Ok so I've been thinking back on fanon Virgil, and the fanfics I used to read back in the days (the horrors, I know) and one trope/genre(??) was "neko" stories. And just, something about the worlds in some of those... It's kinda uncomfortable? Like in most of them the nekos are kinda treated like pets and below humans, even though most of the time they're literally just humans with cat ears and a tail. Like they're fully sentient and can (most of the time) talk!! Also most of the stories I read involved the neko(in my case typically Virgil) being rescued by the others from the black market or something like that.
Now all that isn't entirely bad, I've actually read a few that were pretty good and with an interesting premise! (Although it was forever ago and I doubt I'd find them again) One in particular I really enjoyed was one where it was set just a few years after it had been made illegal to trade/buy and keep nekos as pets, and they've been legally recognised as people. The story followed Virgil being rescued from being trafficked on the black market by the sides,who's been Champaign for neko rights for years. And it follows him learning about and accepting that he is in fact a person, and that the world is not like the one he's been raised in anymore. Sadly it didn't get that far.
Another interesting one that kinda sometimes teeters on the edge of being icky is when nekos are still considered pets, but the sides are huge believers in neko rights. Like they think the way they're commonly treated is disgusting, but have to go along with it in public due to laws. I think it can have some really good dynamics, and the story still works and stuff. Idk I like the way it acknowledges the weird parts of it. I find it pretty interesting.
The ones that just feel kinda yucky, are the ones where they're just treated as pets and property, but it being portrayed as completely acceptable. I think the ickynes is definitely strengthened by the fact it's fanfics. Cause you already know these characters, you see them as people. So seeing one of them being treated as lesser than by the others, it just feels weird. Like yeah sure, the villains treat them as animals, fine, sure. But the "heroes"? The people who are supposed to rescue them from this horrible situation treating them the same just they're not beating them?
Like let me just give you a bit of an example of a typical story: the sides finds/rescues Virgil, go "aww can we keep it?" They clean him up, and give him a bath(cause he couldn't possibly bathe himself, cause he's got no bodily autonomy) they bond, they ask him his name (cause remember, he can speak English) he reacts badly to something, or says something out of pocket. They pitty him going "awe poor thing must've been abused" and stuff. And later they're all like "oh hey let's go shopping! We need to get him a collar :D" which is like???? Like yeah sure lets have this wholesome moment where they get him new clothes and a collar, cause he's not allowed to be outside unless he's accompanied by an owner and on a leash :) (like do you see what I'm getting at?) and one of the most outrageous ones is one where they have a wholesome moment where he gets actually good food for the first time, and he has to eat on the fucking floor?!?!? Hello???
Now, I think what irks me is the way it's conveyed? Like the way these moments are conveyed as wholesome and cute, it feels as if the author doesn't see anything wrong with it. Like I don't think I would be that weird to me if the author ever said something like "I know this might be seen as weird, but it's not intended and it's just fiction so let's move on" it's the idea that they don't see the issues. Like I love reading fucked up and problematic shit (toxic ships and yandere tropes my beloved) but at least that's typical with the understanding that we both (reader and author) understand the fact it is problematic and fucked up.
Idk this is really long and rambly, and don't know what else to say, just wanted to get my thoughts out about this I guess??? might be making a different post about old fanon Virgil cause oh boy-