{"sf1_id":270875,"sf2_id":"rn6YQ66m","title":"A Furry Love Story - Look In the Mirror","author":"anthroguy101","words":657,"posted_at":"2011-07-25T19:09:00.000Z","tags":["Convention","Future","Manitoba","No-Yiff","furry","restroom"],"url":"https://fse.anthro.fr/stories/270875-a-furry-love-story-look-in-the-mirror","original_url":"https://sofurry.com/s/rn6YQ66m","image_url":"https://cdn.sofurryfiles.com/submissions/thumbnails/3b/df/3bdf4a47-04ed-4be1-861c-67c3717cdabf","description":"#8 of Scraps","content":"My first meeting with Mr. Li ended at 13:00.\u0026nbsp; I had plenty of time that day to do other things.\u0026nbsp; CNN gave me a call later that day and wanted me to get back to the story, which meant I had to get as many perspectives about furry as possible.\u0026nbsp;\n\nGenerations have come and gone and still nobody could define it exaactly.\u0026nbsp; Everyone I talked to had a different opinion.\u0026nbsp; Some said it was a passion with fictional animals.\u0026nbsp; Some embraced it as a lifestyle.\u0026nbsp; Others treated it more like a hobby.\u0026nbsp; However, there was one general concensus that all of them have apparently shared: the fandom changed with the death of Dr. Samuel Conway.\u0026nbsp; Most of them said that the fandom began to decentralize with his passing.\u0026nbsp; They all agreed that it ended an era.\n\nThe fandom used to be a means for anyone to get away from reality, observe cute, and have fun.\u0026nbsp; However, as time passed, more wealthy and white-collar people started getting into it. \u0026nbsp;It became more classy and more elite. \u0026nbsp;It wasn't as welcoming of a fandom as it used to be.\n\nThen I decided to get their reaction to me. \u0026nbsp;The newer, lesser-known furries loved me. \u0026nbsp;I was like a dream come true to them. \u0026nbsp;However, the more popular, well-known furries were not as impressed. \u0026nbsp;They worked long and hard to get as many fans as they did. \u0026nbsp;They were concerned that I was going to suck away all the attention they've been getting. \u0026nbsp;They felt threatened by my presence. \u0026nbsp;I could smell it.\n\nI went to the bar. \u0026nbsp;A lot of people talked to me, but had nothing to say. \u0026nbsp;I still felt like I was running in circles. \u0026nbsp;I still didn't know who I was. \u0026nbsp;\n\nI went to the restroom and took a deep look at myself in the mirror screen. \u0026nbsp;The time read as 16:30.\u0026nbsp; I thought of myself. \u0026nbsp;Then I thought of how others saw what I was looking at. \u0026nbsp;I thought of how the humans saw me and how they reacted. I thought of all the ignorant things people said, even in my own backyard. I thought the Nationals and how many people hated me. \u0026nbsp;I wondered if humanity would ever accept my existence. \u0026nbsp;I tried not to hold back the tears. \u0026nbsp;I couldn't. \u0026nbsp;I crouched down on the floor and put my hands over my head.\n\nA woman in a neon-colored hyena suit walked into the restroom and saw me crying. \u0026nbsp;\n\n\"What's wrong,\" she asked.\n\n\"They hate me,\" I sobbed. \u0026nbsp;\"The humans, they hate me. \u0026nbsp;Especially those fucking Nationals.\"\n\nShe crouched down and petted me. \u0026nbsp;\"There there,\" he said, \"It'll get better. \u0026nbsp;You're just different. \u0026nbsp;People will eventually learn to put their prejudice aside. \u0026nbsp;It happened with blacks. \u0026nbsp;It happened with gays and lesbians.\"\n\n\"You don't understand,\" I said, crying. \u0026nbsp;\"There are congressmen and states that want to kill me and prevent anyone else like me from happening. \u0026nbsp;Why are people so mean? \u0026nbsp;Why are people so ignorant? \u0026nbsp;I'm the only of my kind. \u0026nbsp;I can't expect an entire movement to pop up overnight. \u0026nbsp;No one's going to protest for one person.\"\n\n\"What about Mr. Li,\" he asked.\n\n\"They hate him, too. \u0026nbsp;The Nationals are not going to let him do what he wants to do.\"\n\nShe gave me a hug. \u0026nbsp;\"It doesn't matter what the haters say or think or do. \u0026nbsp;Don't let them get to you like they want.\u0026nbsp; Just be yourself. \u0026nbsp;Things will change. \u0026nbsp;People will eventually understand, but what matters most is if you like what's in the mirror. \u0026nbsp;You'll be much happier if you did.\" \u0026nbsp;\n\nOthers went into the restroom, petted me, offered hugs and helped me get up.\n\nThey say the fandom has changed in many ways. \u0026nbsp;However, despite all that's changed, the compassion and caring has never faded.\u0026nbsp; I wish I could see this more in a world where many wonder if it still exists.\n\n  \n  \n\n","series":{"name":"Scraps","previous":"https://fse.anthro.fr/stories/253135-a-furry-love-story-a-new-genesis.json","next":"https://fse.anthro.fr/stories/311114-a-furry-love-story-to-room-7.json"}}