Monster History, Lesson 1
Over an estimated 20,000 years ago, two groups of creatures formed, the Mans and the Mons. It has long been understood that the Mans chased the Mons away and the Mons eventually became known as Monsters. But until recently, it was unknown how exactly this event took place. The full story is presented here.
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In an area of modern-day human world Ukraine, an earthquake uplifted a deposit of radioactive material, presumably uranium or plutonium, which brought a rush of extreme mutations upon the local Cro-Magnon population. Some of the infants died from the changes, but others came out healthy but bizarre, with features like fur or tails. Even after the population moved, there were still some of these oddballs.
After some years in a new location, they began to separate these oddballs from the 'normal' humans. The mutants became known as the Mons. The Mons stayed in tents and lean-tos outside the cave community that belonged to the Mans, and were given only the dregs of whatever they killed or collected with the Mans. Still, they did their best to stay in a peaceful community state.
The Mons did not bother the Mans, and so far, the Mans did not bother them. They stayed within their circles of friends and relations, except when another Mon was born to one of the Mans. The new Mon would be accepted warmly to the group, creating barley a ripple in the fabric of their lives.
Quietly, the Mons began to develop their own separate culture, of which the Mans severely disapproved. They performed wedding ceremonies, coming-of- age rituals, and funeral services among their number in their own style. They had their own music, which varied greatly from the Mans' music in the way that Mon music always had some sort of minor sound, which reflected their oppression.
Some of the younger Mons were clustered in the center of the community on day, discussing their view of the situation.
"They take all the good stuff and leave us with nothing but gristle and harsh words!" One Eye said. "We should storm up to them and demand that they give us something decent!"
"That's too obvious and dangerous," said Long Tail, a tailed Mon with green eyes and three projections sticking out of his head. "We need to be more subtle. Just sneak up at night and take what we need. No one will ever have to know who really did it."
"And still take their insults?" asked Sharp Mind, who had about five eyes and the shrewdest mind of them all. "No. We need an uprising to really change things."
"We'll still need supplies if we rise against them. We should steal things first and build up provisions and then rebel," argued Long Tail.
Their bickering and planning came to an abrupt halt as one of the elder Mons passed by them. Following him was a female Mon with four legs and four arms named Lithe, who Long Tail considered very attractive, and a tall, furry and conforming Mon that went by Silent Wind.
"Good morning, Lithe," Long Tail greeted her, bowing and extending a hand to her. "It is a pleasure to see you, like finding a flower outside your lean-to that has sprouted overnight."
Lithe seemed flattered. Silent Wind, however, did not like Long Tail, and stepped in front of his foster sister. "Leave her alone, Long Tail. Everyone knows you and your friends only want to make trouble for us."
"We already have trouble, Silent Wind. Any trouble we make will be an improvement, seeing as it can't really get much worse."
Silent Wind scoffed at this. "It can always get worse. You should just appreciate what you have, Long Tail, and not mess with it."
One Eye snickered. "You sound like my mother," he accused, still snickering.
"Seems strange that your mother has the right idea and you don't," Silent Wind retorted. "Maybe you should try listening to her for a change."
Silent Wind left in a huff, Lithe following reluctantly with a glance over her shoulder at Long Tail.
"You know, we should probably get going," One Eye brought up. "The matchmaking ceremony is tonight."
"Yeah, and it's your turn, Long Tail," Sharp Mind said. "You've got that cleansing to do."
"Don't remind me," Long Tail groaned. "Who knows who they'll stick me with."
"You want Lithe, don't you?" chuckled One Eye, elbowing the tailed Mon.
"Yeah, but with my luck, I won't get her," he complained dismally. "I'll probably wind up with Slug Singer."
They all groaned and shuddered. Slug Singer was the community's throat singer, and she was the ugliest of the Mons by any standard.
Long Tail went back home, where his mother, one of the Mans who was unwilling to give up her son to someone else, was waiting for him. She gave him the most thorough scrubbing he had ever endured, but he didn't complain while she lamented that he had gotten so dirty on such an important day, and that her little boy was almost grown up. He was too preoccupied with the concept that his mate for life was going to be chosen tonight, and that he had no idea who it would be. He was naturally very nervous.
Before he knew it, it was nightfall and he was being led to the forest clearing in which the ceremony would take place. He found himself surrounded by music, which most of us would think similar to Russian or Jewish traditional music. He was blindfolded as soon as he got there, and all of the females who were unmatched were blindfolded too, including Lithe and Slug Singer.
The community Holy Mon of sorts, Wise Ear (named for his large, moveable ears), began a lecture about responsibility and love. Long Tail didn't listen, mostly because he had heard it before, but also because he was terrified. After the speech was finished, his mother and the parents and guardians of the females joined Wise Ear to discuss who would be a suitable match for him. It seemed to take forever.
Long Tail heard shuffling footsteps after the eternity had passed. Someone was next to him, and he sensed that someone else was leading one of the girls up to him. His heart was in his ears as he felt someone's hands get placed in his. The Mon next to him removed his blindfold, and Long Tail got to look at his future bride.
It was Lithe.
Long Tail felt an urge to do several things at once. He wanted to jump up and down cheering in happiness, he wanted to pick up Lithe and twirl her, he wanted to hug his mother and thank her for making sure it was Lithe who was his bride, and, most of all, he wanted to kiss Lithe. However, due to the circumstances, he wouldn't be able to do any of that until the actual wedding ceremony, which would take place after one full cycle of the moon.
He was given a plot of land on which to build the home he and Lithe would share, and Lithe was given the hides to make their bed. He started work on it promptly and happily the next morning. He would not be allowed to talk to Lithe until after the wedding, so the least he could do was give her the best home he could.
At about noon, One Eye and Sharp Mind paid him a visit.
"Congratulations, you lucky guy!" One Eye smiled.
"Yeah, Long Tail!" Sharp Mind cheered. "Lithe's walking on a cloud over it. Silent Wind's throwing a fit over how happy she is. You know him. 'How can you be so happy to be marrying such a troublemaker? He'll never support you! Blah-blah-blab-blah.' That kind of thing."
Long Tail laughed. "He's got no clue what he's talking about. A bit narrow-minded, that fellow is. Never even considered that I might actually care about her."
With his friends' help, Long Tail had about half of the house finished that day. He took great care to make it both roomy and sturdy. He had it done the next day. After that time seemed to both fly and drag as he waited for the wedding while making preparations. He was kept so busy that he had no spare moments, but was thinking about Lithe all the while.
The ceremony went by in a blur. Afterwards Long Tail looked Lithe in her blue eyes, and blurted, "All month long I've thought of countless things I wanted to say to you, and now I can't think of a single one!"
She giggled. "That's okay. I can't think of anything, either."
Both Long Tail and Lithe were a bit surprised by how quickly they acclimated to married life. And they were also surprised at one particular view they shared.
"You know," Lithe said one night, "I think it's unfair the way the Mans treat us."
"So do I," answered Long Tail, a little startled. "I also think we need to do something about it."
Lithe agreed.
"And we will, Lithe," Long Tail promised. "Any day now, Lithe. Any day now."
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I know this is a little odd, but I'm putting my disclaimer at the end of a chapter this time. I don't own the rights to Monsters, Inc. "Any day now" is actually a title of a deleted song from the film Fiddler on the Roof, meant to tie the Mons' plight to the predicament of the characters in Fiddler. I don't own the rights to that either. Duh. This story is an expansion of a small segment on the bonus disc on MI, and I don't own the rights to that segment either. I know this story is breaking the mold a bit, but it had been nagging at me for some time and had to get it down. If you like it, review. If you don't, review anyway. I won't continue if you guys don't like it, but I will take constructive criticism. Thank you!
Over an estimated 20,000 years ago, two groups of creatures formed, the Mans and the Mons. It has long been understood that the Mans chased the Mons away and the Mons eventually became known as Monsters. But until recently, it was unknown how exactly this event took place. The full story is presented here.
********************************************
In an area of modern-day human world Ukraine, an earthquake uplifted a deposit of radioactive material, presumably uranium or plutonium, which brought a rush of extreme mutations upon the local Cro-Magnon population. Some of the infants died from the changes, but others came out healthy but bizarre, with features like fur or tails. Even after the population moved, there were still some of these oddballs.
After some years in a new location, they began to separate these oddballs from the 'normal' humans. The mutants became known as the Mons. The Mons stayed in tents and lean-tos outside the cave community that belonged to the Mans, and were given only the dregs of whatever they killed or collected with the Mans. Still, they did their best to stay in a peaceful community state.
The Mons did not bother the Mans, and so far, the Mans did not bother them. They stayed within their circles of friends and relations, except when another Mon was born to one of the Mans. The new Mon would be accepted warmly to the group, creating barley a ripple in the fabric of their lives.
Quietly, the Mons began to develop their own separate culture, of which the Mans severely disapproved. They performed wedding ceremonies, coming-of- age rituals, and funeral services among their number in their own style. They had their own music, which varied greatly from the Mans' music in the way that Mon music always had some sort of minor sound, which reflected their oppression.
Some of the younger Mons were clustered in the center of the community on day, discussing their view of the situation.
"They take all the good stuff and leave us with nothing but gristle and harsh words!" One Eye said. "We should storm up to them and demand that they give us something decent!"
"That's too obvious and dangerous," said Long Tail, a tailed Mon with green eyes and three projections sticking out of his head. "We need to be more subtle. Just sneak up at night and take what we need. No one will ever have to know who really did it."
"And still take their insults?" asked Sharp Mind, who had about five eyes and the shrewdest mind of them all. "No. We need an uprising to really change things."
"We'll still need supplies if we rise against them. We should steal things first and build up provisions and then rebel," argued Long Tail.
Their bickering and planning came to an abrupt halt as one of the elder Mons passed by them. Following him was a female Mon with four legs and four arms named Lithe, who Long Tail considered very attractive, and a tall, furry and conforming Mon that went by Silent Wind.
"Good morning, Lithe," Long Tail greeted her, bowing and extending a hand to her. "It is a pleasure to see you, like finding a flower outside your lean-to that has sprouted overnight."
Lithe seemed flattered. Silent Wind, however, did not like Long Tail, and stepped in front of his foster sister. "Leave her alone, Long Tail. Everyone knows you and your friends only want to make trouble for us."
"We already have trouble, Silent Wind. Any trouble we make will be an improvement, seeing as it can't really get much worse."
Silent Wind scoffed at this. "It can always get worse. You should just appreciate what you have, Long Tail, and not mess with it."
One Eye snickered. "You sound like my mother," he accused, still snickering.
"Seems strange that your mother has the right idea and you don't," Silent Wind retorted. "Maybe you should try listening to her for a change."
Silent Wind left in a huff, Lithe following reluctantly with a glance over her shoulder at Long Tail.
"You know, we should probably get going," One Eye brought up. "The matchmaking ceremony is tonight."
"Yeah, and it's your turn, Long Tail," Sharp Mind said. "You've got that cleansing to do."
"Don't remind me," Long Tail groaned. "Who knows who they'll stick me with."
"You want Lithe, don't you?" chuckled One Eye, elbowing the tailed Mon.
"Yeah, but with my luck, I won't get her," he complained dismally. "I'll probably wind up with Slug Singer."
They all groaned and shuddered. Slug Singer was the community's throat singer, and she was the ugliest of the Mons by any standard.
Long Tail went back home, where his mother, one of the Mans who was unwilling to give up her son to someone else, was waiting for him. She gave him the most thorough scrubbing he had ever endured, but he didn't complain while she lamented that he had gotten so dirty on such an important day, and that her little boy was almost grown up. He was too preoccupied with the concept that his mate for life was going to be chosen tonight, and that he had no idea who it would be. He was naturally very nervous.
Before he knew it, it was nightfall and he was being led to the forest clearing in which the ceremony would take place. He found himself surrounded by music, which most of us would think similar to Russian or Jewish traditional music. He was blindfolded as soon as he got there, and all of the females who were unmatched were blindfolded too, including Lithe and Slug Singer.
The community Holy Mon of sorts, Wise Ear (named for his large, moveable ears), began a lecture about responsibility and love. Long Tail didn't listen, mostly because he had heard it before, but also because he was terrified. After the speech was finished, his mother and the parents and guardians of the females joined Wise Ear to discuss who would be a suitable match for him. It seemed to take forever.
Long Tail heard shuffling footsteps after the eternity had passed. Someone was next to him, and he sensed that someone else was leading one of the girls up to him. His heart was in his ears as he felt someone's hands get placed in his. The Mon next to him removed his blindfold, and Long Tail got to look at his future bride.
It was Lithe.
Long Tail felt an urge to do several things at once. He wanted to jump up and down cheering in happiness, he wanted to pick up Lithe and twirl her, he wanted to hug his mother and thank her for making sure it was Lithe who was his bride, and, most of all, he wanted to kiss Lithe. However, due to the circumstances, he wouldn't be able to do any of that until the actual wedding ceremony, which would take place after one full cycle of the moon.
He was given a plot of land on which to build the home he and Lithe would share, and Lithe was given the hides to make their bed. He started work on it promptly and happily the next morning. He would not be allowed to talk to Lithe until after the wedding, so the least he could do was give her the best home he could.
At about noon, One Eye and Sharp Mind paid him a visit.
"Congratulations, you lucky guy!" One Eye smiled.
"Yeah, Long Tail!" Sharp Mind cheered. "Lithe's walking on a cloud over it. Silent Wind's throwing a fit over how happy she is. You know him. 'How can you be so happy to be marrying such a troublemaker? He'll never support you! Blah-blah-blab-blah.' That kind of thing."
Long Tail laughed. "He's got no clue what he's talking about. A bit narrow-minded, that fellow is. Never even considered that I might actually care about her."
With his friends' help, Long Tail had about half of the house finished that day. He took great care to make it both roomy and sturdy. He had it done the next day. After that time seemed to both fly and drag as he waited for the wedding while making preparations. He was kept so busy that he had no spare moments, but was thinking about Lithe all the while.
The ceremony went by in a blur. Afterwards Long Tail looked Lithe in her blue eyes, and blurted, "All month long I've thought of countless things I wanted to say to you, and now I can't think of a single one!"
She giggled. "That's okay. I can't think of anything, either."
Both Long Tail and Lithe were a bit surprised by how quickly they acclimated to married life. And they were also surprised at one particular view they shared.
"You know," Lithe said one night, "I think it's unfair the way the Mans treat us."
"So do I," answered Long Tail, a little startled. "I also think we need to do something about it."
Lithe agreed.
"And we will, Lithe," Long Tail promised. "Any day now, Lithe. Any day now."
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I know this is a little odd, but I'm putting my disclaimer at the end of a chapter this time. I don't own the rights to Monsters, Inc. "Any day now" is actually a title of a deleted song from the film Fiddler on the Roof, meant to tie the Mons' plight to the predicament of the characters in Fiddler. I don't own the rights to that either. Duh. This story is an expansion of a small segment on the bonus disc on MI, and I don't own the rights to that segment either. I know this story is breaking the mold a bit, but it had been nagging at me for some time and had to get it down. If you like it, review. If you don't, review anyway. I won't continue if you guys don't like it, but I will take constructive criticism. Thank you!