AlleyCatSunflower

Or, here's a thought, you could just ignore them? Literally no one is forcing you to read the comments, and she's just pointing out inconsistencies in the plot anyway. Her observations have nothing to do with the story being unrealistic due to being set in a fictional world; otherwise the complaints would be about magic crystals and shapeshifting. They have everything to do with Qingqing being stated to be a "normal sixteen-year-old girl" yet repeatedly shown to know way more than a normal sixteen-year-old girl should with minimal explanation (all the while being called kind and sweet while behaving like a selfish hypocrite), and with Curtis and Parker being stated to be desirable mates yet constantly behaving in immature and even despicable ways that no sane Earth female should tolerate. These are objective flaws in writing that can and should be called out without being classified as hate or "ruining the story". The bottom line is, it's her right to comment whatever she wants, regardless of whether you understand why. She's never told anyone to shut up or tried to get people to stop commenting their observations. So the real question is, why are you wasting everyone's time getting pressed over everything she says? It shouldn't make a difference to you. Leave it be.

I'm referring to why the beastmen consider freckles ugly. They, unlike the author and Qingqing, are *not* Chinese.

Well, it seems we agree on something, even if only through sarcasm. The sheer strength of the physics-defying, succeeding-against-all-odds plot-shield Bai Qingqing wields in every single aspect of this story is staggering. My main point in mentioning this is honestly that it'd be a lot easier to relate to her if she, allegedly a fellow human, faced any legitimate struggles or debilitating incidents that didn't magically disappear just like this sprained ankle.

To be honest, I really don't think I'm out of line in assuming that cats in the beastman world resemble cats in the real world. I am aware that this is a fantasy world, but that really isn't a reason to throw all non-fantasy, Earth logic out the window, contrary to what this author seems to think. As I said, Flos eriocauli does exist in the real world; I looked up its properties on a site affiliated with traditional Chinese medicine, and the author is Chinese as well, so they should know this. They could just as easily have made the plant something completely unique to the beastman world so they can say it has whatever effect they want. That way, everything would be accounted for in-universe, just like the established fact that people can transform into cats in the first place, and no one such as myself would be able to do a simple Google search and question it.

Logically speaking, a plant to which neither a cat nor a human reacts would also not affect a "demi-human cat". I'm just wondering why the author chose that particular plant to have that particular effect when it doesn't have that effect on either of the two species on which they based this race, that's all.

You'll notice that I am not complaining about people transforming into animals, the existence of dinosaurs, or extending lifespans via crystals, because all of that is established to differ from the real world. I'm just pointing out that Bai Qingqing, stated numerous times to be an ordinary human girl, is able to heal faster than ordinary human girls for no reason at all. It's called "breaking suspension of disbelief". This story being set in a fictional world does not excuse unrealistic situations beyond those that are clearly delineated and explained.

The author says her "reserved nature as a female" prevented her from looking at Curtis like that just two chapters ago––after she's already sneaked peeks at Parker, and right before she does the same for Curtis. I'm asking why the author so recently cited her "reserved nature as a female" as a reason for modesty even though, as you say, she clearly isn't too shy* to look at men. *It's worth noting that she still ACTS shy for some reason. It just doesn't stop her from doing it anyway, apparently.

3.) Ah, so you did finish the sentence, and I just didn't check to see what else you were saying––turns out I wasn't missing much. You can still think whatever you want. 4.) You keep saying that, but you haven't backed it up at all. But that's fine. I think we're both tired. 5.) I wasn't talking about one of my comments. I was talking about one of yours. This isn't a matter of opinion. This is a matter of in-universe fact. You keep making assertions without backing them up at all, but then again, so does the author. It makes sense that you would think like them.

1.) You do need to satisfy my need for proof if you're going to argue with me using "facts" I'm actively contradicting. Also, if someone withdraws their consent and their partner keeps going, as is what happened during that scene, it's still rape even if consent was obtained prior. 2.) See Dany's entire reply. Rape *is* established to be bad in this universe, so you really don't have a leg to stand on there. 3.) I don't know how you were planning on finishing that sentence, but you're free to believe whatever you want about me. Unlike this book, there are no cited sources I can pull out to prove you wrong, after all. Anyway, sounds to me like you're using "gray area" as a way of justifying Parker and Curtis's behavior. Believe it or not, I have little interest in black-and-white morals; I just have an issue that objectively bad things are being handled in a way that implies they're acceptable by virtue of Qingqing being a young, impressionable Earth female who somehow accepts this behavior without question. I'm only insisting you're wrong because you commented something factually incorrect and then utterly failed to back up your point. No hard feelings.

I'm not going to reply to the multiple comments you're leaving (even if it seems you've deleted one); I'm including my responses to both of your recent comments in one. I gave you quotes and citations and asked you for a quote in return, and suddenly it's too much trouble to go back when there's a table of contents right there and I gave you the chapter. Of course *I'm* the one who isn't paying attention, even after directly quoting the excerpt where Curtis rapes Qingqing. As it happens, I did in fact just reread that chapter, and no, he absolutely did not obtain consent before penetration the way you've been insisting. What you're saying is objectively incorrect, yet you still have the audacity to tell me that *I'm* the one who isn't reading closely enough. Unbelievable. Qingqing did not stand her ground when Curtis caught up to her; she was too terrified to move. She didn't try poisoning him; it just crossed her mind and she stopped considering it the second he revealed that he already knew the mushroom she was contemplating was poisonous––the actual poisoning was a complete accident. And I can't believe you're citing that "she decided to stay with him because she felt she had no other choice" as an example of her standing up for herself. That's not the foundation of an even remotely healthy relationship. Moving on, sexual assault is defined as "an act in which a person sexually touches another person without that person's consent", and while the acts themselves may not involve penetration or overtly sexual touches, Parker and Curtis's desire is *absolutely* sexual––they state multiple times, surrounding those instances of assault, that they intend to mate with her. Your view on sexual violence and harassment is atrociously narrow if you think that everything is totally excusable up until the point of non-consensual penetration. But judging by your completely nonsensical defense of Curtis, you seem to have no problem with non-consensual penetration, either. Another piece of news for you: rape does actually exist as a crime in this world and is, in fact, viewed as one of the worst possible things to do to a female (per Becky's treatment at the hands of feral beastmen). Mark removal and abortion medicine exist to counteract the results of rape, so don't talk to me about how animals don't understand consent when laws against rape exist in this world, per the universe's parameters. It's true that Qingqing has no obligation to accept rapists, but because she refuses to take charge of her own relationships and discipline her males the way females in this world are expected to, she does it anyway. Her acceptance of Parker and Curtis does not counteract or overwrite the fact that they are abusers. I suppose you're one of those people who doesn't believe marital rape exists. It's *because* of people like you that I read this story and comment on it. It's important that people consume content critically while they enjoy it, and while I honestly couldn't care less about the plot or protagonists, I find the universe promising enough to slog through it anyway, taking notes and leaving critique. If I can prove to even one person witnessing this discussion that perhaps they shouldn't just be taking this behavior in stride and normalizing the kinds of things Parker and Curtis both do, to say nothing of Qingqing herself, then my work will have been done.