All Comments on 'Little Fang'

Interesting clan he has found himself in. This offshoot in Toofy's world has potential for a book all on its own. His learning Ratata language, writing and culture while maybe bringing some new ways into it from his. They appear to have isolated themselves for who knows how long to avoid the fates of the past, the fates Ratata have been compelled to have. He could use that ability to compel, that his position allows, to help them in ways they may not realize.

I have to wonder about the 'beast' of this story. A man with black eyes containing red flecks and two tiny neko sticking out of his head shredding fur? Then it appears to say the man was actually an adult male neko?

"Bad Magic. Makes bad kitty. Dead now." A bit of a confusing picture.

We don't know how this story fits in the Toofy world timeline yet. Could that have been Kaden's end with Toofy's kids eating his brain while battling him? Or some demon magic (Menes?) possessed neko with two small ones battling him? Or some different demon magic empowered lord under Kaden meeting his end?

If it's the last possible, that could signal the merging of tales coming soon. Somehow I picture Nekos and Ratata may not have had the best of past relations. So the clan leaving their solitude to return to the 'world' may not be an idea happily accepted. But if Cohen saw something in that moment he realizes is a bad sign, that the clan is in danger whether they stay out of it or not, he may have to order a war footing and move them toward a possibly disastrous future. Cats & rats & elves & succubi & dragons, oh my... the exotic ranks grow.

My 2 cents

Great story in my opinion. I like the characters and the plot. I like the interaction between the characters. I look forward to reading more. Thanks for your time and your imagination.

I loved it. But even though I'm mostly caught up on reading Toofy, I still don't understand how Maly knew his name without him telling her.

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I'm also confused about Inny knowing the Human language if she's Maly's double/replacement/successor. Why doesn't Maly know it too? 5/5

@anon The neko in this case is a nobody. Just one of the survivors of the human/neko war (both sides had their experiments). However, it is a cautionary tale. We've seen Toofy come close to losing control a couple times already. This is what she might end up turning into.

@ScottishTexen _shrug_ Maly Kiel is Maly Kiel.

ScottishTexan, Maybe that was a mistake? The author left out him saying his name to her? I went back and looked after you pointed it out. I had just assumed he had said his name at some point in their first introductions.

The language knowledge is another good question. The only real similarities between Maly and Inny are their eyes, skills and social position within the clan. They may not be blood to one another. We don't really know. I suppose, since the Ratata have been made to breed in the past they all could be blood to a degree. Let's say they are sisters of circumstance. Inny was raised somewhere that made learning human necessary while Maly was not. Or Maly was more willful in not learning than Inny?

I wonder if eye and hair coloration has any significance in their culture? Could coloration have once denoted different clans? Does eye color denote inherited strength or rank?

Maly acquired that book somewhere and took to the pictures within. Was it previously in Inny's possession and she claimed it after becoming the leader? Is that really what Kiel denotes? Would have to learn more Ratata names to draw better conclusions. I have to wonder, did one or both of them spend time at the temple? That would be a place with enough power, influence and money to have such a book made. If so, one or both could have escaped the temple. Could a certain neko have assisted in that? Maybe even relayed Cohen's name from a vision?

There are supposed to be more clans than just the one featured here. But how many and how big? Are they all just an apparent hodgepodge formed out of necessity from whatever ones of their kind arrived and were accepted? They appear to be quite few in numbers like the neko, kitsune, dragon etc. Were they another group the empire had decided to wipe out? Or had virtually wiped out through use as expendable warriors?

That was fucking awesome. So different and unique. I loved this one. And since it's in Toofy's universe, that just makes it better...

Thanks author.

Oh, so many questions, so little time... Well, as I'm not planning on a sequel, I'll just exposition dump the background lore, as I did have it all before I wrote this piece.

> Maybe that was a mistake? The author left out him saying his name to her?

Not a mistake. There were a few hints here and there, but it wasn't said plainly. Maly Kiel had an instant and supernatural reaction to Cohen when he came close. She knew who he was, and that he was Rataraed, and would be her mate, from a distance. That connection came from her being Maly Kiel, as a job title (see the next question).

> The only real similarities between Maly and Inny are their eyes, skills and social position within the clan.

So very close! The eyes are a result of their position. Their names are titles, not actual names. Ratata call people after what they do. Their abilities, and eyes, come naturally from that. That is to say, every clan is led by a Maly Kiel, and assisted by an Inny Kiel. When one is lost, a member of the clan will wake up, transformed.

> There are supposed to be more clans than just the one featured here. But how many and how big?

There is an absolute crapload of them. Ratata are the main slave force of the empire. Thousands of them exist, born into servitude. The other stories focus on the lords and ladies, so you'll never see ratata. They are the lowest of the low. The ones who do what no one else is willing to do. They breed in large numbers, and eat anything. (And their commonality is why Cohen knows some rattan).

There's a hint where this clan comes from, in the song they sing after the wedding ceremony. If you dump it into Google Translate, you'll find that rattan is just Polish. The second last line is the key one.

> That would be a place with enough power, influence and money to have such a book made.

The book comes from the Arausine Kingdom. There are traces of that kingdom in Drachne. It's ancient and long gone, but had equality for all, and that concept is what captured this little Maly's heart.

On a related but unasked note: The Rataraed is expected by the ratata to unify human and ratata as equals into one people. It's a Messianic type of figure to them. A return to the days of the Arausine Kingdom.

> They appear to be quite few in numbers...

I get why you thought this. It's mostly because this story isn't in the empire. It's in the inhospitable wastelands that nothing can survive for long in. Basically a bunch of swamplands that kills everything, beyond the borders of the empire. Even the emperor didn't both conquering it. There aren't a lot of ratata, aren't a lot of humans, aren't a lot of nekos, etc. Because living there is hard.

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Oh, and one more thing from an earlier comment. "Nekomimi" are just cat ears. Its a pretty common Japanese term for it. Not sure if you quite realised that.

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At this point, my notes on the Toofyverse are quite extensive. If you've got any questions at all, always feel free to ask away. Some things I'll hold onto because they might be spoilers, but there's a ton of background lore that I can't go into normally as its just background noise in a story. More than happy to talk about that!

I guess I'm always full of questions anymore. lol

_I understand the idea that she felt he was her destiny and the long expected one for her people, it was just the miraculous way she somehow knew his name as well that ScottishTexan questioned. It did seem an oops without a Toofy like vision or visit from a Ratata goddess? 🤓

_Ok, that's a bit more magic involved than I was expecting with the eyes/social position. I wondered if both Maly and Inny (I'll use their title 'first' names as I know no other names pre-title) had ended up in that place with other random Ratata ultimately forming a clan. I guess not. That particular clan seems quite small with number of huts and members. I actually woke up this morning picturing Cohen teaching them to make bricks for use as a paved surface in their village. Less mud to wash off feet that way. As well as a clan hut 🛖 for weddings or other clan meetings/activities. Then I pictured sandals as a shoe style appropriate for their kind. It wouldn't be confining and unnatural and would be easy to remove if a fight was necessary.

_What about fur coloration?

_I wondered about the birth rates but given their example of propriety in their ways it seemed like a cultural way to limit their sexual proclivities. From Inny's descriptions, as slave warriors, it appeared they weren't allowed 'mates' just whatever 'baby's daddy' a master assigned for the job. Likely a great many of them.

_The empire should be swarming with newly freed Ratata after Toofy's action. Or would they still find themselves obeying because they know no other way? Obeying would feel familiar and safe unlike being out on their own. All of them could need Maly, Inny and Cohen desperately to give them a path.

_I haven't read Drachne. Spiders kinda creep me out. lol Guess I'll have to take a look so I can picture more of this world.

_I did misunderstand nekomimi. I don't think I've read any other story with a neko. I think I read a story once with a kitsune before but I can't remember the title. She was not the primary character but knew one of them. She sacrificed several of her tails to help the main characters. It was explained that it took considerable time and magic to acquire them, each and every one, so losing one was not done lightly.

_All those extra details can be so cool but yeah, they make for a very wordy chapter to describe so little really. That's definitely an advantage for film over books. You can have lots of things happening in the background as well as a detailed, colorful place and people seen without the need to spell it out.

_I've spent years, as Partwolf says, "living in his head rent free" LOL He's on a bit of a sabbatical right now so I may have dove extra hard into Toofy's world. So many layers to go through, pieces to align and tapestry to reveal it has made me obsessed to see every detail. 🤓 Have a good day Shakna.

> Then I pictured sandals as a shoe style appropriate for their kind.

I originally imagined them with ugg-boot style shoes, so that they can feel the ground. The ratata have a real connection with the earth, on a semi-spiritual level. (Even though they worship demon kind). Sandals would work, too. Maybe one day we'll find out.

> What about fur coloration?

Rats come in lots of kinds. Even from a small genetic pool. There's nothing major there.

> I wondered about the birth rates...

Prolific is the short answer. There's a few parts to it. First, Inny isn't allowed, until Maly does, but that's their relationship. Other ratata can get permission from Maly (or now the Rataraed). However, kids get raised by the whole community. No real parent roles.

> The empire should be swarming with newly freed Ratata after Toofy's action.

So, so many things happened because of that. An empire built on slavery now has to... Deal with what happened. But first, there's a neko and an emperor who are going to come face to face. (Sidenote: Have you counted how many chapters Toofy has?)

> I haven't read Drachne. Spiders kinda creep me out.

You're... Not alone. I know. I made Drachne, but spiders terrify me. Something to do with stumbling on a funnel-web as a kid.

> So many layers to go through, pieces to align and tapestry to reveal it has made me obsessed to see every detail.

It's awesome to have a reader who notices things. I've dropped so, so many hints at different things along the way. It's been really fun, if sometimes exhausting.

Wow that was great ,the ratata are fierse both in fighting and fucking , I love it nice to see you blend them into Toofy.

You're not makin a sequel!? But we need on with inny to! Lol

> You're not makin a sequel!? But we need on with inny to! Lol

> Inny rolled her eyes, "You've already had him once. When do I get my turn? I don't just want seconds."

> "Mmm... Void freezes?" Maly laughed

Please write a sequel! This story was too good for just one chapter!

There's now a little bit of a follow-up to this tale in "A Very Toofy Christmas".

Excellent Story!!! More please!

I loved this! Shakna, I do not know how, but every story you write is so engaging. I really hope you keep writing for a long time, and I hope more of this story comes as well.

Needs part 2.

@TheDemonWhisperer - You can see a bit from the ratata in "A Very Toofy Christmas". And there's a whole listing for this universe on my profile under "Toofyverse Chronology".

Excellent story!

11/10!!!!!

I was kinda on the fence about reading the story. I'm glad I did, you did a masterful job of character and scene development. Without knowing anything about the background universe before reading this I was immersed into a well laid out story that didn't leave any loose ends. An excellent job. I would like to see more chapters of this story.