If you could, would you..? (I NEED SOME ADVICE!)

If you could be anything other than just a human, would you?

If science developed a fully working animatronic tail with a neural interface and fully customisable, would you have one installed?

If you could have a full relationship (not just dating, but intercourse and procreation of a family) with another humanoid species, would you?

If you could have your body do something it isn't equipped to do (i.e. be pregnant even if you were a male) and be able to do it, would you?

I was watching a live stream of my favourite online artist doing a commission (the one I am currently using as my avatar which I'll happily link you to) and I kept having these strange ideas about humanity, life and all such things, and only there could I openly discuss it (mainly because there were more mature people there, who openly admitted to being furries and it put me at ease somewhat).

So, I set this little blog up so we could do something similar here, because I find that just a few hours over the weekend to talk about something like that isn't enough. Remember, what happens in banter, stays in banter, so nothing we put in here will be used outside.

At most I would only improve what it is to be human - enriched senses, strength, stamina, memory, endurance, ageing, etc. But I like being human.

Spoiler:

Trust you to be fairly downputting about it.

You wanted maturity. I'm not going to lie.

I'm quite small-minded and is quite comfortable as a human.

I would love to fly though...

If I could, I think I would. I mean, why not? It'd certainly be interesting to try.

To be honest, I've always understood why furries would happily become an anthro-animal. Let's face it, they've got human intellect, hyper-honed agility, superior senses, fur to help one keep warm, the ability to live in both urban and rural enviroments, as well as claws and fangs. There's a bunch of useful tool available there. Not to mention, I'd be lying if I said I didn't find the appearance of anthros to be somewhat striking.
(I kinda kept that in mind while writing. Creatures which are akin to anthro animals would make perfect characters in fantasy! Don't know why we don't seem them more often.)

"If science developed a fully working animatronic tail with a neural interface and fully customisable, would you have one installed?"
~3mpty brings up a good point about the tail, but I'm always happy to seem them on anthros. Adds to the whole animalistic feel, I think. However, unless, for whichever reason, I became a different animal, I don't think I'd purposely go looking for a tail-implant.

"If you could have a full relationship (not just dating, but intercourse and procreation of a family) with another humanoid species, would you?"
~Hmm... Can't say. Anthros can be cute, sure. Sometimes beautiful in their way. Though i can't say whether I'd settle down with one, or "go all the way" at all. That depends on how I personally feel about the humanoid person in question, no?

"If you could have your body do something it isn't equipped to do (i.e. be pregnant even if you were a male) and be able to do it, would you?"
~Most likely. I'm sure I could think of some ability I'd like to gain hold of.

Nice avatar.

If you could be anything other than just a human, would you?
>>Well, really depends, and I'll get to this in the second part as well. I'd love to experience being able to breath underwater, fly through the air and run swiftly through the forest, hell maybe even burrow, but I'd want it off me soon afterwards. Personally I like being me. I don't want strength or memory improvements, and I'm undecided on the sensory abilities (hearing maybe? smell = badass!)

If science developed a fully working animatronic tail with a neural interface and fully customisable, would you have one installed?
>>I'd test it out, but I wouldn't want it in for longer than a few days.

If you could have a full relationship (not just dating, but intercourse and procreation of a family) with another humanoid species, would you?
>>As 3mpty said, definition of a species prevents it...but if we're talking sex augmented by adoption, possibly of genetically engineered hybrids made from one species's children...sure, as long as I'm romantically attracted to them. Hell if there's a werefox lady out there who's perfectly compatible with me, I'm in all the way. (Ha...ha...ha)

If you could have your body do something it isn't equipped to do (i.e. be pregnant even if you were a male) and be able to do it, would you?
>>Doubtful

Also, in response to Blaze's thing:

" Let's face it, they've got human intellect, hyper-honed agility, superior senses, fur to help one keep warm, the ability to live in both urban and rural enviroments, as well as claws and fangs. There's a bunch of useful tool available there. Not to mention, I'd be lying if I said I didn't find the appearance of anthros to be somewhat striking.
(I kinda kept that in mind while writing. Creatures which are akin to anthro animals would make perfect characters in fantasy! Don't know why we don't seem them more often.)"

>>If you give them all of those advantages you can be sure I will put down that novel immediately. The perfect species is the perfect recipe for a perfectly horrible story. That's the problem I had with Arzonus (why am I inviting this disaster again...). they have to have a weakness...that's why humans can be so interesting, they are weak and strong, petty and remarkable, they can be tempted and they can overcome.

Don't worry. They may have those traits I mentioned, but they certainly don't provide quick-fixes for all their problems and obstacles. (Their intelligence closely rivals man's, but they bare agility akin to animal's. Their physical prowess only really shows during scenes of battle, and battle is not the dwelling of the characters' central objective.)
In fact, it's an aspect of their power that actually causes an issue or two... But I'll not go on about that just now.
I agree, though. There's nothing perfect about perfection. What I was really referring to, however, was my surprise at anthro-animals (regardless of strengths and weaknesses) not having more a place in fantasy. They seem well suited to it.

I think it's because people like fantasy they can relate to, and replacing the main character with something nonhuman means you have to spend a portion of the story getting you to care about them (and people dislike slow paced films). People like it when fantasy clashes with humans - alien invasions, demons, werewolves, space exploration, fictional worlds, alternate time lines, mermaids, mythological stories, etc - but the hero is always one of us (or the character we're suppose to care about anyway).

Fantasy makes good allies, good enemies, good illnesses: but it takes a good story to make fantasy the protagonist (unless you're writing children's fiction, of course - Smurfs, Robin Hood, Finding Nemo, etc).

Hmm... So you think there could be a problem here? In truth, the lead character starts out human, and its during that time we learn about him. It's a fair few chapters in that that changes (Why and How, I won't delve into right now.)
I think readers will be able to connect with the vulshiera. They do share many mannerisms and personality traits with humankind, but this too, worries me. Do you think they could wind up unpopular if they bear many human traits?

People question God because they do not understand how an all-powerful being could be burdened with such petty human emotions and desires. If they are human enough, why bother making them not human in the first place? Sort of thing.

However, it's only an issue if you doubt your ability as a writer.

Like I said, it takes a good story to make fantasy the protagonist... convincing the reader they are human is a good way to build the reader-character relationship before changing things. But you've got to allude to it early on, otherwise people will feel conned. It's like those detective stories where there's absolutely nothing in the story that points the player to the killer (cough Heavy Rain cough).

But the story also needs to have a reason why they aren't human, especially if there are humans in the story.

To be honest, they probably could've been human, or at least some human varient. i suppose I made them as they were because I thought it helped define a little more difference between they, and the humans in the story. That, and a little animalisticness helps them fit in amidst their world a little better. Their human traits are mainly there so readers can identify with them, even if they look worlds apart from man.
I guess their appearance was just the kind of theme I wanted.

The creatures are mentioned and dwelled on early in the story, yes. But the main character's "connection" with them isn't. At least, not too blatantly.

There are humans in the story. But the differences that the vulshiera do bear help seperate them, I suppose. They live on a seperate Plain, I guess you could say, and possess abilities which are vital to the story. These abilities aren't held by humans, but that too, makes for important parts of the plot.

Case by case, I guess.

I really do worry about the whole think, y'know. I think the story, all in all, is pretty decent, and I think I've done a good job with the writing. . . but still. . . concern bounds throughout my skull like a rouge pinball. >.<
(And, uh... I think if we're to talk about it, it'd be best to use the old thread I made for it. I kinda feel like I'm usurping Morb's topic. )

Is this a bad time? This thread was about being open and honest, but not in a bad way.

It was kind of allowing us to alleviate some of the burden we carry, like saying that I am proud to be a furry, and would rather have a relationship with a furry.

MorbiusMonster wrote:Is this a bad time? This thread was about being open and honest, but not in a bad way.

It was kind of allowing us to alleviate some of the burden we carry, like saying that I am proud to be a furry, and would rather have a relationship with a furry.

And I honestly have no problem with this. To each their own. The only thing that sometimes bugs me about furries is that I have that worry they will move towards bestiality/animal abuse, but I know that most of them actually have a deeper respect for animals than I do.

The one thing I've always found odd is that I think a lot of furries have this fantasy that a furry will be "better" than a human, not so petty, not so warmongering...or whatever. But I don't think that's the case, I think any intelligent species, any species who can build the complex hypotheticals, stories, ideals, and conviction that we have will end up being a mix of good and bad.

I agree with Dark; there does seem to be a degree of assumption that a change in form will provide a quick-fix to the problems that accompany humanity.
But then again, perhaps it would be a trip down the right path. If, all of a sudden, mankind - or at least much of it - changed, perhaps it'd be considered a fresh start, and the "change subjects'" community would attempt to avoid the issues mankind came across.
Most furries I've met certainly seem far happier the average person, however. That's for sure. Maybe they've come across something the rest of us could learn from.

And Morbius, if that's how you want to settle down in future, then find a fellow furry and go for it. No reason not to.

I don't think alienating a group of people from society so they can grow ignorant of our problems will fix anything. That's the premise of the Venus Project, I think.But the point stands that all our problems came from somewhere: I don't think it's beyond reason to think they might appear again. And we can't just punish/"make disappear" anyone who comes up with the idea of capitalism or banking... because then people will start to wonder, or will encourage defiance against the Operators.

First question:
Depends on whether my external appearance would change with it. I would like real wings though, I think winged chararcters are cool for some reason
Second question:
Another hand would be nice, but, as stated before, a tail would seriously screw up my balance.
Third question:
Depends on how attractive and friendly they are. I'd prefer a human, as I want to at least have the option to have a genetically linked family, but I wouldn't mind having a humanoid spouse as long as they have the same set of values as me (or at least nearly the same.)
Fourth question:
I honestly don't know.

At this point, I would normally say something to knock something else off the top, but today I'm feeling very down.

I don't know what's going on, but since I started up this thing, I've had the wierdest of nightmares. They always seem to involve Giovanni having a sexual relationship with the character that is my avatar, Alex Brown. The worst part is part of me is enjoying it.

Nightmares... but you're enjoying them?

I will like the ability to produce poison and night vision, to the second question a scorpion's sting, and to the third quest hell yeah if I love with whom I'll f*ck it's ok I am always for new and strong experiences

They are nightmares because I find myself doing something disturbing in my sleep, made even worse by the fact I am enjoying myself. I know I haven't really found what goes for me, but that is the one way I'd rather not discover.

Why would Giovanni even have a sexual relationship with Alex? I know the issue about the kiss was the consequence of prolonged isolation, but the relationship makes no sense.