Creator questions
What's your name (real or screen, your choice)
LapisLucius42
Tell me about yourself, age, where you're from, what you do, anything you want others to know about you, sex, etc.
Male, 26, Floridian, Degree in Mechanical Engineering and seeking opportunities
What brought you to the Zootopia fandom?
I saw the teaser for the movie on Facebook. Call it intuition or a gut feeling, but I felt the desire to see the movie. Gut feeling was proven right and I later joined the fandom after discovering ZNN and reading the fics featured on the website. I began writing Zootopia fanfiction as a small break after having writer's block with my other Disney fanfiction, thinking it would be brief. Little did I know that I would devote my writing to it instead.
Who is your OC today?
Riley Lucius
What animal are they?
Lynx-ocelot Hybrid
What do they look like? Special markings, colorations, etc.
Melanism except for gray on the muzzle and down the neck and to the belly. Brown eyes. Genes allowed him to experience a growth spurt. Face of a lynx. Long tail of Ocelot. Body a mix.
What inspired you to create them?
I needed a species for my fic and was playing Skyrim one night when the idea came. I was playing as a Khajiit which is a mix of the various feline species so I tried to imitate the general features for the OC
What are they like?
Very protective of family because of interspecies. Skeptical. Helpful. Is a research and development engineer. Prefers the peacefulness of isolation though some would call it the loneliness of solitude. Helps him concentrate on his work. Tries to accomplish work without help.
What's their family life like?
Homeschooled along with my sister until high school. Faced prejudice because of interspecies family and appearance. He and his sister hid their hybrid nature except for their close friends and family. Family is upper middle class. Father is a lynx and a jokester. Mother is an ocelot and the serious type. Sister is a twin hybrid named Valerie with albino fur and blue eyes.
How bad would you say hybrids are treated in your headcanon?
At the time of the movie, they aren't as badly treated as they were when Riley and Valerie were kits. Mainline hybrids such as coywolfs and mules are considered to have been "grandfathered" into modern society as a result of many years of existence and observance. Discovery of new possible combinations results in both intrigue and ridicule. News of defects or genetic features contributed to the negative stigma of hybrids. In ancient times, mammals believed evil spirits were the cause for two different species being able to reproduce. Exile was common because the interspecies were left to fend for themselves As the years passed, mammals became less superstitious of hybrids but the physical evidence of defects and health problems continue to feed the stigma of hybrids not being natural. Add onto that there are lingering fanatics.
What's the hardest trial Riley has ever faced because he's a hybrid?
As a kit, he and Valerie were naive to think being hybrids were the best thing ever. Until other kits/cubs started bullying them. Got to the point where a fight occurred involving Riley and Valerie's fur got dyed black to match her brother. Parents pulled them out and homeschooled until high school where they hid their true species. As an adult, the trials were only from their co-workers but they quickly learned not to mess with them. Being hybrids gave them certain advantages.
What kind of advantages?
For both siblings, there is a slight increase in height and strength. From lynx, they inherited their secretive nature i.e. you barely hear the noise. From ocelot, its aggressiveness in defending their own.
So no one really knows what to expect from them at first?
Nope. They look like weird cats until asked. Even then they try to be vague until they know the mammal is open minded.
Does that ever backfire on them?
Occasionally. They're open to their bosses. Coworkers, they have fun messing with their heads. When asked why, they point to the reactions. They try to stay at one job to keep the facade.
Do they have a love interest?
No
Do you have any stories written about them or that they're included in?
Riley appears in my Assassin's Creed: Zootopia as one of the main characters, cameo in Lance's (CaptainPrice79) Zootopian Assassins, and a cameo in Sapper and Kristy's Life Turns Right
Your character is in a couple of different stories. Which version will we see in the interview?
Life Turns Right. Assassin's Creed Riley is off the grid. But the backgrounds are the same. Just one was recruited into a secret order midway through his career.
Tell us how you see culture in Zootopia. For example, do all foxes or rabbits have the same culture or is there a difference depending on subspecies or region?
Each main species has a main culture that is the foundation. The basics. Within the different subspecies, culture is added with respect to the features and/or the regions. Arctic mammals are good examples. Sentience also plays a role in how cultures are formed. Some domestic mammals such German Shepherds would exist in my headcanon as a result of selective breeding, or the desire to emphasize a feature or trait over others.
Ultimate Zootopia question. Are you a WildeHopps shipper or do you prefer them with a different ship?
WildeHopps shipper. Not outspoken on it but I let it slip and got kerfuffled. Ok more like I got slapped with the shipper tag on another server and didn't complain.
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 again another special guest is joining me today. My very own uncle Riley! Thank you for coming in today."
"Always a pleasure to meet my favorite rascal!"
giggles "That's right. And you're my favorite uncle. Just don't tell anyone else."
Chuckles "I promise."
"Hehe, so me and you have something in common that's not that common. Why don't you tell our listeners what that is."
"Gladly. See like Vicky, I myself am also hybrid. But unlike Vicky, my parents are of similar species. I and your aunt Valerie come from a lynx dad and an ocelot mom."
"So that's an interesting combination. Can you describe some of the features you inherited from each parent?"
"My head is that of a lynx. Since this is a podcast, I can't do my normal demonstration but my long tail is from the ocelot genes. For the body and limbs, it's 75 lynx and 25 ocelot. You wouldn't be able to tell because of my size and fur color unless I told you."
"So unlike me, you're a somewhat proportionate mix between your parents. So for the most part you're able to blend in fairly well. What happens when others realize you're a hybrid?"
"I got mixed reactions. Rarely was anyone shocked because when they asked me, it's usually for confirmation. Some of my friends and colleagues were rightly upset because I didn't trust them enough to reveal. But they understood once I explained and had my back against the less...welcoming ones. As for strangers, I just let their minds play games. Not wasting time unless approached. Out of all the features, the growth spurt and the black fur are the first line of defense."
"Have you ever lost friends over it?"
"Sadly yes. Being naive kits, my sister and I thought being hybrids was awesome and told everyone. But then," Snaps fingers, "We became pariahs. The close friends I had would only meet in secret to avoid the teasing and bullying. High school was when I started keeping my hybrid nature a secret. I wanted to avoid past mistakes while also promising my parents to make friends. Here's how I went about it. Passively, I let my grades bring mammals to me and vet them out. Actively, it was through extracurricular activities. I didn't have to worry about losing friends in college and beyond with constantly changing faces."
"Who are some of your oldest friends?"
"Two stand out. Been best friends since elementary school. I won't say their names for privacy reasons but they are a brown rabbit and a coyote. After revealing myself as a hybrid, their parents were rather...less accepting...part of the reason why I had to face the backlash alone. My only regret was that I should have been more understanding of their situation as much as mine. Still, my sister took it upon herself to knock some sense into them. Nothing serious. Only a serious talk and a few slaps to the faces. After that, we did everything we could to hang out outside of school. Secret base with passwords, always making sure to 'run' into each other, etc. Now that hybrids are becoming more accepted, we plan on catching up since the three of us are either retired or getting close to it."
"Are you retired yet?"
"Will do this year. Almost at 40 years working in a few months and want to end off on a good number."
"What do you plan to do after retiring?"
"Spend time with my family and friends first and then discuss starting a business together with the latter. Whether that's a franchise for a popular chain or our own thing remains to be seen. I'll still offer my services as an engineering consultant on the side for a bit."
"So you've basically got an idea and backing to do it?"
"Yep! It's flexible enough to include input from them and, should they decline, for me to prop it up myself."
"What about now? What are you doing outside of work to keep yourself busy?"
"I go to the gym to run a mile and then go for a swim every other day after work. On Fridays and the weekends, I like to eat out at a sports bar or wherever I can watch a game. I'll bring my laptop too in case I have last minute work or just personal projects."
"Do you do anything else just for fun?"
"I like to go deep sea fishing and scuba dive. I have loved the ocean since I was a kit. Hoping to land a beach house with the retirement money."
"Nice, I know where I'll be spending my summers."
Laughs "First I need to find the right one."
"Yeah, I need you to get one with beach access." giggles
Chuckles "No promises. Worst case scenario I settle for a saltwater aquarium. Bring a small part of the ocean to me and I can't go to it."
"And it's a little strange as most cats don't really like the water. Mom, for example, is terrified of going out on the water. Especially the ocean."
"It's always funny seeing her glaring at me as I'm doing backstrokes in the ocean while she's standing on the shore. I don't hate water much because many times the mammals who hate hybrids use water to mess with me. At first, I did react strongly but they did it so much my response is simply, That's it? Never fails to make me laugh watching strangers wonder why I didn't jump. Once I got over hating water, that's when my interests in fishing and scuba diving took off."
"What is it you like about scuba diving?"
"Ever seen those above water views and how clear it looks? I think 'Dang, why can't I breathe underwater?' I am mesmerized by the open ocean. Especially when it's just sand and deep enough to see the sun rays. Almost wished I was a fish. Seeing sea life is just a bonus."
"Have you ever experienced anything dangerous while diving?"
Riley gives a hearty chuckle. "Let me tell you Vicky. Despite their beauty and unfair reputation, don't mess with sharks. I always brought a speargun as a precaution but never imagined using it since I was always with other mammals. The area was known for tiger sharks. I got distracted at exploring the reef that I swam a little far from everyone else. When I looked up, I froze. I don't know how big it was, but I saw this huge tiger shark gliding by. I finally mustered up the courage to aim my speargun at it. The shark hadn't come in my direction so I didn't shoot. But I also couldn't swim back yet. It felt like an eternity, but finally the shark was far enough to where I can slowly swim back to my group. While the encounter should have made me think twice about diving again, it only made me have more respect for the ocean and its inhabitants. Plus I wasn't going to let one tiger shark ruin diving for me."
"What about smaller mammals? Some of us are less than a mouthful for some sharks."
"I never had to deal with the procedures. I do know that rodents and other extremely small mammals are always connected by a line to a larger mammal. They can't be together in a group or they might be mistaken for a swarm. That's just for smaller or docile sharks. The bigger or dangerous ones..." Closes eyes and pauses for a moment. "Pray to nature." Opens eyes again. "My rabbit friend hasn't had any life-threatening encounters. Couple scares but that's all."
shivers "Yeah no thanks. I'll stick to sunning on the beach. So what other hobbies do you have?"
"I enjoy tennis. Played with my dad as a kit at the park. He used to play it a lot in college." starts to laugh but stops himself "I would tape the names of mammals I wanted to hurt and smack them since I didn't want to be arrested for assault. I used racquetballs so I could remove the names easily. Nowadays, I watch the games live when I can."
"What would you say is the biggest accomplishment in your life?"
"That despite my hybrid status, I made my family happy and I am happy."
"Cheers to that. What are some of the other places you've been to in the world and what's your favorite?"
"I've visited other countries and natural wonders with my friends when we could. But as you can tell, they're more landlubbers than I. My favorites were trips to the Great Barrier Reef, the Jellyfish Lake in Palau, Cage Diving to see the sharks in South Africa."
"That sounds exciting. Unfortunately we've run out of time today. Thank you so much for coming on today."
Sags in seat "Aww okay." Perks up again Well then, thanks for having me on here."
"And thank you listeners for joining us for another show. See you next time."