alchemicink

Challenge #2: Pets of Fandom

Loosely defined! Post about your pets, pets from your canon, anything you want!

Well, I don't have any pets (and don't plan to have any in the future), so here's a bit of rambling about various fictional pets and some headcanons about characters who need an animal companion.

Here are a few fictional pets that came to mind first:

Star Trek: TNG - Data and Spot

One of my favorite examples of pet ownership in fiction. How lovely is it to watch Data, an android, continue to explore humanity by choosing to raise a cat! Spot doesn't show up very often in the show, but it's always a highlight when he does. You can tell how much Data cares for Spot (despite not having the human emotions for it).

Plus, my favorite moment will always be Data giving Worf instructions on how to take care of Spot

ATLA: Aang and Appa

Best buddies! Appa can't talk, of course, but he still feels like a character in the show, regardless. He's very expressive for being a giant flying bison.

And unlike most fictional pets, he's pretty vital to the plot. The Gaang wouldn't have covered nearly enough ground without him. And his kidnapping in season two has a profound effect on how things play out for the rest of that season.

(Honorable mention to Momo the lemur, who is adorable, but not nearly as plot relevant)

Fullmetal Alchemist: Riza Hawkeye and Hayate

Hayate the dog doesn't make very many appearances in the series (in both the '03 anime and Brotherhood), but I like him anyway. Hawkeye always seems to me like a bit of a workaholic, so it's nice to get a glimpse of her having a life outside of the office too when we see her taking care of Hayate.

Kamen Rider Ryuki: Shimada Nanako and Marilyn

This is a silly and brief example, but Shimada has a pet iguana named Marilyn. It's not often you see someone with a pet iguana on TV 😅 Anyway, Marilyn rarely shows up onscreen, but does actually contribute to the plot late in the series. The Ore Journal team finally figures out about the mirror monsters thanks to Shimada randomly taking photos of her pet!

It's a very Ryuki-esque turn of events.

***

And lastly, a few of my headcanons about what kinds of pets some fictional characters would have:

☆ Cat lovers: Todoroki Shouto from My Hero Academia and Alphonse Elric from Fullmetal Alchemist. You just know both of these guys would be delighted to have a feline friend to dote on. (It's pretty common in bnha fics to give Shouto a pet cat. I have even written this once in a fic myself, though my version was inspired by the office cats where I work 😂)

☆ Stoic pets for stoic people: okay, so no one in Stargate SG-1 should have a pet since they spend so much time on other planets... BUT I also kinda think it would be really cute if Teal'c had pet hermit crabs. I think he would enjoy picking out new shells for them as they outgrow their old ones. I know this headcanon is very random, but I like it!

☆ Needs a bird friend: since I'm currently watching Kamen Rider Amazon, I think it was a missed opportunity not to give Amazon a bird friend. Like some sort of tropical bird that hangs out on his shoulder sometimes, and can help peck out the eyes of all the beastman monsters he fights. I just think it would have been cool. And funny 😂

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

From:

stardust_rifle

That moment with Data and Worf is so good and so relatable. I, too, tell every cat I encounter that they are a good and pretty cat.

alchemicink

It really is a requirement for every cat 😁

linky

Appa is a classic companion! And I remember Marilyn in Ryuki because as you said, you never really see a pet iguana. I also love the idea of Amazon having a bird companion. :D