Creator questions

Who is your OC today?

Rosa Deerborn

What animal are they?

Sika Deer

What's your favorite part of creating a new character?

Definitely fleshing out their backstory. I'm a sucker for details.

What's your favorite part about this character?

Her general good-naturedness.

What was your thought process in choosing a sika deer?

In all honesty, Rosa was a spur-of-the-moment creation. I just had a mental image of a deer, and it took shape while I was writing.

Do you ever feel like the fandom spends too much time focusing on a select group of animals instead of venturing out and using animals that aren't used often if not at all?

I think there definitely are some examples of original and 'out there' species, but yes, most of the fandom is confined to a dozen or so animals. That isn't entirely bad, but more variety is always good.

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

Brown colored fur, with rows of white spots on her back.

What inspired you to create them?

I love the trope of one type of person falling in love with another, so I needed to create someone who was almost Milo's opposite. Rosa is well off, well spoken, and most importantly, a prey mammal, everything Milo is not.

What are they like?

She is more outgoing than Milo, she easily makes friends in new situations. She dislikes conflict, and looks to stop fights rather than start them.

What's their family life like?

She and her mother are very close, but her father is manipulative and abusive, not physically, but he is unhinged.

Do they have a love interest?

Milo Latras, her fiance.

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

Yes, 'On Ice' on a03.

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 Rosa Deerborn. Thank you for joining me Rosa."

"Thank you for inviting me, Miss Chola. It's a pleasure to be here today."

"Please, call me Vicky. So I understand you're actually engaged to one of our previous guests?"

"Yes, Vicky. Milo and I have been together for some months now."

"So what's it like being with someone so different?"

"It's not actually that bad. Of course, we have our differences, but we love each other very much and we can work around them."

"What did you think of him when you first met?"

"Well, at first I was a bit nervous. I had never lived near a predator before, and I wasn't sure what to expect. But after a week or two, I saw him for the loveable idiot he is, and we bonded. Pretty soon, we were best friends."

"When did you realize there was a spark between you?"

"After we had been living together for several months. It was actually my mother that made me realize it. I thought we were just good friends, but she pointed out that my feelings were much more than that."

"How did you react or what was going through your mind when you finally realized how you truly felt?"

"Well, I wasn't as surprised as you might think. I wasn't even that nervous about telling him how I felt. When I thought about it, we had been basically dating for months. Sharing an apartment, watching movies, going out on the weekends... I was sure he'd feel the same way about me, and he did."

"Were you nervous when you told him? Afraid he might not return those feelings?"

"Yes, I was. We were very good friends, and if he didn't feel the same way, that would've made our living situation very awkward. Thankfully, he returned the feeling tenfold."

"How accepted have you found being in an interspecies relationship by the public?"

"There have definitely been mammals that have made their 'concerns' about our relationship heard. Milo and I try not to let them get under our pelts. The number of people who don't approve of us seems to be outweighed by the people that do, so we have that going for us."

"So it seems your mother is accepting that you're in an inter-relationship. What about his family?"

"Well, Milo's only living relative is his uncle, and he was fine with our relationship when we met."

"Were you nervous to meet him?"

"Well, Milo didn't tell me I was going to meet him. He just told me to meet him somewhere and he just showed up with his uncle. I guess I never had time to be nervous, but Rob seemed like a pretty cool guy."

"How did you react to being... surprised like that?"

"Oh, I was fine with it. Milo never springs anything on me like that unless he's sure nothing bad will happen, and he was right."

"So what do you do for a living?"

"I'm in college right now, but I work a side job at a bodega."

"What are you studying?"

"Law, It's been my intention to be a lawyer since my teen years."

"Oh nice, how far along are you?"

"About one and a half years. It's been difficult, but I really think I'll be able to make it."

"Are you hoping to specialize in any particular field?"

"I'm still not sure, but right now I think my best bet would be to study general practice."

"So let's rewind a bit and get to know the younger you. Where did you grow up?"

"The Meadowlands. My family owns a sizable amount of land out there."

"Oh nice. How would you describe yourself while growing up?"

"I was, well, rather isolated from other kids my age. I went to a very expensive girls-only private school, and I wasn't able to make friends there. On to of that, my father wouldn't let me socialize with what he called 'the common people', so I was mostly alone before my teen years."

"Other than the raging hormones, what changed when you entered your teens?"

"I started to dislike my father. Of course, when I was younger, I looked up to him, but once I started to get my own ideas he tried to reign me in. Needless to say, I started to see through his 'caring father' facade. Aside from that, I started getting out of the manor whenever I could."

"Did you make more friends then?"

"Yes, but not very many. I wasn't allowed outside that much, and when I was I was usually with someone. Father was wary of allowing me to sample the world. He relaxed as I got older, and by the time I was an adult, I was pretty much free to do what I pleased, provided I was home by curfew."

"When did you finally feel like you were out from under him?"

"When he kicked me out. I was overwhelmed at the time, but something behind all the worry about what I was going to do was happy that I didn't have to deal with him anymore. I could've crawled back and he probably would've taken me back in, but I didn't, and I'm glad."

"How did you go about making your own way in life after that?"

"That's when I met Milo. I had some personal savings that would get me a few nights in a hotel, but not much else. I looked around for the cheapest apartment I could find, and I saw him online looking for a roommate. We met up, we moved in, I got a job, and here I am."

"The night howler crisis was going on about the same time wasn't it?"

"Yes, in fact, that was why Milo lost his job. He got furloughed because his boss thought he would endanger the workplace."

"What about you? Were you worried he might go savage?"

"Of course I was. Before we met, I had never been in close contact with a predator, and my opinions were heavily influenced by my father's, and I don't need to tell you that he was biased."

"So how did you two end up sharing an apartment?"

"We were both cash-strapped, and we thought it would be the most efficient option."

"We discussed earlier how you were concerned that Milo might go savage, do you think you were desperate enough to accept that possibility or was it something else?"

"Looking back on it from the perspective I have now, I'd like to say that I knew he wouldn't go savage, but I didn't. I didn't know enough about predators to know the 'savage' theory was complete bunk. Honestly I was quite apprehensive, but yes, I was desperate enough for a place to live. Besides, he's about half my height, I thought that if he did I could probably take him. Sorry Milo, but you're quite small."

Giggles "That's kinda funny. But it also reminds me, a lot of species have a genetic history of males being larger than females and we know from ancient accounts that some even had males fighting for breeding rights. Obviously we've grown past the fighting but have you ever thought about the size difference between you and Milo being a hindrance or something you don't necessarily find attractive? Just me speaking personally I've always been attracted to taller guys and wasn't necessarily drawn to guys shorter than me in a physical attraction sense."

"I realized after we began dating that I do find shorter guys appealing. Our size difference doesn't really get in our way, since we're both technically medium-sized. We can both fit in the same car quite well, and our apartment was made for larger mammals, so we have plenty of space. Milo's quite conscious of his height, and he's asked if it affects me at all, but I've reassured him that he's the most attractive mammal I've ever known. Plus, he's not short in every aspect."

giggles "Well that certainly makes it a plus. And it is certainly a big way to end. That's all the time we have for today. Thank you for joining us Rosa."

"Well, thank you for having me here, Vicky. This was nice."

"And thank you audience for joining us today. See you next time!"