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Some thoughts:
1. Would a mammalian-type youkai (a fox, a tanuki, a nekomata or a kamaitachi) be able to catch a disease like rabies? Traditionally speaking, an animal youkai is not inherently magical by birth, but by age; I know one version of the stories says that an ordinary cat will become a nekomata after it becomes ten years old, at which point its tail splits and it gains the ability to manipulate the dead. Foxes, too, are not born as able to take human guise -- I think the number I heard was ballparked at a hundred years, for foxes.
(Of course, this point may be rendered moot, because given Japan's isolationism, would rabies even reach the island around, say, the time of the Meiji restoration? --this I could probably look up, but the thought strikes.)
2. Does anyone else have a problem with naming characters in the way that, while there are plenty of perfectly good solid names out there, you also know someone of that name, strongly enough that the associations would be weird? I had an original character whose nickname was "Kay" -- but this is also my mother's name, so I mean. On the big fat IF I could get this story anywhere, Mom would most certainly read it, and that's just ... weird to think about.
Or in a modern-day setting -- "Jessica" and "Jennifer" are both highly popular names for girls, but I live with one of each and know numerous others of both, here in Seattle and from Texas. There's a certain point where you feel oddly self-conscious -- even if no one else is going to care enough to call you on it, you-yourself do. I mean, occasionally it feels like the name Edward has been "ruined" for me forever.
(Not quite, though, because one of the guys responsible for training at work is named Ed, and is about as far as one can get from Mr. Elric.)
Man, I feel like I should be doing something, but my brain is far too fuzzy to concentrate. I hope the others get back with food soon~~
1. Would a mammalian-type youkai (a fox, a tanuki, a nekomata or a kamaitachi) be able to catch a disease like rabies? Traditionally speaking, an animal youkai is not inherently magical by birth, but by age; I know one version of the stories says that an ordinary cat will become a nekomata after it becomes ten years old, at which point its tail splits and it gains the ability to manipulate the dead. Foxes, too, are not born as able to take human guise -- I think the number I heard was ballparked at a hundred years, for foxes.
(Of course, this point may be rendered moot, because given Japan's isolationism, would rabies even reach the island around, say, the time of the Meiji restoration? --this I could probably look up, but the thought strikes.)
2. Does anyone else have a problem with naming characters in the way that, while there are plenty of perfectly good solid names out there, you also know someone of that name, strongly enough that the associations would be weird? I had an original character whose nickname was "Kay" -- but this is also my mother's name, so I mean. On the big fat IF I could get this story anywhere, Mom would most certainly read it, and that's just ... weird to think about.
Or in a modern-day setting -- "Jessica" and "Jennifer" are both highly popular names for girls, but I live with one of each and know numerous others of both, here in Seattle and from Texas. There's a certain point where you feel oddly self-conscious -- even if no one else is going to care enough to call you on it, you-yourself do. I mean, occasionally it feels like the name Edward has been "ruined" for me forever.
(Not quite, though, because one of the guys responsible for training at work is named Ed, and is about as far as one can get from Mr. Elric.)
Man, I feel like I should be doing something, but my brain is far too fuzzy to concentrate. I hope the others get back with food soon~~
