O2 ★ [VIDEO; UN - SEASHELL]

[justsomeshrimp]

[The feed turns on and at first only the surface of a desk can be seen--it seems the communicator is propped up against something. There's a scuttling sound and somewhere behind the communicator, out comes a bright red shrimp to settle down in front of the camera. It only just barely manages to be an inch long and it raises its two front legs in an unmistakable wave.]

Good morning, Lunatia!

My name is Lobco and as you can see I am a shrimp! [Well. Technically it's a little more complicated than that but details aren't needed]

This is not an effect by any of the Moons, nor a curse--I am in fact a shrimp. This is my natural form. Thanks to some hereditary magic I am able to change my body to be more 'human' I suppose you can say.

The reason I am coming out today is because there's something I've been very curious about in all my time here in this world. The thing that was the most shocking for me coming here was to see how other animals here are treated and...that none of them seem to be capable of speech. Or even much critical thinking.

While not all the animal folk from my world can change as I do, all of them can speak and think so needless to say it was, and still is, a little disturbing to see how different things are here. From the little I've gleaned this seems to be the norm rather than the exception among worlds so I'm curious to know what it's like on other people's home planets. What are animal folk like where you come from? How are they treated?

I'm especially interested to hear from other people like myself.

Comments

text | un: springtime

[hopticulture]

[SHE WOULD DO A VIDEO FOR THIS BUT UH SHE IS NOT 100% herself right now.]

Your world kind sounds like mine, but most sea creatures like you only ever speak in Sea Speak and I'm pretty sure we don't have magic...

But everyone where I'm from is a normal talking, thinking animal. And predators aren't exactly eating meat as freely as they do here.

I'm Haru, by the way. I'm a dwarf rabbit, usually.

[justsomeshrimp]

[Lobco understands all too well. Reading text can be just as awkward as writing in this form, however, so she cuts the feed and transforms back so that she can text in turn]

It's nice to meet you, Haru.
When you say Sea Speak is that simply a different language that can be learned or is that because they cannot vocalize things in the same way?
I'm glad to hear they don't eat meat as much. Can they digest other foods?

[hopticulture]

It's a different language, and it's something that my school would teach to help us prepare for the real world. It's definitely complicated to speak as someone who will only live on land for her whole life.

And yeah, they have a lot of alternate proteins available, like soy and eggs and milk. Insects too. I can't really comment much on it because I'm an herbivore and don't really have to worry about it.
Is that how it is where you're from? Or do carnivores still prey on other animals openly?

[justsomeshrimp]

Is there much interaction between land and sea dwellers?

Unfortunately a lot of hunting still happens
For the most part kingdoms enforce rules that within their perimeters hunting cannot occur.
Outside of them, however, there are no laws and its not entirely looked down upon.
That said for carnivores that cannot transform as I do they have little option than to continue eating as they do.
Then there are other species that still hunt us.
It's still quite rough but I like to think that bit by bit things are getting better.