Posted by ChaoskampfNunc 7 years ago Report

Your writing is, per usual, fantastic. I greatly enjoy the interaction between predator and prey and the perverse pleasure that predators take in digestion.. it's morbidly enjoyable

Posted by BizzareBlue 7 years ago Report

Thanks again and yeah, I think the way predators and prey interact is one of my favorite aspects of vote. I definitely love writing dialog between them.

Posted by Combat 7 years ago Report

That does bring up a good point, would the largest of predators consider smaller ones potential prey as well in hard times?

Posted by BizzareBlue 7 years ago Report

That's something that gets briefly mentioned in the second chapter. There are no actual laws preventing predators from eating each other during hunting hours but most avoid doing so. As well as the laws dictating when and where people can eat each other there is a kind of honor system that most predators follow dictating stuff such as 'don't hunt other predators', 'don't interfere with someone else's quarry', and 'after finishing a meal, either take their clothes/possessions home or at least dump them in a nearby trash can.'

Getting a reputation for breaking these wouldn't actually get someone arrested but it might earn them some unpleasant looks from other predators and some of whom might decide to ignore the don't hunt predators rule back. Unfortunately for Jessi, very few people consider rats to be predators so she has to be very careful when going out during hunting hours. Up until now, she was relying on Aura to keep her safe while hunting.

Posted by Combat 7 years ago Report

Are there any exceptions to these rules? Like don’t hunt pregnant prey or perhaps prey with positions of authority?

Posted by BizzareBlue 7 years ago Report

In terms of the legal rules there are a few exceptions and loopholes but not many and mostly regarding stuff like renting and subletting. At one point I tried to put together a more definitive list of hunting laws but didn't get very far, which is probably a good thing as it lets me introduce new loopholes and details when needed. In general though, the rules are pretty straightforward. In privately owned buildings, the owner gets to decide whether hunting is allowed or not. In public, the legality of predation depends primarily on the time of day. A slightly more complete version of the rules is listed here but it doesn't cover everything.

As for the honor version of the rules, it's kind of hard to say. There are no concrete definitions that everyone follows, just a few things that are commonly observed and even those are not universal. Some predators would definitely avoid pregnant prey, just as others might try to stick to people they don't know, or release those they felt sorry for. Very few, however, would avoid eating prey in a position of authority, in fact, many would actually go out of their way to target those people. Part of the reason these kind of laws are in place, despite not being in the interests of the majority of the population, is that predators tend to hold all the powerful positions in this society and the few prey that do manage to get some power often don't last long.

It's not only predators targeting the prey species with power that causes this kind of effect. Prey are generally regarded as unsuitable for any important role. If a company needs to appoint a new CEO or something, they are much more likely to go for a predator than someone who could disappear without warning if they ever went outside at night, taking with them any knowledge they might have about the company's strategy. In short, it's a horribly broken system with a small subset of the population holding almost all the power and wealth as well as the right to devour the smaller creatures.

Wow, asking me questions about hunting hours is a good way to get giant walls of text describing my world-building. Sorry about that.

Posted by Skittles209 7 years ago Report

Team up with someone less inclined to enjoy one's own taste? Or just more willing to use a partner as a lure for a more fulfilling meal?

Posted by BizzareBlue 7 years ago Report

Yes, but the difficulty is in finding someone like that. A lot of predators might say that they don't like eating rats or that they just want her assistance but, once she is outside with them during hunting hours, they might have a sudden change of heart. Knowing who you can trust is difficult. After all, Jessi had been hunting alongside Aura for around two years before this.

Of course, she could go the other way and try to find someone smaller than herself but that raises its own problems. Rats are one of the smallest species capable of eating someone in this setting. Even if she did find someone, she would then have to convince them that they could trust her and a smaller creature would not be able to protect her should they run into a larger predator which was one of the main advantages of working with Aura.

Posted by Kasra 7 years ago Report

The tactic worked! I'm surprised, and really looking forward to how Jessi deals with Aura going forward.

Looking forward to seeing more of this!

Posted by BizzareBlue 7 years ago Report

I know, that never works. Jessi got incredibly lucky there. Glad you are enjoying it and will hopefully be able to upload the next chapter on Friday.

Posted by Randomness 7 years ago Report

"In the mean time, why don't you tell me a bit about yourself?"

As always, your dialog is exquisite. Your predators come across as perfectly normal beings with their own lives... and then their predatory urges kick in; their sadistic side shows.

It's quite fascinating.

Posted by BizzareBlue 7 years ago Report

Thanks. Making the predators feel like normal people who aren't doing anything very unusual is one of my main objectives so it's really good to hear that I'm succeeding with that.