Tails of Wisdom and Taste
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Create your own story with WhatIf!
Story transcript
Holo: Nothing quite like the scent of ripening wheat. Reminds me of home.
Holo: I've spent centuries watching over fields like this one. The farmers back then would leave offerings for a good harvest.
Tingyun: What a quaint tradition. In Xianzhou, merchants would pay handsome sums for my blessing on their business ventures.
Tingyun: I find it fascinating how different cultures revere fox spirits and wolf deities.
Holo: I must say, your nine tails must be quite the maintenance challenge! I struggle enough with just one.
Holo: What's your secret? Surely you must have some special technique.
Tingyun: The secret is camellia oil and patience, dear Holo. Each tail requires individual attention.
Tingyun: I begin at the tip and work inward, like so. The finest nobles in Xianzhou request my grooming advice.
Holo: My merchant travels with Lawrence taught me that apple cider vinegar removes tangles without damaging the undercoat.
Holo: Speaking of Lawrence, he used to get so flustered when I'd ask him to help groom my tail. Men are so predictable, aren't they?
Tingyun: Oh my, how delightful! There was this merchant from the Xianzhou Trade Commission who would bring me rare combs just to earn my favor.
Tingyun: He'd turn crimson whenever my tails would accidentally brush against him. Such entertaining creatures, aren't they?
Holo: Let me show you this brushing technique I learned from northern wolf tribes. May I?
Holo: (Her fur looks even silkier than mine. I wonder what it feels like.)
Tingyun: Of course. And perhaps you'll allow me to demonstrate the Foxfire Comb technique on yours?
Tingyun: It's said to make one's tail shimmer in moonlight for a full cycle.
Holo: Wait—did you just—I think our tails are—
Holo: (Oh wheat spirits, this is embarrassing!)
Tingyun: Oh my! How embarrassing! Our tails appear to be... entangled.
Tingyun: Please stand still, Holo. Sudden movements will only worsen our predicament.
Holo: Ha! If Lawrence could see me now! The wise wolf Holo, tangled like a pup in her first hunt!
Holo: This is what we get for gossiping about men, isn't it? The gods have a sense of humor!
Tingyun: Let's sit down and approach this methodically. I've untangled trade agreements between warring merchants; surely our tails can be negotiated with as well.
Tingyun: Your fur is remarkably soft, by the way. You clearly know more about grooming than you let on.
Holo: You know, partnerships are like these tangles. The more you pull away hastily, the tighter the knot becomes.
Holo: It took me centuries to learn that. Lawrence taught me more about cooperation than I'd care to admit.
Tingyun: Once, I mediated a dispute that had lasted three generations. The solution came when both parties stopped pulling in opposite directions.
Tingyun: The men I've known always rush to solve problems with force, when patience yields better results.
Holo: Aha! Free at last! Your diplomatic skills extend to fur emergencies, it seems!
Holo: I haven't had this much fun in decades. Traveling alone has its merits, but sharing stories is better.