Just a quick generalization, as there are lots of dif types of fluffys out in the booperverse.
In the streets a smarty is usually the more clever ones, that can sweet talk away from trouble and steal food from humans. But this can turn them hedonistic and weak to it’s peers, and if someone smarter steps up they’ll most likely be the new smarty
street herds are loose with their roles, its mostly fluffys that act togheter under 1 ruler calling the shots, once they become too big they tend to break into infightings, shatering hte herd in smaller ones with their own not-so-smart-smarties. very few herds survive long enough when that happens
in the wilderness and farmlands, smartys are the stronger ones, the ones who will put their body on the line for their herd if needed. They will help coordinate its herd members for difficult tasks and keep sure everyone live in safety against the elements and predators. if they lose their leadership role its usually because of old age or physical ailments that get in the way of it’s dutys, they may even step down themselves if they are deemed unfit by the herd.
unlike urban herds, wilderness ones tend to be more well organized in their roles. they also tend to keep tabs on their numbers, not overbreeding to avoid food shortages and exiling members who are not putting the effort.
but again, these are generalizations, and there are as many dif herds and smartys as there are dif fluffys
I think the bad leader is such since there’s a more reliable source of food year round. Outside a city? Maybe not. More predators that humans aren’t keeping away too.
I think a suburb fluffy smarty would be interesting too, maintaining a semi-feral state. Fewer variables
I think it is less dependent about street vs wild in general. I think most who take the mantle of “smarty” let the power corrupt them. Only on rare occasion will you naturally get a “good” smarty or smarty-friend without them being raised that way. Being raised to know that it means to lead and what to do for the herd and why.
I prefer the idea that good intentioned smarty friends are more common, but they’re less interesting to tell stories about because bad smarties make good villains.
I think they are far less common but they tend to have a low turnover rate. A herd might have the same good smarty for years. A herd might have several bad smarties in a few months, if th herd even lasts that long.
But yeah, villains make stories interesting. Heroes are great but their worth is unminded when there is nothing/no one to overcome.
Well, less heroes and villains and more “everyday, average smarty.” Granted, the old timers say there was a time when smarties were rare, and I like the approach @Foxhoarder@Oculusfluffy etc have in that fluffies shouldn’t deserve abuse. Now, for some it’s all hugbox and others or makes abuse more satisfying but either way…
AFAIK, “smarty” (as used by fluffies) just means “leader”. The term only has negative connotations when used by humans, whose only experience with smarties are the arrogant ones. “Smarty syndrome”, while quite real, is somewhat misnamed, since it is derived from the human belief that “smarty” means arrogant idiot, not “leader”.
I disagree with the classification here, between “street” and “wild”, partly because calling bad smarties “street” is a bit too much like calling them “urban”. But mostly I don’t think the location of the herd matters, except that wise smarties are likely to lead their herds away from urban areas to avoid conflict with humans.
To me, the division is between wise and unwise smarties. Of course, most fluffies, and by extension most smarties, are unwise; but then, when you look at human “smarties” through history, I’m not sure we’re doing much better than the fluffies.
Anyway, wise smarties are humble, recognize that they can improve and look for ways to do so, and understand that they serve the herd, rather than the other way around. Unwise smarties, to varying extents, assume they already know everything and see their herds as followers. Not all unwise smarties are monsters, mind you–most of them are okay leaders most of the time. But when the chips are down they make the wrong decisions.
Edit: a reliable way to identify wise vs. unwise smarties is whether they refer to themselves as “smarty”.
I wonder if the difference in smarty types may be due to environmental factors.
If we assume that it’s easier to find more fluffies in an urban area than a rural one (due to a higher number of runaways, strays, pet stores, abandoned by herd) then the Street Smarty may be more willing to sacrifice their herd simply because it will be easier for them to get a new herd. By contrast the difficulty of replacing fluffies in the wild may convince Wild Smarties to take care of every member.
Another factor is food. If we assume that it’s harder to find food in urban areas than rural ones (due to the abundance of grass and other plants in the wild) then Street Smarties may be more willing to sacrifice less useful members of their herd simply because it’s difficult to feed a large herd. By contrast the abundance of food in the wild may convince Wild Smarties to keep every member as they’re able to feed all of them.
Did you root in my head for the definite answer to Smarty Domestic and Wild??
My additional info: Grandma and Grandpa Wild/Ferals tend to be like human grandparents: they love spoiled grand kids, and are always trying to be there younger selves, like pranks and jokes on there children to entertain the grandkids.
