Well in ffxi there was an item you could use to turn into children version of races, as well as children being present in the world. As such seeing a comparison might make it easier to see them as adults
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People view things exactly as society has been forced into them. Much like religion, when someone sees something one way they can never see it another way. And when someone tries explaining it to another, that person either won't listen because it contradicts everything that they were taught, or they won't care to listen to the views of others. We could argue that lalafell look like children, but so what? This is a game of *fantasy*, where the impossible happens. People with tails, cat ears, horns, extremely tall, pointed ears, extremely buff, or even short. Given time, we might even be able to mix some of them. And when that happens, the whole argument will happen again because people can't handle things like seeing a lalafell with a tall person in marriage. That's the way I see it every day, apart from the popoto jokes which are getting really old.
^
This guy gets it. Appearances aren't everything.
Plus they are just more youthful than say an elf who could live for hundreds of years. They'll never be taller just like elves never really age visually.
Lalafell's look cute and small but I consider them adults. Short Adults. Pretty sure lala's can carry themselves in a more adult way than Miqote.
Back when I had just started playing FFXI and my mum was watching me play the game a bit, I ran past a couple of tarutarus (XI's lalafells) who were fighting orcs or something. She told me "look, those children are getting attacked, you need to save them!" :)
I view them more as "things", really.
A bit hard to convey, but when I look at a Lalafell, I do see a child or an adult...I just see a small "thing" walking around that looks adorable. That's about it lol
Except people with any sort of dwarfism usually don't look perpetually child-like, especially in regard to facial features and lack of more prominent gender-defining physical features. Lalafells also have it taken a step further by having facial features such as bigger eyes and smaller, "button-like" noses set on one of the biggest head types of any race that increase any sort of "cute" appeal that are more associated with features found with babies and were the same sort of facial features used to sell teddy bears.
That feels like less of a shot at Mi'qote than it is at most Mi'qote players. If so, then +1 from me.
Also for aging, Elezen do age, it just takes centuries. Last I checked, Lalafell stop visibly aging (and growing) at like 10 years old.
I "see" them as adults.
And they feel like it even more in storylines.
(Though they cant ever be anything short of comical it feels, even Lolorito etc.)
I feel their design closely resembles children, but is alien enough that I also dont think they are close enough to mistake them as children.
(To me its like mistaken females as children, because they dont have "adult" features.)
As a person who has been through fantasy settings everywhere I do not and just have not seen small people = children. Small people are small people.
And lala's especially seem to come with a very deceitful and cruel seem streaks that no child has. Looking at you Lord Lolo!