HOME | DD

Description

Time passes quickly. It's been almost a decade since Miša's parents passed the burden of raising her to her grandfather, Marek. When the old political regime collapsed and the borders opened up the East to the rest of the world, her mom and dad sought a brighter future on the other side of the fence rather than spending their golden years trying to fix what they deemed a lost cause. Ever since puberty took hold of Miša, the traditional method of discipline—beating her into proper behavior—lost its effectiveness as she began spending more time running around town than attending school. Fearing the growing crackdown on former political leaders and their economic misdeeds done in the past, Mom and Dad left with anything of value, ensuring no trace suggested their destination. Miša and Marek were left clueless and empty-handed like the rest of the country, only informed that Mom and Dad were headed for a long Animerican vacation.

The clock keeps ticking, and it was time for Miša to finally get a job rather than roaming the streets doing odd jobs with her sketchy friend Iveta. Even though she occasionally manages to bring home some cash for rent, Marek sees how it is. No chores get done; all she does is either pull stupid pranks or watch ridiculous Western VHS tapes. It was time for Miša to finally land a stable job rather than running silly errands. After all, Marek has always been a fennec with a strong work ethic, raised in a time where having no job was punishable by imprisonment. He has proudly worked as a state law enforcement officer since completing youth military service, and watching the next generation sit idly and stare at a box all day infuriates him.

So one day, Marek decided to chase Miša out of the house with a broom and lock the hut, telling her he wouldn't open the door unless she returned with a properly signed employment contract. Miša considered smashing a window and climbing back inside until she remembered Iveta's encounter with an old wolf working in the movie industry, promising a well-paying job—a dream opportunity for Miša, who had longed to become a movie star ever since she first laid her claws on one of those banned Western movies.

The wolf's name was Božan Dvorák, a former spiv turned big-time spender, renowned in the criminal underworld with supposed connections to powerful animals all over Europoor. The job he promised seemed easy, but when asked about payment and job details, the answers were vague. Instead, Božan offered Miša drugs she had only heard of, with a purity unmatched by what she had been quality checking for Iveta. From that moment, everything seemed to blur. Miša was introduced to a supposedly well-known movie star named Olga the hyena and a suspiciously greasy looking weasel cameraman named Topinka. Moments later, cameras were rolling, and Miša found herself having the time of her life while onlookers watched in bewilderment.

"She had one chance, and she totally blew it, literally," Iveta muttered to herself, as the weasel tossed the script into the air and dialed a number on his portable phone.

"hele more, we got this funny fennec 'ere, ain't worth much right now, but I remember what you said 'bout findin' some čavo too thick to ask questions. Reckon this one might be the right sort of mindžaňo we need to bring home that haul. Might as well se na to vyjebat and leave plans for another day." The weasel grunted in a thick dialect.

Miša could not completely recall how the rest of the night went. A vague memory of entering a brightly neon-lit nightclub, stepping into its office, and then blacking out on a comfy sofa slipped her mind. The last thing she remembered was Iveta driving her home, seemingly pissed off, even though the effort put into the acting gig didn't feel too bad. The next day, Miša woke up on the living room sofa with a splitting headache, her mouth parched, and her stomach churning. A signed contract lay on the table, taunting her in the midst of her misery. Meanwhile, Marek was making a mess in the kitchen cooking breakfast eggs for them both, even though he rarely cooks for anyone but himself.

"So, finally decided to pull yourself up by your bootstraps, kid? An actress, huh? Thought you'd be sweeping roads and cleaning public toilets. I saw that paper of yours on the table! Now, I have no idea how you managed to get a job considering the state you arrived back home in, but that wolf, Božan—I do recall his name from the time I worked in the force. A very charitable soul that used to shower us officers with praise and donations! I have no clue how a wolf makes money like he does, but you must be doing something right to be on his payroll. Keep up the good work, and we might finally afford to repair the damn Impaler LeGrande you so gracefully broke while fixing!" Marek proudly exclaimed.

"Uhhh, yeah... Whatever, gramps. Just let me sleep... I'm feeling like crap," Miša croaked, her voice as lifeless as roadkill.

Description

Time passes quickly. It's been almost a decade since Miša's parents passed the burden of raising her to her grandfather, Marek. When the old political regime collapsed and the borders opened up the East to the rest of the world, her mom and dad sought a brighter future on the other side of the fence rather than spending their golden years trying to fix what they deemed a lost cause. Ever since puberty took hold of Miša, the traditional method of discipline—beating her into proper behavior—lost its effectiveness as she began spending more time running around town than attending school. Fearing the growing crackdown on former political leaders and their economic misdeeds done in the past, Mom and Dad left with anything of value, ensuring no trace suggested their destination. Miša and Marek were left clueless and empty-handed like the rest of the country, only informed that Mom and Dad were headed for a long Animerican vacation.

The clock keeps ticking, and it was time for Miša to finally get a job rather than roaming the streets doing odd jobs with her sketchy friend Iveta. Even though she occasionally manages to bring home some cash for rent, Marek sees how it is. No chores get done; all she does is either pull stupid pranks or watch ridiculous Western VHS tapes. It was time for Miša to finally land a stable job rather than running silly errands. After all, Marek has always been a fennec with a strong work ethic, raised in a time where having no job was punishable by imprisonment. He has proudly worked as a state law enforcement officer since completing youth military service, and watching the next generation sit idly and stare at a box all day infuriates him.

So one day, Marek decided to chase Miša out of the house with a broom and lock the hut, telling her he wouldn't open the door unless she returned with a properly signed employment contract. Miša considered smashing a window and climbing back inside until she remembered Iveta's encounter with an old wolf working in the movie industry, promising a well-paying job—a dream opportunity for Miša, who had longed to become a movie star ever since she first laid her claws on one of those banned Western movies.

The wolf's name was Božan Dvorák, a former spiv turned big-time spender, renowned in the criminal underworld with supposed connections to powerful animals all over Europoor. The job he promised seemed easy, but when asked about payment and job details, the answers were vague. Instead, Božan offered Miša drugs she had only heard of, with a purity unmatched by what she had been quality checking for Iveta. From that moment, everything seemed to blur. Miša was introduced to a supposedly well-known movie star named Olga the hyena and a suspiciously greasy looking weasel cameraman named Topinka. Moments later, cameras were rolling, and Miša found herself having the time of her life while onlookers watched in bewilderment.

"She had one chance, and she totally blew it, literally," Iveta muttered to herself, as the weasel tossed the script into the air and dialed a number on his portable phone.

"hele more, we got this funny fennec 'ere, ain't worth much right now, but I remember what you said 'bout findin' some čavo too thick to ask questions. Reckon this one might be the right sort of mindžaňo we need to bring home that haul. Might as well se na to vyjebat and leave plans for another day." The weasel grunted in a thick dialect.

Miša could not completely recall how the rest of the night went. A vague memory of entering a brightly neon-lit nightclub, stepping into its office, and then blacking out on a comfy sofa slipped her mind. The last thing she remembered was Iveta driving her home, seemingly pissed off, even though the effort put into the acting gig didn't feel too bad. The next day, Miša woke up on the living room sofa with a splitting headache, her mouth parched, and her stomach churning. A signed contract lay on the table, taunting her in the midst of her misery. Meanwhile, Marek was making a mess in the kitchen cooking breakfast eggs for them both, even though he rarely cooks for anyone but himself.

"So, finally decided to pull yourself up by your bootstraps, kid? An actress, huh? Thought you'd be sweeping roads and cleaning public toilets. I saw that paper of yours on the table! Now, I have no idea how you managed to get a job considering the state you arrived back home in, but that wolf, Božan—I do recall his name from the time I worked in the force. A very charitable soul that used to shower us officers with praise and donations! I have no clue how a wolf makes money like he does, but you must be doing something right to be on his payroll. Keep up the good work, and we might finally afford to repair the damn Impaler LeGrande you so gracefully broke while fixing!" Marek proudly exclaimed.

"Uhhh, yeah... Whatever, gramps. Just let me sleep... I'm feeling like crap," Miša croaked, her voice as lifeless as roadkill.