So happy to post these, but I commissioned @shark-train for a custom anthro design of my Doom babygirl, Jashera!
The idea's been floating in my head for a long while, largely on account of my partner and I watching Beastars together... but also in general working on my partner's Beastwalker lore, which isn't tied into Beastars but their own separate mythological lore which you should totally ask them about—@vendettapandav / @wiildcr ; the latter blog is an RP blog for their Wolfwalker OC, Rayn!
Anyway, Jashera here is a Dragon Li x Bengal hybrid.
Why? Because she's a pretty kitty!
And also because both cats have traits that really emphasize her personality and background. I'll save most of my rambling for below the cut, though, since Jashera is one of my OCs that gives me a severe case of brainworms and I very well could hit the Tumblr text block limit if given the chance. If you do want to read more about her background, I do have a written biography for her! And I do roleplay her on a sideblog, which I think... I added to my pinned post. I'm not sure—
Warning for discussions of medical experimentation/abuse, in relation to Jashera's canonical lore.
Starting with the Dragon Li, otherwise known as the Chinese Li Hua, isn't… technically a proper breed. Rather, it's considered an experimental-class breed due to the fact it's like… a near-equivalent to a grey tabby cat here in the States. But honestly, that kinda works for Jashera given her lore in like… the most literal sense (re: being classified experimental). Which, the TLDR for that:
UAC personnel like Dr. Hayden and Olivia experimenting to find uses of Argent Energy (the natural energy fueling Hell). Olivia goes heretical, as she does in canon, but takes it further and decides to start further experimenting to determine the long-term effects of Argent on human bodies and if it would be possible for humans to gain demonic powers through this. After adult trials fail, the next logical step is children. More malleable and likely to adapt, though infinitely more risky. Enter baby Jashera and several others. Incremental exposure slowly kills off the subject pool, save for Jashera and a handful of others. Olivia decides to take it a step further and try to rewire the human body around absorbing Argent… so the remnant subjects undergo an invasive cardiac surgery to implant and transfuse a raw crystal. Jashera is the only survivor.
She's not considered human by those who are staunch in their beliefs, but no demon considers her one of them either. She's an experiment.
Going on an upward and more lighthearted swing, there's a few other reasons I chose this breed in particular as one of the two:
Shared Culture—Jashera is Chinese-Hispanic (specifically, Bai and Catalan). She was born and raised (until the above, anyhow) in the Yunnan Province, and I did write a whole meta exploring her attempts at reclaiming her culture as an adult (written in the context of Chinese New Year, as I was posting a lot about that and realized that her ability to even participate would take so much internal work for her as someone who was raised in sterile laboratories unable to really experience much of anything beyond what was expected).
Characteristics—The Dragon Li is claimed to originate from a hybridization of a domestic cat and a wild Chinese Mountain cat. As such, they maintain a lot of their strength and overall alertness. They're clever, vigilant, and very active. They're also not one to really enjoy the feeling of being captive, as they don't enjoy snuggling and need a separate space from others. Jashera is very similar! She's vigilant due to her traumas and because, well, Hell is invading Earth and she works with ARC so she is always two steps away from imminent danger. She's a lot smarter than people assume, given her role as a Radio/Telephone Operator for the organization (maintaining radio communications among field teams, physically repairing equipment, etc etc). She's always been active, but especially prefers staying active now as the Argent has taken a toll on her cardiac health (TLDR: she suffers from Atrial Fibrillation, Heart Murmurs, and Premature Ventricular Contractions), so she maintains a gentle but consistent routine to keep her heart strong enough to function. And, as sociable as she is, she needs time alone. She hates feeling "trapped" in conversations and situations; it gets overwhelming.
Then, there's the Bengal! Unlike the former, the Bengal is a recognized and standardized breed. Similarly, though, they stem from the crossbreeding of an Asian leopard cat and domestic cat (primarily, the spotted tabby Egyptian Mau).
This breed was definitely chosen mostly for personality, but also because of their spotted coats/overall build. They're much more slender than the Dragon Li, and have that lithe athleticism that I feel really suited Jashera since she has a similar build as a human.
Bengal cats are affectionate, energetic, and animated. They tend to be a lot more sociable than the former, so long as they have the room to grow and play! And that's how Jashera appears to a lot of folk. It's not that she puts her bubbliness on as a mask, but rather… I guess she started doing it as a mask, but as she healed and did the work to grow into herself, it stopped being a mask and became a genuine excitement to exist in the world around her. She loves being able to take up space—especially as a racialized trans woman; she's very unapologetic about that part of her identity—and loves finding people that she knows she's safe enough around to do that with. As shitty as her life has been, too, she genuinely does want to see the good in the world and tries so hard to nurture it any way she can.
She's just such a wonderful person. I love her so much!!!
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