"Life is Strange"
Observational true-to-life tales by The Lone Observer
Encounter 4: During the Spring Semester 2009, at CSU
Subject: "Furries"
Hello. I am simply a lone observer in my 20s who happens to encounter strange people, intentional or not, for my amusement and for yours.
This series of encounters happened at CSU, a university in Morrow, Georgia.
This encounter won't be as long as the previous one with the man-child, but it will still be pretty lenghty. And like before, this is all non-fiction, folks.
This tale starts around the tail end of the fall semester back in 2008, when I decided to submit some artwork to the school's literary magazine (In the end, my work wasn't accepted. Phooey.) I met a nice girl who I shall name "M.B." out of privacy. Now, the tale isn't about her, but who she knew.
Ok, fast forward to the spring semester in 2009. My days were pretty uneventful, save for the days in which I had those brief yet memorable encounters I have documented once before. One day, though, I reunite with M.B. She wasn't doing too well. I ask why. She tells me that her boyfriend of several years broke up with her. I try to console her, even though in reality I am pretty clueless when it comes to relationships. She feels better. I'm glad.
Anyway, we weren't alone. M.B. was with a friend at the time, discussing methods of revenge (jokingly, I hope) towards M.B.'s now-ex. The friend looked to be about 19 or 20, had dark hair, and looked part Asian. Her nickname among her friends was "Spam", so I'll be calling her that throughout this tale.
Spam seemed like an ordinary girl her age, albeit a bit perverted. I notice her laptop bag, which had a few adornments on it. A button or two, a Morrissey sticker, a lion man sticker, and a few name badges that caught my eye.
One read "Furry Weekend Atlanta 2007".
Another read "Furry Weekend Atlanta 2008".
The third read "FWA '09".
Oh shit.
She's a
furry.
For those of you who don't know, a furry is someone who is associated with furry fandom. Furry fandom is basically a community of people who enjoy works featuring anthropomorphic animals (or "funny animals") and usually act out as said creatures. Furry fandom is also known for having an ill reputation among the general population, with furries suffering discrimination, especially on the Internet. Regarding the previous statement, it really doesn't help that the more extreme furries regularly engage in illicit sex with each other at furry conventions, sometimes with some practicioners wearing fursuits. For more information about furries, click
here. Or, for a more biased opinion that also covers the weirder side of the fandom, click
here.
I have to admit, I wasn't too fond of furries in the first place. I'm not at all really bothered by the "yiffing" (furry sex, named after how a fox sounds when mating, allegedly), their surprisingly conservative politics despite the deviancy of their subculture (namedrops include Jay Naylor, Cigar Skunk, and Insane Reynard) or that a number of them are homosexual (hence the derogatory slur "furfag"), but due to the fact that many furry artists are mediocre or just plain terrible (there are a few exceptions, as with everything in life) and that an ex-girlfriend of mine was a furry. However, as of this writing, I am tolerable of them, save for the terrible artists and the hardcore yiff freaks.
Ok, back to the tale. My good friend M.B. was friends with a furry. *Gasp!*
I know, I'm being a dramatic whore at this point.
Anyway, at first, I was being confrontational with Spam. She then argues with me, and we fight verbally. In retrospect, that moment probably made my friend M.B. feel utter contempt towards me, and me feeling like I'm an intolerant jackass for generalizing one person to an entire group. I wouldn't blame her.
The story does not end there.
Over the coming few months, Spam and I became pretty good friends. It was also during that time that I met Spam's friends, who consisted of the school's furry group. They are:
"Camelballs", named after my operative who helped forward me information during the man-child encounter, who is a furry in his early 20s who wears a dog collar around his neck with a little bell hanging off of it. Very small and slender, he is basically a twink with glasses.
"Smiles", another furry with boyish looks and glasses, but not as youthful as Camelballs. Can be seen behind his laptop alot, talking about previous cons or wanting to score a fursuit.
...and "The Tall Guy", because...he's tall. He usually drops in from time to time and speaks incoherently. Not much is known about him.
Again, at first, I was pretty cold and irritable towards the group, especially since they slowly took over my lunchtime nook, but as time went by, we pretty much became buddies, especially me and Camelballs. We usually talk about homework, smoke cigarettes outside of campus, and discuss random internet memes and lament on how /b/ has turned to shit since "Project Chanology" (look it up). Camelballs had a penchant for Jamaican beef patties, in which I actually had a steady supply of at home. Near the tail end of the spring semester, I brought him one and he lit up. It was the first time I actually did something nice for a furry. Will it be the last? I'm not too sure about that, really. Camelballs and the gang seemed to be really cool, despite some of our differences. Although it was still pretty lame that they did take over my nook.
Oh well, c'est la vie.
-Encounter 4: END-
FOOTNOTE: I still talk to that gang from time to time. I just make sure that they don't spread their yiff all over my nook. Good night.
