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diff --git a/docs/furry/index.md b/docs/furry/index.md index b047b30..0b5e7c5 100644 --- a/docs/furry/index.md +++ b/docs/furry/index.md @@ -1,6 +1,6 @@ # Furry -I'm not even ashamed now, I'm a furry. Don't like it? Call 800-IMA-JERK. +I'm not even ashamed now, I'm a furry. Don't like it? Call 1-800-IMA-JERK. As of 2024-09-08, my fursona is Mosfet. @@ -13,6 +13,12 @@ three icons: fish, music, heart.](img/index/mosfet64rev2-600.png) - [Mosfet: An Interview](./mosfet-an-interview.md) +## Literature + +- [The Two Travelers from + Metropolis](the-two-travelers-from-metropolis.md), a fairy tale + featuring my sona + ## Personal reflections - [A Furry's Manifesto](./a-furrys-manifesto.md) diff --git a/docs/furry/the-two-travelers-from-metropolis.md b/docs/furry/the-two-travelers-from-metropolis.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000..0aa42f4 --- /dev/null +++ b/docs/furry/the-two-travelers-from-metropolis.md @@ -0,0 +1,136 @@ +# The Two Travelers from Metropolis + +2024-10-13 + +> Context: Last semester I took Prof. Laura Okkema's [GERMAN +> 386](../umich/w24_fairy.md). She then invited me to her creative writing +> workshop, and this week we're working on fairy tales. So while we're at +> it, why not write a furry tale? + +Once upon a time, there was a gray wolf called Leon and a black cat called +Mos who, after years of living in the metropolis they were born in, +decided it was not for them. They wandered the land in search for a place +that would accept them, and that’s where they would live. As the sun +touched the horizon they finally arrived at a city, where they were +greeted by an old bear. + +“Welcome, visitors! Say, your clothes look dashing!” Indeed, they were +made of fabric weaved only in the metropolis. + +“Thank you sir,” replied Mos. “Could you show us the way to a hotel? Leon +and I need a good night’s rest.” + +“You see, gentlemen, I own the inn right there; it is a good place to get +some peace.” As they walked down the street, no one could look away from +the travelers’ clothes. They wanted to know what other treasure the +travelers have brought along. Leon and Mos were flattered, and promised +they would share them with everyone. But they could hardly keep their +eyelids up, so they retired to their room and fell asleep. + +As the bell tower struck twelve, a shadow unlatched the travelers’ door. +He pinched Mos by the back of his neck so he could not move, then tied +Leon’s snout shut so he could not bite. Both of them felt a sharp blow on +the back of their heads, and the next thing they knew, they were stripped +naked and thrown into the river. The ice cold water washed them +downstream, until a fallen trunk caught them just outside of the city +walls. + +“Those robbers took our clothes and luggage,” Leon waved his fist. “You +cursed dog, our blood shall cry out for vengeance!” + +“They tried to take our lives as well; I’m just glad we’re both alive. +Let’s dry ourselves, and find somewhere to sleep.” + +Clearly the city wouldn’t accept them. Leon and Mos must find another +place. + +In the morning, they were surprised to find their bag caught by the trunk, +but the valuables had been removed. All that’s left was some plain +clothes, which they put on immediately. They abandoned the bag before they +set out again. + +Just as the sun lost its glow to the distant hills, the two travelers came +across a town. The mayor, a spotted cheetah, welcomed them to her house, +where she had invited a couple guests. The travelers didn’t seem any +different in their plain clothing. + +“Say, dear travelers, what do you think of our town?” asked a middle-aged +fox, wearing a cook’s hat. + +“Oh, it is lovely!” replied Leon. “Except I notice many houses in bad +condition, while the mayor’s seems new. Mos, don’t you agree?” + +“Yes, I believe the citizens deserve better housing.” + +The atmosphere grew intense as the mayor laid down her fork. “Well, young +travelers from the metropolis, don’t you find it condescending? The king +orders his servants to do charity, while he does not spare a penny.” + +“Your words have offended our beloved mayor and us citizens,” the fox +remarked as he forced a cup of poisoned wine down their throat. The +travelers soon laid on the floor. + +As Mos woke up in the morning, he was shocked to find that he had lost his +voice. Leon, too, was trying to howl in vain. They rushed outside, only to +be ignored by the townsfolk like ghosts. They ran as fast as they could, +until the town was out of sight. + +Clearly the town wouldn’t accept them. Leon and Mos must find another +place. + +As the clouds cleared up for the milky way, they found a wooden bridge +that led to a village. The villagers paced back and forth, weeping and +calling for help. + +“Oh heaven help us now!” A lion cried out, “The sudden high tides have +stranded our poor baby in the middle of the river!” Indeed, there was +a frightened lion cub sitting on the highest branch of a tree, swaying in +the wind. No one in the village could both swim and climb, but Mos could. + +Without saying a word, he jumped into the rapid current followed by Leon. +They barely made it to the tree. + +Swiftly, Mos ascended the trunk. His fur and clothes were dripping, but +that did not bother him. With night vision he located the lion cub with +ease. He extended his arm, but it was too far to reach. He laid his entire +body on the branch, but it snapped under the weight. + +The cub fell in Leon’s arms safe and sound, but Mos dove headfirst into +the water. Terror seized Leon’s heart, but he had to transport the cub to +safety first. He held it above his head, inhaled deeply, and began +swimming upstream. + +Mos awoke in Leon’s arms, completely dry and surrounded by villagers. The +villagers asked them where they traveled from and what they wanted as +a reward, but they could not speak. All they could do was gesture vaguely +at the town and their throats. The lion understood them, and reemerged +with a potion, of which Mos and Leon both took a sip. They felt a tingling +in their throat, and in no time they could once again speak. + +“We are lost, and we don’t have a penny,” plead Mos, “but all we humbly +ask is a night’s stay.” + +“We are forever in your debt,” exclaimed the lion. “If you so wish, you +could stay here forever.” + +Clearly the village has accepted them. Leon and Mos were too young to find +out how long is forever, but for now, they are home. + +## Trivia + +I, by definition, cannot write a folktale, so this is more like +a [Kunstmärchen](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Literary_fairy_tale). The +species do not carry any hidden meaning whatsoever; we don’t have +stereotypes of sly foxes and dumb bunnies. The genders of characters, +apart from Leon and Mos, are arbitrarily assigned. + +Like the Grimms, I cranked up the knob labeled “violence” in later +revisions. Originally, the story only had one traveler. Leon was added +because I genuinely felt bad for the shit Mos went through. The stripping +part was inspired by the classic “Clothing = Power” equation. I could have +not thrown them into the river, but I did it anyway because I wanted to. + +The sentence “You cursed dog, our blood shall cry out for vengeance!” is +hands down the funniest one in the KHM. (Use caution; “The Three Black +Princesses” is racist af.) After six months of not knowing what to do with +it, I’m glad to use it where it belongs. |