So I just got this lovely question on Name Game, and I just had to share my thoughts!
Also, thank you Flowing Curtains for commenting, cuz I've had this little hc for a while but couldn't find a good place to include it in the main story.
So, I've always envisioned that mutants have a sort of... disjointed, 'uncanny valley' look to them. I mean, the majority in the show are humans merged with something else, so you have to imagine that their bodies just don't... look quite right. Bones stretched where they shouldn't, angles jutting a little too far or not far enough. That sort of thing. (The Hamato's maybe a little less so, since Draxum designed them personally, but it's still there and noticeable)
But Yokai, if you're using the context of the real life legends and other lore, like I did or tried to do in the story, then the race of Yokai is /Ancient/. Around for longer than humans have existed and will probs be around long after them, too.
NOw imagine being a yokai, surrounded by so much variety and cultures from across entire generations, forced into hiding by humans (if Draxum is to be believed), so there is definitely some resentment there, and you come across a mutant.
At a passing glance they probably look really similar to any other yokai, but then you do a double-take because they look similar... but slightly to the left of normal.
So, already, a majority of yokai will be put off at the first glance of a mutant, but then when they recognize that some of the /off/ looking traits belong to the mutant's human side/heritage, then that's where the recognition and in many cases dislike/hatred comes from.
Hence, River's hard time growing up.
I'll def be getting into this more when I write the short story on how River first met Yuichi and Murakami-san, so keep an eye out for that!
Again, thank you Flowing Curtains for the question, and thanks to anyone else who’ve reread my stories!
