I love it whenever someone shows off their furry form or some other furry form they identify with. It's like they're saying "This is ME -- far closer than my meatsack and interests in worldly things"

Here's the real kicker: This is all in a world where we can't just shift our shape on a whim. What if we could? If it happened right now, it would feel *freeing* (and terrifying -- what shapes are others choosing?), but if we grew up with that, meh.

If we always were in a world where shapeshifting were common, the ability to *not* shapeshift would seem like a crippling disadvantage. "You can't shift? I'm so sorry. :( I can barely even imagine. I won't bring it up again, promise."

@Ulfra_Wolfe The real question to this is, would the shapeshifter remember what form they began as to change back into their original image? Thus, a shapeshifter, while seeing a non shapeshifter, might indeed see the lack of shifting as a disadvantage but also envy that very concept.

@Zaiaku Now there's an angle I wasn't looking at. Very interesting perspective. Once you add limitations, things get interesting.

@Ulfra_Wolfe Wait, I can expand on this even more.
Assume the shifter does indeed remember their original form. How long would it take before they start to question is it is indeed the original and not something they decided on.

@Zaiaku I was faced with that quandary and I decided it didn't matter. If it resonated with me and it was fun to experience and I felt free with it, it didn't matter.

@Ulfra_Wolfe True true. I was just mentioning the possible moral/personal dilemma that might occur.

@Zaiaku I don't wish to brush aside the quandary because I found my own personal answer, mind! It's actually a very interesting quandary to consider.

"What did I used to be?" is an interesting question for a soul to ask, and I feel like Salvia has given me some idea.

@Zaiaku It leads me to think -- do we presume the past is innately inferior, a child that had to learn to grow? Or was it bad to be a child? Did we really need this extra dimension of space to be happy? I'm thinking about this question on multiple levels now.

@Zaiaku (The extra level of thinking is "What is happy? Existence is about just feeling happy, or else there'd be no pain", but I'm losing myself in my thoughts again)

@Ulfra_Wolfe
Don't worry about it, I know you went just brushing it aside.

In thoughts like that, I turn to "The meaning of life is 42" from Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy.

Concept applies to everything not just life. "Existence is about...42" "What is happy" 42.

Which, once you understand why the answer is 42, makes all the sense in the world.

@Zaiaku I think the best part of that whole story was that massive civilizations put their all into the answer instead of just living.

@Zaiaku At the same time? There's something about Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy that feels enjoyable. Like it's a world that wouldn't be *fun* to be in, necessarily, but I mean I *did* play an Interactive Fiction game to be there. I'd even go there as a 3D self, just as long as I never ended up in a moment of being tortured.

@Zaiaku It makes me think. What if this world were a gameified thing we wanted experience with? "Pain is HILARIOUS!"

@Ulfra_Wolfe Yep, at the same time. That's the beauty of 42. I can explain it if you want.

Agreed, it would be interesting to go their but not to stay. VR might be able to make that a reality one of these days.

As for the gameified experience...I know another story that relates to that. >.> its kinda messed up and enlightening at the same time.

@Zaiaku "Kinda messed up and enlightening" is Salvia, I think I can handle it haha.