adult work schedule. Y'all only get one puphood after all, and most mammals agree it's more healthy fer a Pup's development to get a good amount o' time with family, playin' with friends, 'er learnin' independently.
Dawn: Well I mean that togetherness with family is ingrained in all species. Whether it's a pack, or a herd, thanks to the way we've evolved, having that sense of togetherness is important for good mental health, at least when it comes to developing lambs.
Wasty: The cold war in Animalia I imagine was sort of a slower burn than in our universe. Without the events of WWII there wasn't as big a rush to create the atomic bomb (it was probably largely pursued for atomic energy purposes rather than war purposes), but it would still be created. More slowly of course, but it would still come into existence in the late fifties or early sixties. However, that slow creation gave the Grussians more opportunities to spy on the program, and learn of its possible use for warfare purposes. This would cause a feedback loop, where the North mammalians would hear that the Grrussians were trying to make a bomb, and so they would need on in order to defend against them, which would then galvanize the Grussians to continue spying so that North Mammalia would not beat them to the punch and bomb them into oblivion.
The amount of spying over the years leading up to the bomb's creation, coupled with Grussia's own bomb announcement kicked anti-communist sentiment in North Mammalia into high gear. And as it would turn out, those fears wouldn't be entirely unfounded due to the number of communist spies and infiltrators that would be exposed during Canidy's'government cleanup, though it would be Canidy's cool head that would prevent North Mammalia from going into full-on armed conflict with Grussia, most notably during the Mewban missile crisis.
Events would largely play out the same going forward, including the Saviniet Union's ultimate collapse, which would leave a rather large chip on Grussia and Sibearia's shoulder towards the NMU despite their move toward democracy. Panda would share a similar sentiment, but with the slow push toward balkanization...or rather 'balcaninization', (God these puns are killing me...) the various groups setting themselves up to be the new governments in said future nations have mixed relationships with the west, the more democratic supporting nations being more open to working with them, and the communist hold outs maintaining that dislike of the west.
Wasty: Well North Mammalia and Zootopia are. Obviously, there are some 'restrictions' across the board regarding corporations and businesses that in our universe would probably be called 'anti-democratic' (by said businesses), but Zootopia, and North Mammalia have a sort of...'the more wealthy you are, or the more power you have, the more restrictions should be placed on you' policy, in order to keep from the powerful individuals stifling the voices of the small. Obviously, the NMU and Zootopia's laws are sort of United States coded. Freedom of speech, right to bear arms, (although restricted in cities), etcetera. This would obviously extend to Canidea and Mexicat to some degree, as they are united with North Mammalia in the same way the EU is in our universe, Hence the "North Mammalian Union".
As for the rest on Animalia, I haven't given them nearly as much thought. Roarope is largely democratic, but thanks to the laws regarding rodents differing from country to country, among other species rights issues, Roarope still hasn't been able to unite in an EU fashion. Grussia still turned communist, rose, and fell within the same timeline. Communist Panda managed to hold together a bit longer, but it seems in the cards that the nation will ultimately break apart within the next five years or so. In terms of dictatorships and third world conditions, I see a majority of those being in central Afrikat, which suffered significantly after the collapse of the Pridelands empire. With South Afrikat standing as a beacon of modernity and democracy on its southern tip, and Egyip and the Saharalands standing as its equal on the Northern side.
Austailia is also largely democratic, with heavy Kittish influences in its rule of law and culture despite it being mostly run by native Austailians. And as for South Mammalia, the governments are sort of all over the place. Same for some of the South Ursan countries, with Bindia and South Purrea being powerhouses in the region.
Eventually, I'm going to draw up a nice map to kinda...give everyone an idea of the world of Animalia at large. I just keep forgetting to actually sit down and do it.
Wasty: I imagine in Zootopia, an 'impossible burger' would not be the first or last attempt at something like this. Alternative forms of non-meat-based protein were probably being worked on and produced since the seventies. In the case of the 'impossible burger', I don't see it making prey any less uncomfortable with fish or bug consumption than they previously were. If anything it offers omnivores a chance to go strictly vegetarian (as you pointed out) which some may prefer, and allows prey who are curious about the flavor of bug or fish a chance to try it without the risk of stomach upset.
In terms of animal activism in Zootopia, there are very small groups that are against the public consumption of fish, and even less so with regards to bugs. Fish don't feel pain, and most of the public do not see fish or bugs as really having complex feelings or emotions unlike what we as humans struggle with in regards to pigs, cows, and chickens. Thus I feel the 'impossible burger' and other 'impossible foods' would become part of the diet of mammals in Zootopia more quietly than the big 'fanfare' that the impossible foods are getting in our universe. It simply wouldn't be as groundbreaking for a world that never really saw a problem with fish and bugs being eaten.
Of course, change that Zootopian 'Impossible Burger' to a chicken-flavored substitute, or go a step further and make the impossible burger come in flavors akin to the prey of the city, and there would definitely be a mass outcry. Granted that seems more like something you'd see in Beastars rather than Zootopia.
Vernon: I don't think any mammal could be more hyped fer Jojo than Joel, I mean granted we're all lookin' forward to it, but Joel's probably stayed more die-hard than the rest of us in terms o' keepin' up with the series.
Gus: He read the Animanga's, you and me only ever watched the animalme with Joel.
Joel: And you guys didn't even watch the '93 OVA. Pft, and you call yourself true fans...
Vernon: Didn't y'all tell us it was bad?
Joel: It's also a right of passage!
Megumi: Eh, it's fun to play drinking games while watching. *Giggles*
Joel: I gotta say though, I mean, Arakau has never let us down in terms of Jojo content. So I can't be anything other than hyped for the news!
Megumi: I'm looking forward to the Animanga with Hol Horse. He was a favorite villian of mine...next to Leo of course...*Sighs amorously* He's so...uh...what do you Animangilish natives say? Dreamy?
Joel: Considering how you fawn over Leo pretty consistently...I'd say Dreamy is apt.
Megumi: *Giggles* he really is the perfect handsome lion vampire husband...
Vernon: He's also a psychotic murderer without any sense o' morals or ethics...
Megumi: No relationship is without its hurdles Vernon-san, certainly you know that all things considered. Even so, he's not my top Animalme husband. He's number seven on my top ten list.
Gus: You okay with her lusting over fictional characters like that Joel? It doesn't concern you?
Megumi: Joel-san has no room to complain considering he fawns just as heavily over his Yukair-chan. *Laughs*
Joel: Yeah, we have an agreement that, should either character become real somehow, we're allowed a freebie. One night with no strings attached.
Gus: Yeah, good luck with that one...
Vernon: Yeah...er...no offense...but that seems flat out impossible.
Megumi: Mammals can dream can't they?
-----
Wasty: I've really enjoyed what I've seen from Jojo, but I kinda stalled midway through Stardust Crusaders due to...well...everything. Working on art, fics, and my health, I just could never find the time...and when I did there were other things I wanted to do. So with that in mind, any real opinions on the show and manga can only really come from the first two and a half seasons. That said, so far my favorite of the series has been "Battle Tendency". Based on Stardust, and snippets of what I've seen later, it seems like it becomes a completely different show altogether. Not that it's a bad thing of course.
So with all that said, I'm looking forward to the new stuff, if I can ever find the time to actually sit down and start marathoning all of the episodes I still have ahead of me.
Wasty: No, the Zootopian Reserve is merely Zootopia's personal military. The NMU, along with the other nations across Animalia all have thier own military forces that vary in size and structure. Historically, the Zootopian reserve has only ever seen action as a supplementary force to either the NMU's own forces, or other military forces in Roarope. But in contemporary times, it mostly sees Mammaltarian (Humanitarian)aide work. building homes and nations, and sometimes defending those places from warlords and guerrilla warfare.
Vernon: Sweet Sawgrass *Sighs* Truth be told, I ain't a fan...both of Lily's current stint as a Hall Monitor, or their lil' AV club webisodes...and especially not goin' around gettin' themselves into dangerous situations as junior detectives...but...there ain't much I can do iffin' I don't wanna alienate my lil' princess from me.
Dawn: Well, to be honest...I do worry when Lily stumbles onto...er...much bigger schemes than 'who's been selling fountain sodas under the table'. But other than that I mean, I'm just glad she's happy.
Vernon: Oh don't get me wrong...I'm happy fer her bein' happy too. That smile o' her's makes my heart swell up with love. But...It's gettin' harder and harder to hold on to my hope that this is all just some phase she's gonna grow outta eventually. And if I gotta let that go...well...then I gotta move onto learnin' to accept it.
Judy: Not to...twist the knife that much deeper Vernon, but...I mean, I was obsessed with policing since I was a kit...
Nick: And look at old Carrots now! *Chuckles* She's probably the top cop at the station...and...I've heard whispers that if Bogo retires, Carrot's is looking like his top pick to replace him.
Judy: Psh! Bogo isn't retiring for a long while, and even so, I'm probably the last mammal he'd want to put in his place.
Nick: Stranger things have happened...like that 'narcotics ring' your daughter stumbled onto...
Vernon: *Places a paw over his face and groans softly*...
Dorian: I would maybe chalked that up to dumb luck, if not fer the whole 'caught that neighbor plannin' to murder his wife and defraud and insurance company' thing too. At this point I'm thinkin' that lil' Miss is so gifted she ain't even aware of all the cues she's pickin' up on a subconscious level...it's like..it's beyond Hunter's intuition at that point...*Chuckles*
Vernon: *Lets out a soft, sad whine...*
Dawn: *Wraps her hooves around her mate, nuzzling his cheek.* There, there Puppy...
Vernon: I'm supposed to protect Lily....I'm her Pa! How am I supposed to protect that pup iffin' she goes off workin' a career that throws her in harms way every day?
Audrey: Vernon, I've felt what yer feelin' believe you me. *Audrey sits down next to the couple, also wrapping her paws around the wolf and hugging him* Between yer Pa, and yer brothers I've been afraid for 'em every day. Still am...
Vernon: *Whimpers*
Audrey: But at the end of the day, what was I gonna do? Trap y'all in the house and never let y'all go outside? *Audrey shakes her head* That'd be selfish fer me to monopolize yer lives like that, to keep y'all from spreadin' yer wings and figurin' out who y'all were and what ya loved...not to mention it'd woulda' made y'all hate me.
Vernon: I-I know Ma...but...
Audrey: Y'all gotta be supportive Honey, even iffin' what yer pup's doin' scares you to death. Because at the end of the day, it's their life to live...not yers. Y'all need to decide whether or not yer gonna turn away from that because of the pain, 'er iffin' you'll grin and bear it as y'all stand on the sidelines cheerin' her on...
Vernon: I know yer right...I just...*chuckles softly* I just want a few more years to lie to myself is all...just let her be my lil' princess fer a lil' longer...
Dorian: *Chuckles* Now that sounds just like yer Ma..., askin' the gods fer just a few more years of puphood to coddle you boys...
Audrey: *Glares at Dorian*
Dorian: *Shrinking back slightly* O-o'course I wasn't all that much better...whatchin' yer pups grow is probably the most beautiful and painful thang a parent can experience. It feels like it just zips by sometimes...and before y'all know it yer pups are off gettin' tithed. In the end, y'all are torn between pride and sadness. But I think it's safe to say that pride and joy always wins out. Personally, I think that Lily will shine when she grows up, regardless of what career she ultimately chooses to go into. But fer now, y'all still got plenty of time left to watch her grow into that spectacular mammal one day, and be there to help her reach that goal.
Audrey: That was beautiful Dori...*Sniffles*
Vernon: T-that was...and thank y'all...that actually...helped a lil'...
Judy: Nick, are you crying?
Nick: N-No? Of course *Sniffle* n-not Carrots...I j-just...*Sniffle* got some sand in my eye is all...
Judy: We're nowhere near Sahara Square right now Nick, what are you-
Nick: Who is chopping onions!? *Snort*
Dawn: I'm not...sure if I'm embarrassed to admit this or not, but the cravings for fish did not go away after Paige was born. *Giggles*
Vernon: Guess you ain't as much as a herbivore as you thought you was...
Dawn: *Gives Vernon a playful slap* As if you're one to talk Mister "I keep eating all my mate's turf tarts!"
Vernon: Hey I can deal with the mild indigestion fer somethin' that tastes that good...
Dawn: Oh Puppy...*Giggles* It's just bottom of the bin highly processed herb mixes in pita bread...I'm surprised it's even palatable to a predator.
Vernon: Much like our relationship Floof's, diets aren't as black and white as everyone else thinks either...
Dawn: *Chuckles* Well, I suppose that's true...though honestly, I've surprised myself. I mean, before I became pregnant with Paige, the only fish I could manage to stomach was Vernon's Mother's candied salmon filet.
Vernon: That's cause it's so heavy on the maple y'all can just barely taste the filet...
Dawn: Of course, when I was pregnant that all changed. It wasn't long before I was snagging food off Vernon's plate...
Vernon: Or in some cases eatin' my whole meal and leavin' me with yer salad as consolation.
Dawn: *Giggles* Oh Puppy, I'm sorry...I was just....having a hard time accepting my cravings. Of course, when I finally gave in Vernon was ready with a smorgasbord of fishy delights for me to try.
Vernon: Most of the stuff y'all mentioned in yer ask was purty much my go-to fer seafood. Shrimp, Clams, Lobster, Sushi...(which is my personal favorite by the way, specifically spicy tuna, as well as the spider roll), granted most of that stuff I had to order...I can cook some, but I ain't Malcolm 'er my Ma.
Dawn: I didn't turn a single entree down either. All of it just tasted heavenly...it was like I had been depriving my tastes buds of pure mana from heaven...even if not everything agreed with my stomach. Granted I never got a chance to try shrimp gumbo or Mexicat ceviche...
Vernon: I'm sure Honey knows of a good Brayjun place 'er two up in the Nocturnal District. As fer the Mexicat Ceviche....er' maybe Val or Cameron would know of a decent Mexicat place in Sahara Square.
Dawn: Well, I am open to trying them, but I will say while my craving for fish didn't go away after Paige was born, they did diminish. Outside of crab, I kind of fell off liking other shellfish as much. Shrimp too, to some extent...unless it's fried. Although I do still enjoy sushi.
Vernon: She's also a fan of the spider rolls....*Chuckles* And between me, her, and the pups, spider rolls make up half the order when we go fer sushi.
Dawn: You'd think eating a fried crab, shell and all would be so off-putting...and I mean it is...at least until you taste it. *Giggles*
Joel: My body is ready....
Vernon: Heck, we're all purty excited about it.
Gus: I've got a whole month's worth of our usual BnB sessions all blocked out right after the game drops just so we can all get the 'full experience'.
Broomie: Rut Me! I don't think I've ever been more hyped for a single game's release since...Um...well...actually...I don't think I actually have before...
Gus: What about Wolfcraft?
Broomie: Ugh...please don't mention wolfcraft...I sunk waaay too much of my teenage years into that...
Gus: And early twenties...
Broomie: Ah-bup-bup! Shh! Let my embarrassment with and die in silence and shame!
Joel: Seriously though, with Hidetaka Miyazooki directing-!
Gus: And George R.R. Meowtin doing the world-building lore...it's, I mean it's-it's an unbeatable combo!
Vernon: It's like chocolate and peanut butter...unless yer my brother Ulric, then it's like Carib and peanut butter...
Broomie: Two great tastes that taste great together!
Joel: Or in Vern's brother's case, One great and one passable tasting thing that tastes passable together...
Wasty: Woolshington DC, like its real-world counterpart s the seat of the North Mammalian's Union's overarching government. It is also the seat of the local government for the Atlambtic Corridor Conglomeration of states. (Which states are in it...I'm not 100 percent on that yet. I'm not even 100 percent sure on that name tbh.) As I've mentioned before, all the 'states' as we know them still exist in one form or another, But each state is usually part of a small cluster of individual 'regions', and then said regions are banded together under the North Mammalian Union. This of course adds an extra layer of electoral officials, as senators for states would rally under an elected region president, and those region presidents would then file in under the president of the NMU. This extra step is to allow more state-level citizen control, and force senators to come to agreements between states before it can be passed up to the regional president and argued for on the congressional floor.
Also, DC stands for District of Cowlumbia in this universe because of ANIMAL PUNS!
Hey y'all
I'm sorry to do this to you again so soon, but I'm really sick. My doc has me on new meds that are hopefully strong enough to kick this virus in the pants, but as of right now I'm shivering and I've got a mild fever. Needless to say sitting up for a few hours and writing isn't exactly something I'm feeling up to at the moment.
Sorry, and thanks for understanding.
-Wasty
WT: I sort of answered this one...like a long, long time ago...so I'm not even necessarily sure I might run with it if it comes up in the story, but in that initial ask I have Jack and Skye existing in my Bellhunterverse. My take on them at the time was that they were big actors who starred in exactly the type of films you suggested, spy films and other action movie titles. If I were to continue with that, I imagine the pair are often starring in roles opposite each other, and there are rumors that they are secretly an item, but even I'm not sure if I'd pull the trigger on it. I imagine Jack as the always sophisticated protagonist, always suave and cool on screen. However, off-screen he's a dork and kind of cowardly and neurotic. Afraid of stunts going wrong too close to him, or other such woes on set.
Skye, despite pulling off the femme fatale look on screen is actually quite down to earth (or Animalia in this case) off set, and certainly doesn't worry about hair and make-up unless she's forced to by her agent. I imagine in order to bring her in line with her 'techiness based on the sketches, she might have started off as a stage-hand and prop person before being spotted and worked into a film that sort of launched her career. She still prefers machine work, but largely does that in her private time.
I don't think I'll ever intend to write them into a fic outside of being on a poster or TV screen. Then again, the Gazelle X Finnick thing I eventually still want to do does have room for Gazelle to hobnob with other celebs, so perhaps they could make an in-person appearance. That said, I still don't even know if I'd keep them as movie stars. But then again, I don't want to have to write for a second, tech-savvy vixen...I'll end up making them too close to each other by mistake if I'm not careful.
