Creator questions

What's your name (real or screen, your choice)

My screen name is TeiOuja, but my friend Bob calls me Tequila.

Tell me about yourself, age, where you're from, what you do, anything you want others to know about you, sex, etc.

An amateur screenwriter who's in his mid-Twenties, living in a small slice of the Australian countryside. My biggest dream is to one day make my own animated movie.

What brought you to the Zootopia fandom?

I've been on the Zootopia hype train since the first trailer came out in late 2015. To date, Zootopia is one of my favourite movies.

Who is your OC today?

Kayla Tasque

What animal are they?

Bornean Pygmy Elephant

What inspired you to pick a pygmy elephant?

I don't see pygmy elephants show up in Zootopia, so I figure why not make Miss Tasque one?

What do they look like? Special markings, colorations, etc.

Imagine an elephant the size of a small condo in Little Rodentia [2.5 meters], dressed in the most modest fashion a gal could find in 1959 and a queer whiteish splotch below her chin that resembles a smiley face...belying a fiery temper. Now put her in the kitchen.

What inspired you to create them?

Her name was inspired by a pun. A Tasque-Mistress.

What are they like?

On the small screen and the airwaves, Miss Tasque is a ten-tonne bundle of warmth and affection who encourages her listeners to follow their heart's desires from the comfort of her home studio in the Meadowlands. But in her family-owned restaurant, any warm fuzzy feelings are immediately dashed in her kitchen. She prides herself in preparing the finest vegetarian cuisine to a fanatical degree, and will not tolerate any deviation from one of her many patented cookbooks. And woe betide anyone who criticises her methods in her kitchen.

What's their family life like?

When off the airwaves, Kayla is a devoted housewife who dotes on her husband and children at every opportunity. Some might complain she is too protective, with a list of prohibited topics longer than a fully-grown Bull Elephant's trunk, but as Miss Tasque would say, "A family is like a cake; all the right ingredients have to be in the right order, or the whole batch is spoiled".

What made you decide on the time period you chose?

I'm working on an audio drama set during that time period, so I figured it'd make sense.

Will she be featured in it? Or is a completely unrelated work?

I'm not entirely sure, but I'm very tempted to see how she'd fit.

Do they have a love interest?

She's happily married.

Do you have any stories written about them or that they're included in?

Not yet.

Have you tried to implement a cultural aspect into your character's story? Or did you have something cultural in mind when you started building the character?

Not really.

Ultimate Zootopia question. Are you a WildeHopps shipper or do you prefer them with a different ship?

I don't really care either way. Let the shippers ship, I'm just here to tell a story.

For the purpose of the OC interview the setting is the creator's OC is about to be interviewed by my co-owned OC Vicky Chola. A north american grey fox vixen in her mid 20s. They're both in a studio booth with headphones on and microphones to speak into. The interview we did earlier about the creator and their OC is considered a pre conversation between these two before going on the air. Vicky will ask questions based on the answers provided by the creator. Enjoy!

"Welcome everyone to another edition of the Characters of Zootopia show! I'm your host Vicky Chola and joining me today is Kayla Tasque. Thank you for joining me Kayla."

"Much obliged, darling."

"So Kayla, you are probably the biggest mammal we've had to come on our show. Both in personality and size. Yet, you're actually rather small when most of our listeners hear the word elephant. Tell us why."

"Mother nature can be a fickle mistress. I'm too small for elephant herds, yet I cannot enter a standard elevator without shedding more pounds than I care to." She sniffs an eyebrow twitching at Mrs. Chola's remark.

"Um, I was referring to your exact species."

"Don't patronise me, dear. I knew exactly what you meant." Clearing her throat, she then places a book on the interviewer's table. "If you'd like, I'd give you a full encyclopaedia of recipes I've mastered over my long life."

"Right. Why don't you tell our audience what species you are."

"Oh, I am a Dwarf Elephant." Kayla replies, bowing her head slightly in response to the interviewer's question. "My grandfather emigrated here from the Savage Islands. He was a little foggy on the details, however."

"Did he ever mention how old he was when came here or why he did?"

"No." She replies again, clearing her throat with a sideways glance. "Well, he didn't mention why he emigrated here. Truth be told, he never told us about his side of the family. Or if he even had any."

"Is he still living?"

"Sadly, he passed away before I graduated from culinary school. One could say I owe my entire career to his memory."

"How so, and I'm sorry for your loss."

Clearing her throat, she replies bluntly. "In his sleep, as he would've wanted."

"Uh, I meant how you owe your career to his memory."

"He taught me everything I know, and I hope to pass down. From the basics of cooking, to sampling spices, et cetera."

"How does what he taught you compare to what they teach in culinary school?"

"Well to be quite blunt, your average cook is taught in culinary school to start at the basics and stay there. For example; hygiene alone is a necessity that most of your average restaurant owners & business-types in other parts of the Western world just casually dismiss as a polite suggestion."

"Should I be worried about my next meal?" said with a smile

With a blank stare, Kayla coughs quietly. "Not unless you follow what's in my book. It might not be the quickest, or the easiest, but it'll be worth every penny saved."

"Let's go ahead and talk about your book. It's the first one you've published, right?"

"Second, actually." She corrects the interviewer. "The first one I published was a collection of tales from the Islands." She sighs. "Not particularly proud of how that one panned out."

"I'm guessing it didn't do so well?"

She chuckles. "Putting it mildly, aren't we?"

"That bad hu? So what about the second one? How's it doing so far?"

Proudly, she taps the cover of her cookbook. With a wry smile, she replies. "You're looking at it, my dear."

"So what can your readers expect to find in your book?"

"If you want to prepare succulent dishes for any and all occasions, this is the book for you." She follows that remark with a dry chuckle. "It also won't cost you an arm, a leg and a tail."

giggles "So are all your recipes safe and palpable by all species or are some species specific?"

She shakes her head. "Not unless you're cooking for elephants, my dear. But yes, anyone who has the heart for cooking and the patience for improving one's skills in food preparation is more than welcome to give these recipes a try."

"Would your book happen to have conversion tables for the ingredients? To make it more convenient for other species?"

She blinks, looking at the interviewer like she had grown another head. "No."

"Okay then, where do you think you are in your career? Are you peaking out, somewhere in the middle or do you feel you've just scratched the surface of your potential?"

"Oh, I've barely scratched the surface." She replies, in complete seriousness.

"So, so far you've completed culinary school, become a successful head chef, written a book and hosted your own show. What do you see as your next accomplishment?"

"That, my dear, is for the future to decide."

"We'll definitely keep an eye open for your next big adventure. Unfortunately that's all the time we have for today. Thank you for taking the time to meet with us."

"Thank you for your time." Courteously, she bows her head.

"Thank you to all our listeners out there."