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This time, I want to take you with me on Baltoand Nikki's the first journey to the Big Apple, New York City.\n\nAs always, if you prefer the colored text, you can download the file, I hope you will enjoy. This rewrite was a very pleasant one for me to do, mostly because there wasn't much to change.\n\nIf you have questions, or just want to chart, please do so in the comments. And now, have a nice time reading about a young wolf's adventures trip to the big city.\n\nSpecial thanks to all my friends and supporters, to the artists [url=https://www.furaffinity.net/user/sabretoothedermine]sabretoothedermine[/url] and [iconname]Lichfang[/iconname]", "description_bbcode_parsed": "Welcome back! This time, I want to take you with me on Baltoand Nikki's the first journey to the Big Apple, New York City.

As always, if you prefer the colored text, you can download the file, I hope you will enjoy. This rewrite was a very pleasant one for me to do, mostly because there wasn't much to change.

If you have questions, or just want to chart, please do so in the comments. And now, have a nice time reading about a young wolf's adventures trip to the big city.

Special thanks to all my friends and supporters, to the artists sabretoothedermine and \r\n\t\t\t\t\t\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tLichfang\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t		\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tLichfang\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
", "writing": "21. NEW YORK CITY\n\n\nHey there, folks. I hope you all had a nice time since we last talked. More than two months have passed since we came back home from New York City. We had a blast there. Today, I finally want to tell you all about it. As always, Nikki helped me, and she also wrote a chapter out from her own perspective. But as always, let us start at the beginning.\n \nPart 1: Preparations\n\n\nOur adventure starts on November 20. The big journey was right ahead. I was busy with packing my things and going over my list of places to visit. Needless to say, I was very nervous.\nOther than usual, Nikki didn’t come over for the weekend this time. She had to prepare herself for her show. This trip was essential for her. You know, playing on Broadway is something special, especially for an Anthro. With my suitcase laying on the bed in front of me, I reviewed the list Mom had given me.\n\nUnderwear Check\nWarm Hoodies Check\nWarm Pants Check\nRecharger and Power Bank Check\nT-Shirts Check\nLittle Balto Check\nBackpack Check\nComics for the trip Check\nHeadphones Check\n\nI also wrote a list of all my comics because one of the “want to go to” locations on my wish list was a comic store, and I wanted to avoid risking buying a comic twice. Why a comic bookstore, you ask? Well, the little comic bookstore we have here in Darwin’s Hope often doesn’t get the good stuff. Sure, I could order most of it online, but they take an extra fee for that. I wish we would get a bigger store here. \nTo help me with choosing locations, Mom gave me a book about New York. There are so many interesting sightseeing tips and background information about the Big Apple in this book. Did you know that it was originally called New Amsterdam, before the British took over and renamed it?\n\nHm, maybe I could give you a few more information about my hometown at this point.\nDarwin’s Hope is located in the New York State area. It is a small town, only about 12’000 Anthropomorphs live here. Nevertheless, with that number, it is one of the larger Anthro-Towns, if not even the largest. We also have a few humans here. They are set mainly in the Mendel and the Venter district. My home is in the Lamarck district, named after Jean-Baptiste Pierre Antoine de Monet, Chevalier de Lamarck (signing anything must have been a pain in the ass for that man), who was a famous biologist.\nOur town is located close to Buffalo, in the Erie County. The biggest water body around here is Spaulding Lake. Perhaps you have now at least an idea where I am living.\nThe trip to New York will take more than six hours by car. At least that is what Mr. Kofi said. We will take the Kofi’s car, since it is way bigger than ours, and we all fit in there easily. \nOk, I guess we can start now. As said, it was the evening of the 20th of November. \nAfter I finished packing, I was sitting at my desk and checked for new messages on Pawtalk. My mother entered the room, sat down next to my suitcase on the bed, and looked at me.\n\n“Have you packed everything you need?” She asked in her kind voice.\nI smiled and nodded.\n“Yes, Mom. I checked it several times now. But I am nervous. New York City is so big, and full of humans. How will they treat us?”\nShe chuckled.\n“New York City is big, yes. But don’t worry. New Yorkers are used to all sorts of crazy things, and most of them are very open-minded. They will not treat us any differently than other tourists.”\nWhile I remained sitting on my play chair, I scooted over to my bed, closer to mom. She gently caressed my head, while she gifted me with a smile.\n“It really was time for you to get a haircut. Looks so much better like that.”\nI smiled back at her. She was right, I really needed that haircut. Then I remembered something I read in a travel guide online. \n“Mom, do we need our vaccination certificates?”\nShe thought for a moment, before she answered.\n“Good question, Balto. Honestly, I don’t know. I will take them with me, just to be safe.”\nI stood up from my chair, put the suitcase away, and sat down next to my mother.\n“Mom, you have told me once that you had the idea for my name from the statue of Balto in Central Park. Was dad with you that day?” I asked curiously.\nHer look became empty when her gaze went to the floor. In a saddened voice, she began to tell the story of how I got my name:\n“Yes, he was. I remember the moment like it was yesterday. We were standing there, in front of this wonderful statue. Children were running around the area, some played next to it, others were sitting on its back. Up to this moment, we couldn’t decide a name for you. I watched your father’s hand wander over the name sign and saw him smiling. I could imagine what he was thinking, and I liked his idea. And that is how we came up with your name. I am so happy we can make this trip together. You will finally see the statue for yourself.”\nShe laid her arm around my shoulders and pulled me closer to her.\n“Tell me, Balto. What things do you want to do in New York?”\nThe list I made was on my desk, so I jumped off my bed to get it. \n“I wrote down a few places I want to see. Look here,” I said happily. \nAfter I sat back down, we went through my list. Mom was reading it out loud:\n“Let me take a look. Hm, Central Park. That was obvious. The Museum of Natural History. A big place, we should plan a whole day for that. Liberty Island, that is, in fact, a place we haven’t visited back then. I bet Idrissa will love to go there, and to Battery Park. Hm, then the Intrepid Air and Space Museum. That is located on an old Aircraft Carrier, but I bet you already know that. I think this is something you should visit with Idrissa. Hm, and then we have Time Square, and the Broadway. \nThe last point on my list surprised her. \n“A Comic Book Store?”\nI nodded to my mother.\n“Yes, I heard that this one should be really good. It is way bigger than the one we have here.”\nMom shook her head.\n“As if you weren't already spending enough of your money in the comic store here. Well, the last three should be doable on a single day. Be aware that we will walk a lot during this week. Better pack your paw protectors. You will need them.”\nThe paw protectors. They are mostly like shoes, just that they are made for us Anthropomorphs. They protect our sensitive paw pads in summer, if we walk over the hot streets, or if we have to walk over gravel. Occasionally, we need them in winter too, but I don’t like it so much to wear them. Only if I really have to do it.\nThen mom mentioned another important thing:\n“Oh, and don’t forget to pack the travel adapters for the toilet. I doubt that the bathrooms in New York will be very Anthro-friendly.”\n\nThis was really something I had forgotten to pack. A short explanation.\nMost male Anthros have a sheath, in which our penis rests. It may look cool, but often causes problems if we want to use as a common toilet.\nThe easiest solution, and one of the cleanest, is to use an adapter, which we place over the tip of the sheath, after we pulled it back a bit. Attached to the adapter is a short hose, through which we can urinate without ruining the entire bathroom. Urinals inside public restrooms are often easier for us to use, which is why I prefer using them. The reason is simple.\nI don’t like carrying this adapter with me all the time. Cleaning that thing in a public room isn’t always easy. I stood up from the bed once more and packed a travel-set into my suitcase, while mom’s eyes followed me.\n“Do you maybe feel like watching a movie with me since Nicole isn't coming over today? Or we can watch a documentary about New York City, if you want.”\nHer voice sounded sad. I liked her idea and wagged my tail happily.\n“Sure, mom. Can we make some popcorn? Oh, and I would like to watch Ghostbusters 1 and 2 with you.”\nShe seemed to be a bit surprised.\n“Those old movies? Not exactly what I had in mind, but sure. You know, their Headquarters is still standing. We can visit it, if you want.”\nThat was indeed something I didn’t know until that point.\n“Really? That would be so cool!”\n\nMommy made popcorn for us, and while we cuddled on the couch, we watched the movies together. I don’t know why, but I love these old classics. It was a great evening with mom. We really should do this more often.\nAfter the second movie ended, mom switched the channel to watch the weather forecast. It said that we will have unusual warm weather for a November in New York, about 64 °F (17.78 °C) to 68 °F (20 °C). At least for the first days, which is why I packed in some shorts too. I always prefer to wear shorts than pants, they are so much more comfortable for me. \n\nOn Sunday, around noon, Nikki sent me some videos from “Cats”. Especially about “Rumpelteazer”, the role she was supposed to play. I searched the Internet a little and found out that the Musical “Cats” is based on a collection of poems, called “Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats” from 1939. Pretty old stuff. I bet Nikki would love to get a copy of this book.\nNikki’s dad called in the afternoon. He told mom that he wanted to leave at midnight, since he didn’t want to risk coming into New York’s rush hour. Mom was a bit surprised about this, but she agreed with him. In the evening, we packed our stuff into the car, and after that, we all sat together in our living room.\nMr. Kofi explained our route, the adults checked all necessary papers once more, and during that, Nikki’s mom saw our vaccination passes.\n\n“Christa, why do you take these with you? We don’t need them in New York,” Mrs. Kofi said in an astonished voice.\nMom looked at the passes for a moment.\n“I thought it would be better to have them with us. You know, just in case.”\nMrs. Kofi had to think for a moment.\n“Hm, maybe a good Idea. Better safe than sorry. I will go and get ours, too.”\nShe left and came back a few minutes later with the passes in her hand, which she put into her purse.\nTime passed, while we talked about the trip. At midnight, it was time to leave. The night was cold, even for me. Good thing that the Kofi’s car has a good AC. \nSince I am the smallest, I had to take the middle seat. Nikki was sitting on my right side, and mom to my left. My girl and I cuddled up close, and we felt asleep shortly after. \nAnd so, our journey to Gotham City began. (Don’t laugh, that is indeed a name for New York City since 1807)\n \nPart 2: Arrival and the first day\n\n\nThe journey took us about seven and a half hours. I slept through most of the time, as did Nikki. After we entered the town, I heard my mother’s voice:\n“Balto, Nicole, wake up.”\nTired as we were, we opened and rubbed our eyes, followed by a loud group yawn. Everyone laughed, and while we left the Lincoln Tunnel, Mr. Kofi said:\n“Good morning, sleepyheads. Look outside, we are finally here.”\nStill barely awake, I looked outside. All I could see were large buildings, many cars, and humans. Nothing that really would have caught my interest. While we drove up the 8th Avenue, I could see many fancy shops, and countless Christmas decorations. Here I couldn’t decide where to look first.\nA few minutes later, Mr. Kofi parked the car in the hotel garage, and we all stepped out to stretch our bodies. Afterward, Nikki’s dad walked away to get one of these luggage carts. We packed our stuff on it, moved up to the lobby for the check-in, then we walked to our rooms. Nikki’s parents and my mother had their room right next to Nikki’s and mine. Mr. Kofi told us that he needed some sleep after the long drive. Mrs. Kofi joined him. My mom wasn’t tired, so she, Nikki and I decided to get breakfast. Luckily, we were just in time for the hotel’s own buffet. So much tasty food!\nAfter we were finished, it sadly was time for Nikki to leave. Mom and I accompanied her on the way. Since the theater in which Nikki’s play should take place is in Time Square, we were able to visit this iconic place, after we said goodbye to my girl.\n\nAll these lights, the sounds of the big city, the people, it was an overwhelming feeling for me. Mom had to tell me more than once to look where I was going, instead of looking at the surrounding things. I even almost tripped over a bag of garbage lying on the edge of the sidewalk. We made our way to these big red steps in the center of Time Square, where we used the opportunity to sit down for a moment.\nMom excused herself, she wanted to get a quick coffee from a nearby vendor. That gave me some time to look around a bit more.\nThe first things I noticed were people in cheap costumes taking money for photos, and heavily armed police officers with their dogs standing guard. I could also see a man in a Santa Claus costume ringing a bell and collecting money. He had a surprisingly nice outfit.\nWhile I watched all these things around me, a little human child came closer. I didn’t see it coming, and startled with a wide-open muzzle when this kid suddenly touched me. It must have been scared by the look of my bare teeth, and his mother, thinking that I wanted to harm the child, quickly pulled it away.\nI saw the fear in this little human’s face, but also the anger in its mother’s. She hastily moved her head from one side to the other, shouting: \n“Why it that thing not wearing a muzzle and a leash? Where is its owner? Police!”\nI was frightened, my ears were folded back, and didn’t know what to do. I only sat there on the stairs, trying to hide in my hoodie. A police officer came by, and asked the lady what was wrong.\n“Ma’am, is there a problem here?”\nShe pointed at me.\n“Yes, this thing there wanted to attack my child. I demand it to be taken down. It doesn’t even wear a muzzle or a leash!”\nThe officer took a brief look at me, then he tried to calm down the woman.\n“Ma’am, this boy is not an animal. He is an Anthropomorph, and he doesn’t need a leash or a muzzle. I am sure that he had no intention to attack your child. This certainly is all a big misunderstanding.”\nBut the lady didn’t calm down.\n“A what is that?”\n\nSilently, I tried to speak up in my defense:\n“Ma'am, I'm sorry, I just got startled when your child touched me.\"\nThe woman seemed to be shocked when she heard me speak.\n“That thing is talking?”\nThe police officer tried to stay calm and friendly.\n“Ma’am, as I have said it before. He is an Anthropomorph. Not a thing, and not an animal. He has the same rights as everyone else here. And if he is saying that he didn’t want to harm your child, you should believe him. I must ask you to move along now.”\nThe woman was still mumbling in anger, as she took her kid and walked away. The officer knelt beside me, before asking in a calm voice:\n“Is everything ok with you?”\nI only nodded, while my gaze was fixed on the ground.\n“Heads up. I bet she was only stressed because of Christmas and everything. People always get nuts during this time of the year. Where are your parents?”\nI lifted my head and looked into this man’s face.\n“My mom only wanted to get a coffee. She should have been back by now.”\nAt that moment, I heard my mother’s voice. She sounded worried, after seeing this police officer next to me.\n“Balto! Is everything ok? What happened?”\nThe officer stood up and faced my mother.\n“Your kid is fine, don’t worry. There was a little misunderstanding with a lady and her child, but everything is ok. Have a nice day, ma’am.”\nThe officer walked away, while my mom was looking at me.\n“Ok Balto, now tell me. What has happened here?”\nI was a bit ashamed, wrapped my arms around my legs, before I answered her.\n“I was sitting here, as this woman's child suddenly touched me. I was startled with my mouth open, that must have freighted the child. Its mother began to shout around, why I won’t wear a muzzle and a leash, and where my owner would be. Then this officer came by to help. That is everything, I swear.”\nMy mother nodded and sipped on her coffee, which she was holding in her hand.\n“Ok, I understand. Humans can be so stupid. I am sorry that it took me so long. The waiting line was longer than I had expected it to be.”\nShe pulled a little bag out of her purse.\n“Here, I bought a blueberry muffin for you.”\nMy tail wagged, as I took the bag out of her hand. It even was a bit warm and tasted heavenly. Mom sat down next to me. Her hand caressed over my back, which made me relax while I ate the muffin.\n“Ok, what do you want to do now? We could make a walk north to Columbus Square, or south to the Flatiron Building, before we go back to the hotel and see if Nicole’s parents are ready for a longer walk.”\nI thought about the possibilities for a moment.\n“Mom, can we go to the comic store? It isn’t so far away from here.”\nMy mother took a sip of her coffee, before she answered.\n“Sure, then we can cross that off our list. Where was it again?”\nI took my mobile and started the navigation app.\n“Here, see? It is only a few minutes away.”\nMom stood up, helped me to get on my paws, and together we followed the navigation app to the comic store.\nIt didn’t take us long, until we were reached a building with a big sign and a Spider-Man attached to it. What we didn’t find was the door. It was a bit frustrating for me, what mom noticed. She asked a group of kids, which just passed by. They first looked a bit strange at her, but then they kindly explained where we could find the entrance. It was on the side of the building. Through a small door, and then up some stairs.\nMom excused herself once more, she wanted to go into a nearby tobacco shop. No, she doesn’t smoke. But her boss smokes cigars, and she wanted to get him some as a present.\nShe handed me 50 Bucks, saying that we will meet again in thirty minutes.\nWith the money in my pocket and a smile on my face, I walked upstairs to the store.\n\nIt was full of human kids, but they were too busy with reading and looking at the merch, so no one even recognized me. Or they just didn’t care. For them, I was just another comic-loving kid.\nAs you might know by now, my favorite hero is Iron Man. The reason I wanted to come here was the Collector Edition of the first Issue of a new series, called “Captain America/Iron Man #1”. It has a special cover, which is why I wanted to have it. Our little store sadly never gets those special editions. Together with the money from my mother, I had more than enough to buy it.\nWhile I browsed through the store, I saw and heard a group of kid chatting together. They always looked over at me, what became frightening after some time. And then there was another pair of eyes watching every move I made. One of the store employees seemed to be annoyed by my presence. I didn’t put more thoughts into it and slowly walked to the upper floor. There they had even more merchandise, action figures, toy lightsabers and such stuff. I have also seen some chess figures of Rocket Raccoon, what made me giggle. A sudden voice from behind made my ears turn around, what caused loud laughter.\n“Cool costume, where did you get this? This looks so real.” \nI didn’t know what to say, turned my head into the voice's direction, and saw the group of kids from before.\nThey waved at me, came closer and inspected my head.\n“Where do you see out of there? Is it warm in there?”\nI still didn’t know what they wanted from me, as I felt how one of them pulled my tail.\n“Ouch, that hurts, please don’t do that.”\nThe kids got big eyes, as they heard talking and saw me talking.\n“Oh, he can move his jaws. That is so cool!”\nNow I finally got it. They thought I was a human wearing a costume. I have heard of those humans who like to dress as Anthros. They call themselves “Furry”.\nWhile I caressed my tail, I looked at these curious kids and told them:\n“This isn’t a costume. I am an Anthro. My name is Balto.”\nThey gasped.\n“You are a real Anthro? I have never seen a real one. This is so cool. Can we see your teeth again?”\n\nStill unsure why this was such a big thing, I opened my mouth to show them my teeth once more. To my surprise, we had a rather nice conversation after that. I showed them my comic book collection on my phone, my Iron Wolf Armor, and some photos from the comic con, also a few pics of Nikki as Black Widow. Then I looked at the clock. \n“Damn, my mother is waiting for me. Does one of you know where to find the Iron Man Comics?”\nThey explained to me where to find them, and luckily, I found what I was looking for.\nWith the comic book in my hands, I went to the cash register. This employee from before was standing there and looked at me. I could tell by the look in his eyes that he wasn't too happy to see me. But I thought I could just ignore that. All I wanted was the comic.\n\nAfter I gave it to him, he told me in a harsh tone: \n“That's 90 bucks.”\nI found that a bit odd, since I have looked at the price tag before. Which is why I asked him:\n“But that sticker says it costs 76,50, why do I have to pay 90 bucks?”\nHe looked at me, and his tone became even harsher:\n“That is a cleaning fee. You lost fur all over the place, dog boy.”\nThe line behind me became longer, the other costumers began to mumble.\nMaybe that was the reason for the manager to show up.\n“Is something wrong here?”\nThe coworker answered him, now surprisingly friendly: \n“The boy can’t pay and won’t move.”\nMy hands were shaking, as I protested loudly:\n“There is a price tag with 76,50. He says I have to pay 90, because of a cleaning fee. Is that true?”\n\nThe manager looked a bit confused at his coworker, before he asked him:\n“A what? There is no such thing, this kid is a costumer like everyone else. The comic costs 76.50, why do you want to take 90 bucks from him?”\nThe man tried to defend his actions:\n“Because he makes everything dirty in here with his fur. Those Anthros are filthy creatures.”\nNow the manager began to shout at him, what scared me. My ears folded back, and I clamped my tail between my legs.\n“Your stupid racism has no place in my store. You are fired. Take your stuff and get out of here.”\nAngry about that, the man left his place. After he passed me, he suddenly turned around, raised his hand, and shouted:\n“You stupid dog!”\n\nI ducked, put my arms around my head to protect myself, and closed my eyes. Then I heard a growling. As I reopened my eyes, I could see my mother, who showed her bare teeth to this man. Her fur was standing up, she must have been really pissed off in that situation, as she shouted:\n“If you dare to touch my son, I will make you regret the day you were born.”\nThe kids behind me cheered, as this man slowly crawled out of the store. I could swear that his pants were wet, after he had to face my angered mother’s bared teeth.\nThe whole store became silent for a minute, before the manager took the word:\n“Ma’am, I am deeply sorry. Please, let me give your son this comic as a gift, as an apology for this unsettling situation.”\nMom was still in a rage.\n“A comic? Was all this because of a comic? This man wanted to hurt my son because of a stupid comic book?”\nCarefully, I took my mom’s hand. I could feel her hardened muscles, her pulse was racing. I spoke to her in a silent voice:\n“Mom, it’s ok. Nothing happened. Please, can we go? Everyone is looking at us.”\nHer head turned to me, and luckily, she calmed down. I felt how she relaxed, after she took a deep breath.\n“Sure, Balto. Let us go back to the Hotel. That really was enough trouble for one day.”\nShe took my hand, and together we left the store. Back on the street, we heard the store manager calling for us from behind. After we turned around, I could see him holding a paper bag in his hand.\n“Ma’am, please. I want to assure you, that this is not what our company stands for. Please, accept my deepest apology for what happened today.”\n\nMom crossed her arms while looking at him in silence. The manager added:\n“And please, let me give your son this book he wanted as a present.”\nMy mother nodded wordlessly. The manager knelt and looked at me when he handed me the bag.\n“Here, my boy. I hope you will enjoy reading it. I also put my business card in there. Should you need anything from our store, just write me an E-Mail, and I will send it to you without any additional costs. You would only have to pay for the article itself. I will also give you a discount, if possible. I hope you can forgive me for what happened up there.”\nMy look went up to my mom, then back to the manager. \n“Sure. I just feel sorry for this man who lost his job because of me. Thank you for the comic, sir.”\nHe smiled at me, after he placed his hand on my shoulder.\n“You don’t have to be sorry for him. It wasn’t the first time he showed this attitude. And now I had enough of it. By the way, at the end of the week, I will get Issue Number 2. I will put one aside for you, if you like.”\nWith my tail wagging fast, I said to him:\n“That would be cool, thanks!”\nThe man apologized to us again before he left us. Mom mumbled in response to my I feel sorry statement:\n“You feel sorry for that racist? Balto, he insulted you, wanted to hit you. And you feel sorry for him?”\nShe sighed, before she continued.\n“Once more, I can see how much of your father is in you. Always trying to find balance, and to see the good in everyone. Let us go back to the hotel. I can’t believe that you had to face two such stupid people on just one day. What has happened to this city? The last time I was here, I didn’t have such problems at all.”\nI tried to see the positive things. With a smile on my face, I showed the price tag of the comic to her when I said:\n“It is ok, mom. Look, we just saved 76 Dollars.”\nHer eyes became big, as she saw the tag. Her voice sounded serious when she told me:\n“You wanted to pay 76 Dollars for a comic? Seriously? Balto, you shouldn’t spend so much money on stuff like that. There are so many things which are more important than comics. And let me tell you another thing. The only reason this man gifted you this book was to prevent us from suing him and his company. In that case, he would have lost much more than an overpriced picture book. Let us go back to the hotel now and see if Idrissa and Asha are awake.”\n\nOn our way back to the hotel, my phone buzzed. It was a message from Nikki. She complained about what an idiot the human would be, who was supposed to play her partner, Mungojerrie. That this person was constantly staring at her butt and breasts. Poor Nikki.\nMom and I walked up the 7th Avenue and passed the big M&M Store. The sweet smell out of it watered my mouth. Unfortunately, we cannot eat chocolate made for humans. It is not healthy for us. The chocolate and cocoa we use is especially made for us Anthros, but this smell was breathtaking. Mom joked that it alone was enough to get diabetes.\n\nThe way back took us over an hour. This town is so much bigger than ours. We entered the hotel and went up to our rooms. In front of the doors, mom told me I should read a bit, relax, and she will see if Nikki’s parents were already awake.\nI opened the door, laid down on the big bed and read the first pages of my new comic, as I heard someone knocking. I mumbled and stood up to see who it was.\nTo my surprise, it was my mother. After she came in, she explained:\n“Sorry, Balto. Idrissa and Asha are… well… busy. I hope you don’t mind if I quickly use the shower here.”\nI chuckled softly because I could imagine what kind of being busy mom was talking about.\nAfter her shower, which took her a bit longer than usually, and after she wrapped herself into a big towel, mom sat down next to me on the bed. We used the time to watch TV and to talk a bit.\nThirty minutes later, we heard someone else knocking at the door. This time, it was Mrs. Kofi, asking if we would want to join them for a little snack.\nWe all went downstairs to the hotel’s lobby, got some food, and talked about what had happened today. We also made plans for the next few days. \nFor tomorrow, it was decided to visit Liberty Island in the morning, In the afternoon, Mr. Kofi and I wanted to visit the Intrepid. Central Park was set for Wednesday, as Nikki could come with us that day. Thursday was reserved for the Natural History Museum. On Friday, we wanted to see the Empire State Building and the Rockefeller Center.\n\nSaturday was Nikki’s play, so we decided to take another look at the Time Square and the surrounding area on that day. And on Sunday, we will travel back home after breakfast.\nIt was late in the afternoon, as Nikki finally called. Since we all wanted to enjoy dinner together, we walked over to the theater to pick her up. Luckily, we found a good restaurant not far from the theater. \nWell, it wasn't some fancy place, just a small pizzeria in a side street. But the pizza was fantastic!\nAfter our dinner, we all went back to the hotel. Nikki and I took a shower together, then my girl asked me for a paw massage. Nikki was so tired; she fell asleep during it. My kitty looked so cute. I cuddled up close to her, and it didn’t take me long until I also felt into a deep slumber.\n\nOne day done, five more to go.\n \nPart 3: Tuesday\n\nNikki's alarm went off at 7 am. She quickly stood up to get dressed. As for myself, I had my problems getting out of bed on this cold morning. Nikki was already halfway out of the door when I finally got\nout of the sheets. I grumbled while I went to the bathroom to brush my teeth. Nikki watched me and impatiently tapped the floor with her paw.\n“Hurry, Fluffy. I want to get breakfast before I have to go to the theater.”\nTen minutes later, we walked down to the dining area and shared breakfast together. Sadly, they didn’t have cocoa, so I had to take a cup of tea. We didn’t talk much, as Nikki was writing to someone on her mobile for most of the time. She left at around 8:30, and I was sitting there alone for some time. While I looked around, I saw all sorts of people walking in and out. Businessman, families with kids, and then I noticed a man writing something down in a little book. That made me chuckle because it reminded me of myself. Sporadically, I also take notes during the day. I took a deep breath as the memories of yesterday came back to me. Sure, I have heard about racism before. But I have never experienced it myself in the way I did yesterday. And not only once. No, twice. Luckily, there were also some nice humans. This police officer in Time Square, for example. Or the manager of the comic store, even if he only wanted to protect himself from a lawsuit, like mom said. Suddenly, I felt a hand on my shoulder, what startled me a bit. As I looked up, I saw Mr. Kofi standing behind me.\n“Morning, champ. Why are you sitting here alone? Is Nicole still asleep?”\nI shook my head.\n“Good morning, Mr. Kofi. Nikki is already on her way to the theater. I was just thinking about yesterday.”\nThe big cheetah sat down next to me, after he got himself something to eat and a cup of coffee. In a calm voice, he began to talk:\n“Don’t put too many thoughts into what happened yesterday. I know that this must have been difficult for you, but stuff like that will happen to you again and again. I even had to experience this during my time in the army.”\nI nodded in silence and took a sip from my tea. Mr. Kofi continued:\n“Let us change the topic, ok? Today we will see Liberty Island and Battery Park. There is also Castle Clinton, and the East Coast memorial. It is standing for fallen serviceman, who died in the coastal waters of the western Atlantic Ocean in the Battle of the Atlantic during World War 2.”\nI set my plate and cup aside, put my arms on the table in front of me, and propped my head on them before speaking softly:\n“I just would wish that Nikki could come with us.”\nMr. Kofi caressed gently over my back.\n“I know, Balto. And I bet Nicole would prefer to be with us, too. But for her, this is not a vacation. See, we will make many photos, and in the evening, we will show them to Nicole. Did you already wish her good luck for today’s training?”\nAgain, I shook my head.\n“No, I didn’t, Mr. Kofi.”\nHe encouraged me:\n“Do it, Balto. Write her a little message. Your girl is waiting for it, believe me.”\nI wrote Nikki a few words.\n“Hey Nikki. I hope you will have a great day, break a leg!\nI miss you, wish you could come with us.”\nHer answer didn’t take long.\n“Thank you, Fluffy. I miss you, too. I talked to my partner here, after I caught him staring at me once more. He promised to be more professional from now on, and so far, it works. We made good progress, and I am beginning to have fun here. Will show you my costume later. \nI love you.”\n\nI wiped a tear out of my eye, what Mr. Kofi noticed. He asked me in a calm voice:\n“Is everything ok?”\nI smiled a bit while looking at him.\n“Yes, Mr. Kofi. Nikki is fine, and she wrote that she made progress with the man she has to work with.”\nOur talk continued for a bit longer, until mom and Mrs. Kofi joined us. Mommy took me into her arms from behind and gave me a kiss on my cheek. Her whispers tickled my ear when she said:\n“Morning my son. You had a nice breakfast?”\nMy tail wagged, while I enjoyed my mother’s warm hug.\n“Yes, mom. Can’t wait to see Miss Liberty. Did you know that her full name is\n“Liberty Enlightening the World?””\nMom chuckled. \n“No, Mr. Smartypants. Where do you get this from again?”\nProudly, I answered:\n“I know that from ‘Histeria!’ They made an episode about the statue.”\nMrs. Kofi smiled:\n“Christa, you can really be proud. Balto is a little renaissance man.”\nI quickly asked her: \n“Oh, you know this show too, Mrs. Kofi?”\nNikki’s mother laughed.\n“Sure thing. I used to watch it with Nicole all the time, as she was a cub.”\nMom tousled through my hair.\n“Maybe I should watch a few episodes with you, too. Seems like even an adult could learn something from it.”\n\nI took my phone and went on Pawtube, looking for a video. Luckily, I found a clip of the episode about Lady Liberty, which I showed to the others.\nAfter we finished our breakfast, I went back upstairs to get Little Balto from our room, then we walked to the nearby Underground station. Mr. Kofi bought the tickets for all of us before we moved through the gates and down to the trains. The whole place was crowded with people. Some of them looked at us like we would be some kind of aliens. The adults seemed not to notice that, or they just didn’t care. Next, I saw this man from earlier again, holding his little journal and writing notes into it. Was he following us? What a strange guy.\nIt took us about 30 minutes to reach Battery Park. Mr. Kofi and I walked out of the subway station in front, the women followed us. Before we went to Castle Clinton for the tickets, we visited the War Memorial, looked at several statues, made photos, a group of schoolgirls even wanted to take a photo with me. Funny detail, one even gave me a kiss on my muzzle.\n\nAfter we finished our little sightseeing tour through this park, it was time to get to Liberty Island. Once more, it was Nikki’s father, who bought the tickets for us. Four tickets to Liberty Island, including the visit to the statue. I wondered a little why he said that specifically. \nWhy else would you go there if you don't want to go in there as well? Next, we moved down to the docks. There we had to go to an airport-like security procedure, before we were allowed to board the Liberty Island Ferry. The other passengers on board always kept a bit of distance from us. Perhaps, they were afraid of us, maybe we smelled bad to them, I don’t know. Besides that, the boat ride to the island was quite uneventful. We arrived there, left the boat, then we made a little walk around the Island to make photos. For one of those, my mom let me pose like Lady Liberty. With Little Balto as my torch, and his transport box was my tablet of law. I wanted to protest, since I thought it was embarrassing, but it was mom who asked me. I could never deny a wish from my mom. \nLuckily, she didn’t ask me to wear one of these stupid foam crowns they sell here in the gift shop. And you know what is the worst about this photo? Nikki is now using it as background for her Desktop and her Laptop! \nAfter that was done, we saw a really cool motorbike standing in a big showcase. Nikki would have definitely wanted to see that. She loves all things that go fast. Cars, motorcycles, roller coasters, her Magic Wand. Ok, I also like that last one, to be honest.\n\nWhen we had completed our walk around Liberty Island, we joined the queue in front of the statue. And that is when I heard why Mr. Kofi specifically said that we also wanted to go inside the statue, when he bought the tickets. The couple in front of us was denied from entering, since they had the wrong tickets. Poor people.\n\nInside the statue’s socket is a pretty nice exhibition about the history of Lady Liberty. We went up on the balcony, where we enjoyed the beautiful view over the harbor and the Skyline of New York City.\nAfterward, we visited the Museum. Besides other things, we could see the original torch of Lady Liberty there. I felt so small while I was standing in front of it. \n\nWe spent several hours on Liberty Island, until we took the ferry back to Battery Park. I used the time on board to write Nikki, and also to send her some of the pictures I took on the island. My girl answered with some pictures of the location she was in, and a selfie of her in this tight costume she had to wear. It looked pretty hot, but Nikki wrote that it was a bit too tight for her. I couldn’t wait to see her perform again. I was thinking about how breathtaking it was for me to see her in “Dance of the Vampires.” And how much I have enjoyed dancing with her. I touched the spot on my neck, where she had bitten me after our dance. I was deep in my thoughts, until a voice brought me back into the here and now.\n“Excuse me, can my son take a picture with you? He thinks you look like you are from ‘PAW Patrol’. He loves that show”. \nI put my phone into my pocket, and after the boy sat down next to me, we took a little photo together. The kid even hugged me like I was some kind of plushie. But ok, better than he starts to scream, and I get trouble again. My mother and Nikki’s parents also smiled as they watched the scene. My mom said to me:\n“I remember like it was yesterday that you were as small as this boy, Balto.”\nI smiled in response, while the kid and its parents thanked me and my mother.\nIt was still a strange feeling to be treated like an attraction in a circus. Mom could clearly see my discomfort and sat down next to me. Mr. Kofi placed himself on my other side, and Mrs. Kofi next to him. Their protective nearness made me feel a bit better. For the rest of the boat trip, I snuggled up to my mother. Back in Battery Park, we disembarked. The clock showed almost four o'clock in the afternoon by now. It sadly was too late now for visiting the Intrepid, but also a bit too early to go back. Something came into my mind.\n“Can we go to Seward Park? There is a special statue I would like to see.”\nMom asked curiously which statue I meant. I explained to her that there is a statue of Togo in that park. He was a famous dog from the 1925 Serum Run. Mr. Kofi looked for the best way to get there, and we decided for a little walk. That way we could also see a little part of the so-called China Town. It took us about 40 minutes to get to Seward Park, with a little stop for a slice of pizza. Well, Mr. Kofi wanted the pizza. It was too greasy for my taste, and also with salami on it. I don’t like salami.\nInside Seward Park, I made a few photos of Little Balto standing next to the statue of Togo, I also tried to let it look like he is saluting to him, but that sadly didn’t really work.\nAfter we're done, it was time to go back to our hotel. While we walked to a nearby subway station, we passed a firehouse. Next to it was, fixed on a lamppost, a piece of paper. As I read what was written on it, I had to giggle. Mom asked me:\n“What is so funny, Balto?”\nI was so amused by this sign; I could barely talk clearly.\n“There was a sign for a missed dog.”\nThe adults looked a little confused, so I explained to them why I had been giggling:\n“We are in China Town.”\n\nMom chided me.\n“Balto, that was dark. Even for your wicked sense of humor.”\nMr. Kofi, on the other hand, chuckled.\n“I don’t know, Christa. I think that it is pretty funny. Dark humor is often the funniest kind of humor.”\nMom looked at him with a serious expression in her face.\n“Idrissa, I try to teach my son to be sensitive. What if the owner of that dog had heard your joke?”\nI felt bad. Mom was right, that wouldn’t have been very funny. While looking down on the ground, I lowered my ears in regret.\n“I am sorry, mom.”\nMom placed her hand on my shoulder.\n“Balto, just be careful to who you are telling such jokes. People these days easily get offended.”\nTo this, Mrs. Kofi added:\n“Your mother is right. But I have to admit that I thought it was funny, too. Because I know it was meant as a joke, and because I know you would never intentionally hurt anyone.” \n\nI nodded, while we walked down the stairs of the subway station. Half an hour later, we reached our hotel. It was a long day for me, and I was pretty tired. But I was also hungry. Apart from our breakfast, we hadn't eaten anything all day.\nIn the hotel lobby, I asked my mother:\n“Mom, I am hungry. Are we going to a restaurant later?”\nMom looked to Nikki’s parents.\n“Oh, I totally forgot that. Idrissa, Asha, what about you?”\nMrs. Kofi answered:\n“Well, why don’t we wait for Nicole? That way we could go to dinner all together. And I bet she will also be hungry.”\nUnnoticed by us, Nikki came in at that moment, and heard that last sentence from her mother. Hearing her voice let us all turn our heads around.\n“You would win that bet, mom. I could eat a whole Zebra!”\nHappily, I ran up to my girl and took her into my arms.\n“Nikki! I missed you so much!”\nMy tail went crazy while she caressed my back. Nikki pressed me against her.\n“I missed you too, Fluffy. So, what was that about having dinner?”\n Mr. Kofi answered his daughter:\n“Well, since I doubt, we can find a restaurant that serves Zebras in Manhattan, how about a Diner nearby? I have found one that should have reasonable prices, and good food.”\nIt was decided to try out that diner. I just put my backpack into our room, then we walked over to this place. I have to say, the look of it was wonderful. They even had a live show in there. It was full, and we nearly lost hope of getting a table. \nA young, somewhat overexcited waitress approached us.\n“Hi! My name is Jessy, what can I do for you?”\nMr. Kofi took the word.\n“Do you have a table for five, by any chance?”\n“Let me check. Yes, there is a free table for you.”\nNext, she looked at me.\n“Oh, look at you. You are so cute. I have never seen an Anthro so small. Follow me, I will bring you to your table.”\n \nWe followed the girl to one of the bigger tables, where we took our seats. \nJessy asked if we wanted something to drink. Mom and Nikki’s parents ordered a bottle of wine, Nikki wanted something called a strawberry kiss, and I was allowed to drink a coke.\nAs I looked around, I could see many humans with their kids enjoying their meals, I heard the live music, it seemed like a really cool place.\nJessy brought us our drinks, we checked the menu, ordered food. Mom and I had cheeseburgers, Nikki took a chicken salad, and her parents ordered steak. To make this short, it tasted great.\n\nAfter we were finished, and Mr. Kofi asked for the check, Jessy told us that there will be Karaoke later downstairs in their so-called “Iridium”.\nThat was something Nikki didn’t want to miss. After she begged us to go there, we went downstairs. There was a stage with microphones standing on it, and also a monitor. Typical set-up for Karaoke. \nSome teenagers were already standing on stage and sang a song, I think it was called “Poison”.\nNikki quickly grabbed a list with the available songs, after we found a place to sit down. Jessy, our waitress from before, came to us.\n“Hi there again. Do you guys want something else to drink?”\nThe adults ordered some cocktails, Nikki wanted another Strawberry Kiss, and I became curious.\n“Mom, can I also try a cocktail?”\nHer answer didn’t take long.\n“Sweetie, you are 14. Cocktails are alcoholic.”\nNikki came to my aid.\n“Not my one. The Strawberry Kiss doesn’t have any alcohol in it. It is more of a shake than a cocktail. Otherwise, dad would not let me drink it.”\nHer parents nodded, and mom gave her ok. That is how I got my first cocktail. I sniffed mine after Jesse had placed the drinks on the table. I often do that with foods and drinks which I don't know.\nIt smelled sweet and fruity. I took a sip through the straw, and damn, it tasted really good. I mean, muzzle-licking good. Mom smiled at me.\n“And, how is it?”\nI answered her enthusiastically:\n“It is awesome! Want to try?”\nMom took a little sip of my drink.\n“Ok, that is a bit too sweet for my taste. But you always liked the sweet stuff.”\nWhile she said that, her gaze wandered over to Nikki. The young cheetah was still looking at the list of songs, and didn’t notice my mom smiling at her. She didn't look up from the list until my mother addressed her:\n“Have you found a song for you to sing, Nicole?”\nMy girl nodded.\n“Yes, I did. But it would be a duet, and I need someone to sing it with me.”\nHer gaze went over to me.\n“Do you want to sing a song with me, sweetie?”\n\nShe showed me the list and pointed at the song. It was, like many songs on this list, from a cartoon. Its name was “I see the Light”.\nI wasn’t so sure about it. I mean, performing here, in front of all these humans. My body began to shiver, what mom recognized.\n“Balto, if you don’t want to sing, you don’t have to do it. But take a look at your girl. She would love to sing with you again. You did it on the camping trip, for what I was told.”\nHer hand was resting on my shoulder, massaging it a bit.\n“Just try to forget the people around you. Focus on Nicole. Besides that, remember that no one here is a professional singer, and therefore, no one will judge you.”\nI looked at Nikki. She smiled at me, looked at me with her wonderful purple eyes while her hands were folded like for a prayer.\n“Well, ok. I will try it.”\n\nWe listened to a few more songs before it was our turn. Nikki dragged me on stage, accompanied by a few whistles from a group of boys.\nThe music began, Nikki started to sing, and the room went silent. While Nikki was singing, she must have noticed me looking into the faces of all these people. Their stares somehow paralyzed me. \nMy girl carefully took my muzzle in her hand and directed my gaze towards her. At that moment, everyone else vanished for me. As we sang together, all I saw was Nikki.\nAt the end, to my surprise, she kissed me, and the audience cheered. I began to cry. I simply couldn’t hold it back, as much as I have tried it. Nikki took me into her arms, while we walked back to our table.\nBecause of my tearful eyes, I couldn’t see much. But I heard my mother’s warm voice, as she gave a tight hug.\n“You did great, Balto. My little superstar.”\nMrs. Kofi added:\n“It was truly wonderful to see you both up there. Idrissa, let us sing a song together, too. What do you think? We haven’t done that in years.”\nLong story short, they also sang a song together. Mom seemed to be deep in thoughts during it, and I became a bit worried.\n“What is wrong, mom?”\nShe shook her head in response.\n“Nothing, Balto. All is fine, don’t worry.”\nI looked at her with a serious expression.\n“Mom, you always tell me not to lie. And now you do it yourself, if I ask you what is wrong.”\nShe looked at me and sighed, while she gently touched my cheek.\n“Ok, ok. When I saw Asha and Idrissa up there, I had to think about your father. From time to time, he and I also sang Karaoke together. It was always so much fun.”\nWithout any more words, I took the list of songs. And I found something I thought might just fit at that moment. \n“We are one” from The Lion King 2. I said, while I was pointing at the song:\n“Mom, do you want to sing that one with me?”\nMom wasn't convinced yet.\n“You want to sing with me? Balto, I don’t know.”\nI begged her:\n“Please, mom. I want to sing that with you. You sing Simba’s lines, and I will sing the part of Kiara.”\n\nThere was no way out of this for mom now, and she agreed. What should I tell you, it was a very emotional moment for both of us. I love my mom. She is simply the best mommy in the world.\nWe stayed at the diner for another hour before we walked back to the hotel. I was so tired, that I could barely keep my eyes open. After Nikki brought me to bed, she left the room. Because of my tiredness, I felt asleep pretty fast.\n\nSecond day done, four more to go!\n \nPart 4: Wednesday\n\n\nThe sounds of the city woke me up early in the morning. The sirens from a police car, to be more specific. After I sat up in our bed, I looked next to me. Nikki was still sleeping. She lay there, her back to me, in all her natural beauty. Her clothes were everywhere in the room. It must have been late, as she finally came to bed. I sneaked into the bathroom, since I didn’t want to wake her up. After I came back, I noticed that Nikki had rolled herself on her back. Her long legs were spread, her honey pot presented to me on a silver platter. We didn’t have sex for quite some time, as she was so extremely busy with college during the past weeks. I simply couldn’t resist this opportunity.\nI went on all fours, crawled to the bed. Slowly, to avoid making any sounds. The smell of her pussy became stronger with every inch I came closer to my girl. As I reached the bed, I carefully I went up to get into position between Nikki’s legs. \nThen I lowered my head, sniffed, and inhaled the heavenly scent. A brief look up confirmed that my cheetah was still asleep. A little closer, and I was able to lick my girl’s vagina. Nikki moaned in her sleep when my tongue touched her sensitive labia, what encouraged me to continue. I licked her slit in its full length, made it more and more wet in the process. Nikki moaning grew louder, her body moved from one side to the other, but she didn’t wake up. I could feel my member coming out of its hideout. With both my hands, I tried to lift the kitty’s cute butt, so I was able to lick inside the moist sex of my girl. Slowly, I stuck my tongue as deep as I could into Nikki’s vagina. I licked her out, her taste and her scent were enough to me forget everything around me. My ears perked up, as I suddenly heard Nikki’s soft and lovely voice:\n“Are you enjoying yourself down there, Fluffy?”\nI startled and moved back. Unfortunately, a bit too far. I fell of the edge oof the bed and landed on my butt.\n“Sorry Nikki, I couldn’t resist. You know, we didn’t have sex for so long, and you were naked, and your legs spread, you smelled so good, and…”\nThank God, she interrupted me, before I could make a complete fool out of myself.\n“Fluffy, stop. It is ok. Come back to bed. But turn around, so I can have a taste of my doggy, too.”\n\nI smiled, crawled back up on the bed, turned around and presented my butt to Nikki. She laid down, her head rested on the big pillows, while she pulled me close to her muzzle. She carefully groped my tail on its root, lifted it up, so she could get a clear view of my backside.\nNext, I felt her tongue licking over my backdoor, before she gently bit my butt. I yapped silently, while Nikki lifted her legs up. Quickly I positioned my arms under her knees, so she couldn’t put them back down again. Now her wet vagina was gleaming in front of me. I licked my muzzle, before I lowered my head and licked over it in long terms. Meanwhile, Nikki took good care of my balls and my sheath, what made my member grow to its full size in no-time. \nYou know, I would have been happy if we had just kept going like that, but Nikki wanted more now.\n“Balto, stop. I want you to fuck me.”\n\nNikki directed me on my back. Now I was resting my head on the gig, soft pillows. Out of this comfortable position, I could watch how Nikki slowly knelt down over my belly. How I love this view of her body and her firm breasts. A smile appeared on my face, which Nikki returned.\nShe asked me with a grin in her face, while she squeezed her boobs:\n“Missed seeing me like that, Fluffy?”\nI only nodded, as she slowly moved backwards. I gasped, as her butt came in contact with my hard member. She lifted herself up a little, and I could watch Nikki's wet slit sliding over my already dripping cock. Next, she groped my shaft with her hand, pointed it at her tight hole, right before she slowly let it slide into her wet and warm pleasure grotto.\nNikki stopped moving, after every inch of my member had disappeared inside her. \n\nShe looked at me with her beautiful eyes.\n“You got bigger again, Balto. Damn, it feels so nice to have you inside me again.”\n\nShe began to move her hips and started bouncing up and down. Slowly at first, but her pace became faster soon. The cheetah was riding hard on my member, my knot swelled. Nikki nearly screamed in pleasure, as it slipped inside and plopped out again three or four times. She bounced up and down on my cock, her pace increased further, and I felt the pressure raising in my balls.\nAs I came closer to my climax, I tried to warn my girl:\n“Nikki, I can’t hold…”\nThe feline stopped and stood up slowly. Her pussy was dripping from her own juices. Nikki stepped off the bed, placed a shirt under her on the ground, went on all fours and lifted her butt high up in the air, before she commanded me:\n“Mount me, and don’t hold back.”\nI guess that is something a girl doesn’t have to say twice to a horny boy.\nSwiftly, I moved behind her, bend my knees and rammed my wet shaft back inside her pussy, including the knot. Nikki screamed in pleasure. Slowly, I pulled out, before pushing my member back in. My Kitty whimpered and begged:\n“Balto, faster, please. Don’t tease me.”\nI increased my pace, with my hands left and right on her hips to hold her in position. My cock went in and out, again and again, while Nikki rubbed her clit fast and moaned lustfully. It didn’t take long until I felt the pressure raising again. A few more thrusts, and I rammed my knot into her pussy. I was stuck. Nikki screamed, as she felt my knot stretching out her tight vagina. Waves of pleasure ran all over her body, while she enjoyed her climax. \nMy cheetah’s pussy got even tighter now, as the muscles in her vagina contracted during her orgasm. This was too much for a young wolf like me. Accompanied by a little howl, I shot my seed deep into her cave of pleasure.\nWe were both panting hard. Nikki laid on the carpet, her legs trembled. I could hear her whispering in my direction:\n“Good boy. Learned much you have, young Padawan.”\n\nI had to hold back a laugh. Nikki was trying to talk like Yoda. I responded, after I caught my breath:\n“A good teacher I had, my master.”\nNow Nikki was laughing, while she was still breathing hard.\nI caressed over her back, while I tried to stand at least a bit more comfortable behind my girl.\nA sudden knocking at the door let us both raise our heads and look into its direction in shock. We were both relieved when we heard it was only Nikki’s mother, who asked:\n“Are you two done by now? It is time for breakfast. We will wait for you downstairs. Hurry up a bit, okay? Have you heard me?”\nNikki gave her an answer:\n“Sure, mom. Give us ten minutes, ok? We just need to brush our teeth.”\nHer response made us both giggle:\n“Ok. Oh, and please pipe it down next time. Your father wasn’t so amused about hearing the sounds you two just made.”\nA few moments after that, I was able to pull my knot out of Nikki’s tight vagina. A big grin appeared on my face, as I looked at my work. Nikki’s sex was covered in a mix of my seed and pussy juice. I wanted to go to the bathroom, but Nikki, who was still on all fours, protested while shaking her butt:\n“Where do you think you are going? Come back here and clean up your mess. I thought your mother taught you to clean up after playing.”\nI walked back behind her, knelt and licked up this mix of fluids. The taste of it alone almost made me horny again. Nikki moaned silently as I cleaned my playground. After her pussy was clean, I licked up over the cheetah’s butthole. Nikki gasped in response and hissed:\n“Stop that, doggy. We don’t have time for another round.”\nMy ears dropped. I whimpered while looking at my girl with big puppy eyes.\n“Sorry, Nikki.”\nMy kitty stretched her long legs, before she stood up and turned her head to me. She tousled my hair, after she looked at my wet muzzle.\n“Good boy. Now let us get ready, before dad comes up to get us.”\n\nWe took care of the rest of our mess before we joined our parents in the lobby. My mother spotted us first and smiled at me, what felt a bit embarrassing. I could tell by the look on her face that she knew why Nikki and I were coming down so late. We grabbed something to eat and sat down. The first minutes passed without anyone saying something. Finally, my mother's voice broke the silence:\n“Ok, I think we should talk about the plan for today. Central Park. I would say we walk up to Columbus Circle, which will take us about fifteen minutes. From there, we can follow the West Drive and the Center Drive, until we reach Chess and Checkers. That will take another ten to fifteen minutes. The Statue of Balto is only five more minutes away from there, if my navigation program is correct.”\nMr. Kofi checked his phone.\n“The weather forecast says that it will be a warm day for the end of November, and there will be no wind. Since the walk shouldn’t take us that long, we have plenty of time for the rest of the park, after we have seen the statue.”\nNow, I also took a look at my phone and searched for a map of the park. \n“Mom, can we also visit the Zoo? Oh, and it is said that there are a few places with raccoons, can we try to find some?”\nMom looked at me.\n“Sure, Balto. But don’t get your hopes up too much. And remember, these raccoons are wild animals, and not pets. But we certainly will have a nice time there, with or without raccoons.”\n\nMr. Kofi spoke up once more, while he looked at Nikki and me.\n“Yeah, a nice time. Like you two had it before. Nicole, are you nuts? See, I don’t care about the fact you two have sex together, that is nothing new anymore. But do you have to entertain the whole hotel with your screaming and moaning? Please, try to pipe it down a bit, ok?”\nNikki tried to defend us:\n“Dad, I am sorry, I was carried away. Balto and I hadn't had sex for weeks. I promise it will not happen again.”\nThe male king cheetah’s face became a bit friendlier.\n“Nicole, please don’t get me wrong. I am happy for you having fun. All I ask for is that you remember you are inside a hotel. Keep the noises at room volume, ok?”\nNikki looked down at the0 table.\n“I promise, dad,” she mumbled.\n\nAfter we had finished this rather unpleasant conversation, we ate up, and then it was time to get ready. Mr. Kofi and mom stayed in the lobby, while Mrs. Kofi, Nikki and I walked back to our room. When we had gone through the door, Mrs. Kofi had a few more words for me while her daughter went into the bathroom:\n“Balto, please don’t take Idrissa’s words too seriously, ok?”\nI sighed a bit.\n“Ok, Mrs. Kofi.”\nShe smiled and placed her hand on my shoulder.\n“Believe me, he is happy for you two. But for him, Nicole is still his little girl, and therefore it is often a bit hard for him to hear his daughter having sex.”\nI just nodded, and Nikki’s mother continued, while I packed my backpack.\n“My dear boy, you can be proud of yourself, if your girl makes sounds like that during sex.”\nThis talk was somehow as embarrassing and unpleasant as the one before. I still have my problems talking about things like that, especially with Nikki's parents. I kindly asked Mrs. Kofi:\n“Mrs. Kofi, can we talk about something else, please?”\nShe laughed.\n“Should I tell you about Nicole’s last boyfriend before you?”\nNikki interrupted her, what made me giggle.\n“Mom, please. He really doesn’t have to hear the shameful stories about my past love life.”\nMrs. Kofi chuckled, sat down on the bed and looked at us.\n“Do you know that you are completing each other in a truly wonderful way? Balto, you became so much more self-confident during the past months. You even go on a stage now and sing with your girl in front of dozens of people. And Nicole, since you are in this relationship, I can feel that you have become more relaxed. Balto has a calming effect on you. Because of him, you can trust males again, after your former so-called boyfriends only used you. I can’t say how happy I am every time I see you two together.”\nNikki listened to her mother, while she looked down at the spot where we had sex on before. Sure, my kitty had placed a shirt underneath her, but there was a clearly visible stain on the carpet. Her mother chuckled, as she noticed how Nikki looked at this stain.\n“Don’t worry, Nicole. The cleaning staff at this hotel surely has seen much worse.”\nNikki took a deep breath, walked over to me and hugged me tightly.\n“Mom, I want to thank you. I don’t know if we could have come so far without your support.”\nHer mother stood up and took us both into her arms.\n“It was always a pleasure for me, Nicole. And be assured that I will always support you both. The same goes for your father. And of course, for your mother as well, Balto.”\nMy tail wagged a bit.\n“Thank you, Mrs. Kofi.”\nShe smiled at me. \n“You are very welcome. But now get ready, we have to go.”\nA brief look at my clothes must have given her the chills, since I was still only wearing shorts and a t-shirt.\n“Balto, don’t you want to wear something warmer? We have almost December.”\nI shook my head.\n“No, I am fine.”\nMrs. Kofi didn’t want to let me leave like that.\n“Please, Balto. At least take some long pants and a hoodie with you in your backpack. It will get cold in the park.”\nI nodded.\n“I will, Mrs. Kofi.”\nSomewhat reluctantly, I packed some warmer clothes, next to Little Balto, into my backpack. Mrs. Kofi commented while watching me:\n“Good boy.”\nShe turned her head over to her daughter.\n“Nicole, are you ready?”\nMy cheetah was also ready to go and said happily:\n“Sure, mom.”\n\nNow it was time to see the statue of my name giver.\n\nOur little group of adventurers left the hotel and walked north to Columbus Circle. That is basically a big traffic circle located in the southwest corner of Central Park, with a statue of Christopher Columbus in its center. From there we walked into this wonderful park, following the ways to the east to the Chess and Checkers visitor center. To my mom’s surprise, it was closed, and didn’t look like it would be open any time soon. Close to it was a little souvenir store, where we bought something to drink. Mom also bought a few refrigerator magnets, big cups with Central Park written on it, and most important, a hand-painted Christmas ornament with the statue of Balto on it. After this, we continued our way to the statue. Only a few minutes later, we could see it. \nThe famous bronze statue of my name giver. Many kids ran around it, played games, and posed for photos. I don’t know why, but the number of people here somehow freighted me. I took my mother’s hand, held it tightly for the rest of the way.\nOn the left side of the statue is a lawn, where I could see a dog playing. As soon as this canine saw us, he lifted his head, wagged with his tail, and came closer. He sniffed at us curiously, and I somehow couldn’t resist doing something. Mom, Nikki, and her parents laughed as I leaned down to the dog until our noses touched. The owner of this friendly dog also smiled, while I played a bit with her four-legged friend. For me, this was the first time I got so close to a feral dog. \nSee, in Darwin’s Hope, pets aren’t as common as in human cities.\nAfter my little play date with this dog, we all moved in front of the statue. Underneath it, I could read this big stone tablet with the well-known inscription on it. I am sure you all know these words, or at least have heard them once:\n\n“Dedicated to the indomitable spirit of \nThe sled dogs\nthat relayed antitoxin six hundred miles over rough ice,\nacross treacherous waters, through Arctic blizzards from\nNenana to the relief of stricken Nome in the\nWinter of 1925.\nEndurance · Fidelity · Intelligence”\n\nTouching words. At least I felt a shiver running down my spine, as I read this. And even more as I looked up to the statue itself. Nikki signed me to go up, as soon as the other kids were gone. \nI took off my paw protectors and my backpack. It was simply more comfortable for me to go up there without them. \nAs I was standing next to the statue, I put my left arm around its neck and smiled at my mother, while she tried to take a photo. But then Nikki interfered. Someone was missing. She opened my backpack to take Little Balto out of his box and placed him underneath the statue. And that is how my favorite photo from this vacation was taken. Nikki joked, that there were three Baltos at one place:\nLittle Balto, Metal Balto, and Fluffy Balto.\nA cold wind came up after I climbed down from the rock on which the statue stands. Even I was getting a little chilly now. My mother noticed me rubbing my arms. \n\n“Balto, are you cold?” She asked, in a slightly concerned voice.\nI answered to her:\n“Yes, mom. It is that wind. Before it started, it wasn't this cold.”\nNikki giggled.\n“My wolfy is feeling cold? Aww, I have to mark that in my calendar.”\n\nMrs. Kofi reminded me of the long pants and the hoodie in my backpack.\nI dressed up, then we sat down on the nearby benches.\nMom looked at her watch and said:\n“Ok, we have plenty of time left for the rest of the park. There are many more statues to see, and some other nice landmarks. There is Bow Bridge, a place which is seen in many movies, and also one of the most romantic places this park has to offer. And the Bethesda Terrace. Oh, and Nicole, this might also be interesting for you. Statues of famous literary figures, then the one of Hans Christian Andersen, and here is the location where they perform Shakespeare in the Park. But first, I need a restroom. There is one close to the zoo. Just wait for me here, it won’t take long.”\nMrs. Kofi and Nikki stood up as well.\n“We will come with you, Christa.” \nThe last to stand up was Mr. Kofi.\n“I want to ask the Zoo for its opening hours. Balto, you better come with me.”\nBut I wanted to stay here for a moment longer. I felt a deep connection to this place.\nWhile I was looking at the others, I asked:\n“Can I stay here for a moment? Just five more minutes, ok?”\nMom looked at me.\n“Well, ok. But you will stay here. You don’t leave this place, you got me?”\nMy tail wagged.\n“I promise, mom. I just want to look at the statue for a bit longer.”\n\nThe others left, and I stayed on the bench. While I sat there and looked up at Metal Balto, I heard the characteristic sound of a pencil wandering over a piece of paper. When I looked in the direction of the sound, I once more spotted this man I first saw in our hotel’s lobby. He was sitting on the bench next to me, writing notes in his little notebook.\nThis guy was starting to frighten me. I watched him writing for a few moments, until he turned his head towards me.\n\n“Oh, hey there, boy. What are you doing here all by yourself? I hope that I haven’t disturbed you. I just write down notes for a story I am working on.\"\nI scooped away from him a bit, before I replied to him with a question:\n“Are you following me?\"\nThe human shook his head and laughed.\n“No, of course not. It is also a surprise for me to see you and your family again and again.”\nHis voice somehow sounded strangely familiar, and I became curious.\n“What exactly are you writing there? Every time I see you, you are writing in this little journal.”\nHe began to explain:\n“Well, actually, I am writing stories about a family of Anthropomorphic wolves. They are written from the view of a teenage boy, like he would write a diary.”\n\nAs if this wouldn't already sound strange enough, he added a few more details:\n\"This boy has recently found a girlfriend who is a slightly older cheetah. The two of them do all sorts of things together, it's really fun to write.\"\nI got more and more confused. Was he writing about Nikki and me? Who was this man? I asked him:\n“You know, this boy, he sounds just like me.”\nThe man looked at me and examined me from the head down to my paws.\n“Well, you even look like him, to be honest. By the way, what is your name?”\nI looked up to the statue, before answering him.\n“My name is Balto, and yours?”\nHe giggled a bit.\n“My name is Peter.”\n\nThen I suddenly heard Mr. Kofi’s voice. Coming from the other direction.\n“Balto, your mother sent me to get you. Who are talking to?”\nWhile I turned my head to him, I answered:\n“Oh, this is Mr. Peter, he told me about the stories he is writing.”\nI looked back to the spot the man was sitting on before, but he was gone. I was confused, my heart began to beat faster.\nMr. Kofi looked at the bench next to mine and asked:\n“Balto, there was no one there. Is everything ok? You worry me, boy.”\nI couldn’t understand this and shook my head. \n“All is fine, Mr. Kofi. Can we visit the Zoo?”\n\nTogether, we went off to see the Central Park Zoo. I took another look back, but the benches were empty. I haven’t seen this man for the rest of our time in New York. Was he even real?\nAfter we visited this little zoo, we walked further through the park to see the statues of Alice in Wonderland, Hans Christian Anderson, the 107th Infantry Memorial, William Shakespeare and Alexander Hamilton. We also visited the Bethesda Terrace with the famous fountain, and many other well-known locations I knew from movies and TV Series. Nikki and I were even able to give each other a kiss in front of the Bow Bridge. \nThis was so great!\nIt became late, and we were all a bit exhausted, after we walked through Central Park for the entire day.\n\nWhile walking back south, we passed the statue of Balto once more, and sat down on the benches to talk.\nMom asked the rest of us:\n“Ok, I think we all had a great time today. What are we going to do with the rest of the time? It is a bit too early to go back to the hotel.”\nI asked her in a hopeful voice:\n“Can we go and see the Ghostbusters HQ?”\nMom looked a bit unsure at me:\n“That is pretty far away, Balto. Are you sure? Maybe we should do that during the next few days.”\nI tilted my head, and Mr. Kofi spoke up, after checking his phone.\n“Wait, Christa. If we take the Line 1, it will just take us 30 minutes. And after that, we can check for a place to eat something.”\nI was begging with my killer puppy eyes:\n“Please mom, please!”\nMom sighed.\n“Ok, fine. Let us go, before it gets dark.”\n\nWe took the subway down to Franklin Street Station. From there it was only a minute to this world-famous building. We were even allowed to take a look inside, and the original sign from Ghostbusters 2 was still inside. I bought a few patches as souvenirs for Mikey, Nikki and me, we made photos, then it was time to go for dinner.\n\nWhat an outstanding day that was. As we went to sleep later, I was thinking about all the things we had seen, and of course, about my encounter with this strange human. Was he real, or was it just my imagination? I could feel Nikki’s hand on my chest, what brought me back to reality.\n“Is everything ok, sweetie? You seem to be very far away with your thoughts,” she whispered to me.\n\nI nodded and cuddled myself close to my naked girl, took her into my arms. I breathed in her wonderful scent, while she patted my back.\nI whispered back to her:\n“I love you, Nikki.”\nBefore we both fell asleep, she answered: \n“I love you, too.”\n\nThree days done, three more to go.\n \nPart 5: Thursday\n\n\nOnce more, I woke up alone. The spot Nikki had slept on was cold. She must have been gone for quite a while.\nI sighed when I stood up to get ready for breakfast.\n\nMy mother and Nikki's parents were already sitting in the lobby enjoying a cup of coffee as I joined them. Mom welcomed me:\n“Good morning, Balto. Did you sleep well?”\nI nodded to her without saying anything. Instead, she added:\n“Good. Idrissa told me that you have talked to yourself in the park yesterday. Do you want to tell me about that?”\nI sighed. Unfortunately, I couldn’t escape this conversation, so I explained:\n“Mom, I have really seen this human named Peter, he was there. He told me about the stories he writes about a teenage wolf and his cheetah girlfriend.”\nMr. Kofi spoke up:\n“Balto, there was no one there when I walked up to you. You spoke to an empty bench.”\nThen I felt Mrs. Kofi's hand first caressing the back of my head, before she began to stroke me behind the ears.\n“Idrissa, go easy on him. Most probably, he had just stress. Think of all the things the boy has experienced during the last few months.”\nShe gently took me into her arms, before looking over to my mother.\n“Christa, maybe we should take Balto to a more relaxing location next time. Your boy has been through more than children his age should go through. What about the spa? We both had such a nice time there. Wouldn’t mind for another weekend. And I am certain that Nicole would love it there, too.”\nA slight grin appeared on my mother’s face.\n“Yeah, it was a good time. You are probably right, Asha. We could all use a little relaxation after this trip, and the spa would be the perfect location for that.”\nMrs. Kofi’s soft and gentle touches caused me to close my eyes. It was such a pleasant feeling. My ears were twitching, as I heard Mr. Kofi talking:\n“Well, let us go on with today’s plan, before our little wolf here is falling asleep again. If I remember it right, we wanted to visit the Museum of Natural History today.”\n\nMom agreed with him, and after a delightful little breakfast, we walked up north to the museum. Since it was the nicer way, we took a route through Central Park, which took us about two hours. Well, we would have been faster, but we ran into a group of playing children. \n\nTo my surprise, it was the group I met in the comic store, who recognized me as we passed strawberry fields. Nikki’s father explained to me that this was the place where a musician by the name of John Lennon was shot.\n\nThe kids came towards us and yelled:\n“Hey, Balto, is that you? Do you remember us? From the Comic Store? Do you want to play with us?”\nMy mom looked at me.\n“You know these kids, Balto?”\nI smiled, and couldn’t prevent my tail from wagging.\n“Yes, mom. I met them while I was in the comic store. They are cool.”\nThe kids stopped in front of our little group and asked again:\n“Do you want to play softball with us?”\nI looked at my mother. \n“Can I, mom?”\nMom looked at her watch to check the time.\n“Balto, we wanted to go to the museum, we don’t have time.”\nMrs. Kofi interfered.\n“Wait, Christa. Let him play. It is so rare for him to find other kids to play with. From one mother to the other. Let him be a normal child for a change.”\nNikki’s mother looked at me.\n“Balto, we will get a coffee or something, and pick you up here in an hour. Have fun.”\n\nShe gave me a little push, then I ran off with the kids. They had to explain this game to me, and honestly, I sucked in it. But we all had fun. After we were done, and since mom and Nikki’s parents were nowhere to be seen, we sat down to talk a bit.\nThey asked me all sorts of questions about our town and how certain things like driving a car work for us. They also asked me about Nikki, remembering the photos of her I had shown them. It was a nice time, until mom and the Kofis came back to pick me up. As I spotted them, I stood up and looked at my new friends.\n“I got to go now. Thanks for the game. Sorry that I was so bad at it. Next time, we should maybe just play a game of catch or something like that.”\nThey laughed.\n“It was fun, Balto. And you can run quite fast. Oh, can we perhaps have your phone number?”\n\nI smiled happily and gave them my number. Since that day, we have written to each other pretty often. One of them even asked if it would be possible for him to visit me, or if I wanted to visit him. \nAfter we said goodbye to each other, me and the others continued our way to the museum.\n\nIt was nearly noon, as we walked up the impressive front stairs of the massive building that houses the museum. I loved this big statue of Theodore Roosevelt sitting on his horse. We moved inside, bought tickets, then we entered the first showroom.\nIn the entrance hall, I was stunned by this massive Allosaurus skeleton. And it just got better after that. We have seen animals from all over the world in amazing looking showcases. My favorites were the wolves and cheetahs, of course. The lions were awesome, and also the grizzlies. Then the group of elephants. I was simply blown away by the dinosaur exhibit, and the outstanding Hall of Marine Life. That blue whale hanging from the ceiling is truly an eye-catcher.\nTwo other great areas were the Rose Center for Earth and Space, and the Planetarium.\nI simply loved everything inside this museum. Nearly at the end of our day there, Mr. Kofi spotted a poster for a special presentation in the Hall of Human History. It was about the origins of the Anthropomorphic Society, held by a Dr. Lucius Allister. \n\nThere weren’t so many people there, as we entered and took seats in the back row. The doctor began to speak, after he stepped on a little podium in front of us. As he began to speak, the rows were filled to the last seat.\n\n“Welcome, everyone. My name is Doctor Lucius Allister. Today, I want to speak with you about the creation of Anthropomorphic Life, as we know it today. \nI was personally involved in the process from the very beginning of the research. Up to the point from which I simply could go on, I worked for the genetic research company Helix Genetics. That was one of the first companies responsible for the creation of the Anthropomorphic race. Let me start my presentation at the very beginning of our research.\nWhen the so-called Cold War began, the government searched for ways to give our soldiers more strength, resilience, and endurance. We scientists should find a way to improve the human abilities, create a “Super-Soldier”, if you want to say so. \nFull of enthusiasm and patriotism, my colleagues and I began to work. Genetic manipulation was an entirely new form of science back then.\nWe tried for years to manipulate the pure human DNA, and we achieved good results. But not exactly what we were looking for. Some people inside the company believed that the results we had at that point could have also been reached through a breeding program, like the Germans tried it during World War 2. You know, only the best possible specimens should become parents. But for us scientists, that simply wasn’t enough. It was in our laboratories in Africa, where we began our experiments with mixing human and animal DNA.\nWe didn’t want to simply improve the human DNA, we wanted to give humans animal-like attributes and abilities. The strengths of lions, the speed of a cheetah, the eyesight of an eagle. It all sounded like science fiction, but we were confident to be able doing it.\nSoon we got the first, very promising results. Well, at least we thought like that. The first creatures we created sadly didn’t survive longer than a few weeks in their tubes. It took us fifteen years until we finally had something we could present to the government. It was an Anthropomorphic female tiger. We called her Suki, and I was chosen to raise this little girl. I taught her to read and to speak, showed her human manners. Suki was a quick learner. I was so proud of her.\nBut at this point, a group of private investors took over the whole program. The world had changed, our research wasn’t profitable enough. These private investors forced us to rush the program. \nThe focus was not on quality anymore, they wanted to create a new kind of worker. One who would never be seen as a human being. More as a thing. Because of special clauses in our contracts, which would have ruined us all if we had stopped working, my colleagues and I had to continue. We soon had created thousands of Anthros all over the world, as Helix Genetics had its facilities everywhere. More and more we were shocked to see how our work was used. Living, sentient beings, used as slaves, and treated like garbage. They didn’t have any rights, even if it was clear, that they could think and feel like humans. \nOne day, a businessman from India entered our laboratory. He saw Suki, who worked as my assistant at that time, and took her with him. No words, I didn’t even have the chance to say goodbye to her. Later I heard that she was used as a luxury prostitute. That broke my heart and was the boiling point for me and many of my colleagues. We quitted our jobs, regardless of the consequences, and began to support the growing civil rights movement. \nWe fought alongside the Anthropomorphs. And after about a year, we won. They were free. But sadly, it was too late for our Suki. We heard that she had killed herself. She was so desperate, that she used her own claws to end her life. And that shortly before the Anthropomorphs were granted full human rights.\n\nSince that time, I continued with what, at least I think so, is my duty as a scientist who helped to bring these wonderful creatures to life. I fight against prejudice and the human stupidity. I am doing this on Suki's behalf, so that no more Anthros will never again have to suffer the way she did.\nI was more than happy to witness how the Anthropomorphs formed stable societies, that they grew in numbers, built their own cities, and showed us that they can live together with humans in peace and harmony.\n\nIn the younger past, I supported the movement for an amendment to the Child protection laws, which decriminalized relationships of underage Anthros with slightly older members of the Anthropomorphic society. Some of you might ask now why I did that. The reason is simple.\nAnthros often begin to explore their sexuality way earlier than human children. And this is why this amendment was so important for us. It gave young couples safety and protection.”\n\nThe doctor spotted us, as he let his gaze wander over the audience.\n“As I see, we have some special guests here today. If you look in the back row, you will see four wonderful examples for why I will never regret my role in creating the Anthropomorphic race.\nWould you four maybe give me the honor and come up here? I am sure some members of the audience will have questions, as there are many humans who never met an Anthro in their entire life.”\n\nMr. and Mrs. Kofi looked at my mother and me, while they stood up. Mrs. Kofi asked us:\n“Christa, Balto, do you come with us?”\nMom only looked at me, before turning her head back to Mrs. Kofi.\n“I don’t know if that is such a good idea, Asha.”\nMrs. Kofi smiled, while she tried to make us join them.\n“Come on, this will be fun for sure. And Balto, this could be a nice training for you, if you want to go on stage one day.” \nMom was still looking at me, while she was holding my hand.\n“You don’t have to do this, Balto.”\nI nodded.\n“I know, mom. But I would like to give it a try.”\nMrs. Kofi smiled, as she took my other hand.\n“That's the spirit. Quick, Idrissa is already halfway on stage.”\n\nTogether, we moved towards the stage and joined the doctor on it. A few helpers brought chairs for us, so we didn’t have to stand. After we sat down, Dr. Allister asked Mr. Kofi:\n“Let us begin with a little introduction, if that is ok for you.”\nNikki’s father then introduced us to the audience by pointing at us and saying our names:\n“My name is Idrissa Kofi, this is my wife Asha, next to her is Balto, and his mother Christa Star. We are all from Darwin’s Hope.”\nThe doctor smiled. \n“Darwin’s Hope. What a wonderful town. Mrs. Kofi, Mrs. Star, I am pleased to meet you. And Balto, it is always a wonderful thing to meet the next generation. Thank you for coming up here.”\n\nHe reached me his hand, and it smelled good. The audience laughed when I curiously sniffed on it. This smell was well-known to me. I giggled a bit, while I looked up to the doctor.\n“You had waffles earlier, didn’t you? Your hands smell after them.”\nThe doctor chuckled.\n“Yes, my dear boy. I had some right before I entered here. Do you like waffles?”\nI nodded, before I answered him:\n“I love them. But I prefer pancakes. Mom often makes them for me at the weekend, they are so tasty.”\nDoctor Allister smiled when he turned his head at his audience. \n“This is a perfect example on how similar we are to each other. Here you see a healthy child who likes to eat pancakes in the morning, and a loving mother who makes them for her son. Just like it is the case in so many human families. And Balto here has just shown us one of his advantages. His sense of smell is better developed than that of a human. Same goes for his hearing. Anthros tend to use those senses more often than humans do, a genetic inheritance from their animal ancestors.\n\nHis gaze went over to Nikki’s parents.\n“If you allow me the question, Mr. and Mrs. Kofi. Do you have children as well?”\nNikki’s mom answered that:\n\"Yes, we have a wonderful daughter. Her name is Nicole, she is 19 and currently attends Stark College. At the moment, she is training for a small audition at the Minskoff Theater. Nicole wants to become a theatrical actress later.\"\nThe doctor seemed to be impressed.\n“Quite rare for an Anthropomorph. This is fantastic. You must be really proud of your daughter.”\n\n\nMrs. Kofi nodded.\n“We are more than just proud of Nicole. She is an honor student, has excellent grades. She also helped Balto here to improve his grades and his social skills.”\nI could feel how mom was pressing my hand, while the doctor looked over to her.\n“Mrs. Star, what else can you tell us about your son?”\nMy mother cleared her throat, before she answered:\n“Balto is currently attending to Seppala Middle School. I hope he can keep up his good grades and will be able to go to college one day. He also dreams of becoming a theatrical actor, since he saw Nicole performing on stage. He likes Karaoke and singing in general. Besides that, he likes to write and play video games. Nicole and Balto have known each other since he was born. \nThey were always good friends. Nicole even was his babysitter for a few years.”\nA smile appeared on my face, followed by a sad look. Good friends. Why did she lie? Somehow it made me a bit angry to hear this. Mrs. Kofi caressed over my back, as she noticed my anger. I balled my fists and showed my teeth, while my ears fold back. I am not only friends with Nikki. That was not the truth.\nMrs. Kofi tried to calm me down. She moved her head closer to my ear and whispered:\n“Balto, this is not the time. Take a deep breath, my boy.”\nMr. Kofi also must have seen my struggle, since he took the word, after he stood up from his chair.\n“Christa, Asha, I think that I have to set this straight, as I can clearly see how angry Balto is right now. Besides that, it might be something of interest to the audience here. As Dr. Allister has said before, the child protection law was changed in favor of young couples in the anthropomorphic society. I don’t see any reason why we can’t be honest and say, that Balto and our daughter have formed a happy and healthy relationship even before the law was changed.”\n\nA murmur went through the hall, while my mom and Mrs. Kofi looked at Mr. Kofi with a bit of a shock in their faces. Dr. Allister just smiled.\n“Well, what a surprising reveal. Ladies and Gentlemen, this here just became way more interesting than I ever imagined it would be. Relationships of different species are extremely rare. Personally, I was never able to speak with such a couple. \nBut, to protect the boy, I will not go further into this topic for now. I want to ask the audience politely to accept the child’s privacy. Before I end this lecture, I give you all the chance to ask some questions. But please ask with respect. Yes, the lady in the front row.”\n\n“I have a question for Mrs. Star. I have a daughter who is in love with an older boy. How did you feel, after your son told you about his relationship?”\nMom looked at me, caressed my head.\n“First, I wasn’t so pleased. But I supported my son in his decision and helped him and his girlfriend. That is my duty as his mother. The relationship of Balto and Nicole is lasting for almost two years now, and they are one of the happiest couples I have ever known. Nicole’s influence brought out the best in my son, and I never regretted my support. I think you should respect your daughter’s decision and support her. Give her the feeling, that you stand behind her. And let her know that you will always be there to listen, if she has problems of any kind. That is the most important thing to do for parents, if their children reach a certain age and begin to form love-based relationships. Even if some of them begin a bit early with that.”\nShe looked at me again. By now, I was hiding under my hoodie, what made some people in the audience laugh. It may sound strange, but I don’t like it that much if people talk about me, and that directly in front of me. \nMy mother added, after she had seen me trying to hide in my clothes:\n“If you excuse me now, Balto is still often very shy, and I think it is the best to bring him off the stage now.”\n\n\nWhile we walked back to our seats in the last row, the doctor called another member out of the audience:\n“I have a question for Mr. Kofi. Did you also support this then illegal relationship from the beginning?\"\nThe big cheetah answered with a calm voice:\n“No, I didn’t. The evening my wife and Christa told me about it, I made a complete fool out of myself. I even wanted to call the police. But my wife brought me back to my senses. Since that time, my daughter and Balto have proven it to me more than once, that they are serious about their relationship. Balto’s father was my best friend, and I will support and protect his son and my daughter by any means necessary. That is a promise I made to him that evening.”\n\nAnother question:\nMr. Kofi and Mrs. Kofi, what kind of work do you do?”\n“Well, I served our country as an army scout. I was a sergeant, as I dropped out of service. Now I have a little carpenter service in Darwin’s Hope.”\nMrs. Kofi answered:\n“And I plan and organize weddings. Besides that, I design wedding dresses.”\n\nAnd another question, this time it came from an older lady:\n“Mrs. Kofi, will you also design the dress for your daughter? And plan her wedding?”\nNikki’s mom quickly answered this:\n“Yes, of course. I would be an honor for me to do this for my Nicole. In fact, she has already picked a dress I designed for my catalog. A white dress with gold embellishments. Nicole didn’t even want to give it back to me, and I took it out of the catalog immediately. It will be hers, and hers alone.”\nHere Mr. Kofi threw in a few words:\n“And I will be more than proud to lead her down the aisle, and to give her into the hands of my son-in-law. But this all will take a few more years until Balto is at least 18.”\n\nWhat came next was a far more interesting question:\n“Dr. Allister, is it possible for mixed couples likes wolves and cheetahs to get children? I mean, how could that even work? Can they even have sex? I mean, cats and dogs can’t have sex together, as far as I know.”\n\nThe doctor seemed to think about it, before he tried to give an answer:\n“A good question. As we know, it is mostly impossible for members of different animal species to produce offspring. In nature, different species often couldn’t even mate with each other, even if they would want to. The simple reason for this is that their sexual organs do not usually match. Think of horses and smaller mammals, for example. Now let us take a look into the Anthropomorphic community. Interspecies relationships are quite rare, but they do happen from time to time, as we have just learned from the example of the young wolf Balto and his feline girlfriend Nicole.\nPersonally, I don’t know any cases, in which a child was born from these mixed-species couples. And honestly, I don’t think that this would be possible. On the other hand, all anthropomorphs are mostly human in their genetics. That means, their base is the same, no matter which animal they present. So just like with dogs and wolves, or with tigers and lions, crossbreeding might be possible. \nMaybe not completely naturally, but with the help of In vitro fertilization and some minor DNA modifications. That way we could make it possible, for example, to create a cub with the strength of a wolf, and the speed of a cheetah. But that is gray theory at this point.\nWhat we already did, as we created the first Anthros, was to improve their intelligence and their ability to learn new things faster than usual. Because of that, things like a so-called eidetic memory can be found more often. Sadly, this often comes with a price, like a lack in social competence. What can be a big problem, especially for members of an otherwise very social species, like wolves and other canines.\nBut I am drifting away. What I would like to mention as well are the most noticeable physical features, which can be seen especially on the body of female Anthros. \nMost of them have human rather than animal primary and secondary sexual characteristics. Their reproduction-cycle is also pretty similar to that of us humans. That means they can get pregnant during the whole year, and not only to a specific time of it, like it is the case for many animals. This applies not only to the females of many species, but also to their male counterparts, which sometimes have this limitation by nature. In case you don’t know, male wolves for example aren’t interested or even able to mate outside the mating season. Anthros don’t have these limitations.\nTo cut this down a bit, maybe we will see a mix of two different species one day. Perhaps it will be the child of Balto and Nicole. I would be more than happy to see this coming true. That I can say for sure. If you want further information about this and many other topics, my newest book is available in the gift shop.”\nThe time was up, Dr. Allister had to end his lecture after he had answered this question. \n“Unfortunately, I have to end the presentation at this point. I thank you all for participating, and a special thank you to our guests from Darwin’s Hope.”\n\nThe audience applauded and left. A few moments later, we were alone. Mom and I were still sitting on our chairs, when Mr. and Mrs. Kofi came back to us. My mother seemed angry when she looked at Nikki's father and asked him in a serious tone:\n“Idrissa, please explain to me why you had to tell everyone here about Balto and Nicole’s relationship.”\nThe feline answered calmly:\n“Christa, I did that because I saw how angry Balto became at the moment you said that he and Nicole are just best friends. And you know what? I can understand him. No one should be forced to hide his love. Gays and lesbians had to do that for a long time, until the laws were changed. Our kids had to hide as well, but there is no reason for that anymore, besides some close-minded idiots. Our kids don’t break any laws, they don’t hurt anyone, and none of them is forced to do things they don’t want to do. Why should they hide? \nLook at your son, Christa. He wants to show his love openly like everyone else, and I will support him with that. Remember how hard it was for you and Sebastian back then, Christa. His parents didn’t want a non-Catholic as his wife. For that reason, he wasn’t able to tell them about you for a long time, until he had enough of this nonsense.”\n\nMom slowly stood up, while Mrs. Kofi sat down next to me. She took a step forward, and I thought she was going to punch Mr. Kofi in the face. But no, she took him into her arms and thanked him for his words. And I?\nMy legs were shaking, as I stood up and walked over to Mr. Kofi, with my arms wide open. The big king cheetah knelt down and took me into his arms. He whispered into my ear, while my eyes filled with tears:\n“My boy, never hide your love ever again. Stand proud. And be assured, I will always have your back.”\nMrs. Kofi then also knelt next to her husband to join our hug, followed by my mother.\n\nBefore we left the museum, we visited its gift shop. I found a few nice books, some magnets for our refrigerator and a nice NASA shirt.\nWhat a great day. \nNikki nearly couldn’t believe what she heard about the things her father said during and after Dr. Allister’s presentation. She gave him a long hug and a kiss on his cheek. \nLater, we had a delightful dinner together in this cool diner, talked about the day, before we went back to our hotel. Nikki and I took a long shower together, after which we laid down next to each other in this soft bed. Shyly, I placed my hand on my girl’s belly, and began to stroke her short fur. Nikki purred, as my hand wandered upwards to her breasts. For some reason unknown to me, I didn't dare touch them.\nNikki giggled, looked at me and asked:\n“Is something wrong, Balto? You touch me as shyly as you did on our first night together.”\nI sighed quietly.\n“Yeah, all fine. I was just thinking. Nikki, do you believe in God?”\nNikki laughed, before she kissed my nose and looked me in the eyes.\n“Sweetie, is this still about this man you saw in the park yesterday? Just forget that. And no, I don’t believe in a God or someone else who controls our destiny. Everyone is the architect of their own future.”\nMy gaze was fixed on a window, while it began to rain.\n“But I have seen this man. And moments later, he was gone. Your dad said that he hasn’t seen anyone next to me. This man told me that he writes stories about a young wolf and his girlfriend, who is a cheetah. It sounded like he would write about us, Nikki. This was all so strange.”\nNikki came closer and cuddled herself against me, while she gently touched my cheek.\n“Balto, just try to switch off your little brain. You think too much.”\nShe looked down on me, I could feel her hand between my legs. Next, she whispered into my twitching ear:\n“Let's see if I can take your mind off it a little bit.”\nShe gently squeezed my balls, let them role in her hand, what caused me to moan silently.\nNikki grinned as she watched the tip of my member appearing from my sheath. I heard her saying in her lovely voice:\n“That is better. Just relax and enjoy.”\n\nNikki’s hand wandered up my sheath. She squeezed it. Purred, as she felt it swell beneath her gentle hand. It didn’t take my member long to grow out of its hideout. Inch by inch appeared, and soon, it was standing in full size. \nMy cheetah licked her muzzle while looking at my cock. I mumbled,\n“Nikki, I…”\nShe placed her finger on my lips.\n“Shhh, your sweet muzzle is on break now. Just enjoy.”\n\nShe stood up, knelt next to me, and looked for her bag, which was standing next to right side of the bed. Before she continued pleasuring me, she reached for the bag, then pulled a little bottle out of it. It was her strawberry lube, which she now carefully placed on my member. It was a bit cold but smelled and felt great. I moaned, while I moved my body from one side to the other.\nNikki had to use her lube-smeared right hand, to keep me in place. \n“Hold still.”\nShe lowered her head. I could feel her warm breath on my erected shaft. How her soft tongue licked the lube off my sensitive pleasure bringer felt heavenly. Nikki then slowly took my member into her mouth, swallowed it entirely.\nWith my dick deep in her muzzle, my girl looked up to me and smiled. Nikki then began to move her head up, and as only the tip remained inside, she slowly moved it back down. The feline repeated this several times. The pressure in my ball raised with every move she made.\nIt only took me five minutes, until I mumbled:\n“Nikki, this… Aaahhh…”\nNikki purred loudly while she continued to suck on my wet member. My knot began to swell and pressed against her muzzle every time my cock disappeared inside her mouth. Instinctively, I began to move my hips to her rhythm and thrust into her mouth with growing pleasure. My climax came closer with every thrust. \nNikki responded to my thrusts by closing her lips tighter around my dripping manhood. My climax came closer and closer as my moans of pleasure filled the room. Nikki grabbed the base of my member, sucking harder and faster. She wanted her creamy reward. With her sucking so skillfully on my cock, it didn’t take me much longer until I exploded inside her mouth. \nNikki smacked happily when she swallowed my warm seed. Then she laid back down, kissed me, cuddled up to me and closed her eyes. Her loud purring made me smile.\nHow do I earn this angel of a girl?\n\nA few minutes past, then we both fell into a deep slumber.\n\nFour days done. Two more to go.\n \nPart 6: Friday\n\nDarkness still held the world firmly in its grip when I opened my eyes the next morning. Well, as far as you can speak of darkness in New York City.\nNikki was snoring a bit, her time to stand up was still over an hour away. My girl was sleeping tight and didn't notice me getting out of bed. I took my journal out of my backpack, sat down at the desk opposite the bed, and wrote down a few notes on the events of the last few days.\nFor example, about this stranger I saw several times since our arrival. I still don’t know if he was really there. My gaze wandered over to my sleeping beauty. \nHow peaceful she looked. Her spotted fur between the white covers, like a tasty fruit in natural yogurt. I could spend hours with only watching her lips moving when she is having a dream. How her ears and paws twitch during her sleep is looking so damn cute.\nI turned back to my notes, wrote down my memories of Dr. Allister’s presentation. They will make an excellent essay for my biology class. One of the books I found in the gift shop was the one the doctor had mentioned during his lecture. Inside it, I found an email-address of his organization. Perhaps I will try writing to him. I wonder if he would like to visit my school.\nNext, my thoughts went back to this mysterious stranger. \n“My name is Peter.” \nHe even introduced himself. Since when do imaginary people introduce themselves?\nI shook my head. What is wrong with me?\nNikki woke up, as her alarm set off. My ears turned in her direction, when I heard her say my name.\n“Balto? Why are you up already?”\nQuickly, I stood up from the chair, made a few steps and jumped on the bed, to give my love a big hug.\n“Good morning, Nikki. I woke up early, I couldn’t sleep anymore,” I said in a happy voice.\nTiredly, Nikki answered:\n“Balto, you need your sleep. I have to leave soon, promise me you will lie down and try to get some more sleep, ok?”\nI nodded to my cheetah.\n“I promise, Nikki.”\nNikki patted my head.\n“Good boy. As you are awake, you can help me to get ready. Today is my last training, and tomorrow is the show. After that, we will go celebrate. I can't wait for all of this to be over.”\n\nI helped Nikki to get ready. An hour later, she left me alone in the hotel room. As I have promised it to her, I laid down again and tried to get some more sleep. It was a surprisingly good night's sleep until a knock on the door woke me up. Through the door I heard mom's voice. She asked if I was awake yet. A quick glance at the clock showed that it was almost 10 o'clock.\nTiredly, I answered to my mother’s question:\n“Yes, mom. I am up.”\nShe replied:\n“Good. Please get dressed and join us for breakfast. We want to leave right after it, so please take everything you need with you.”\nSlowly, I stood up, got dressed and went down to the lobby, where I enjoyed breakfast with my mother and Nikki's parents. While I smashed my cereals with a spoon, my thoughts drifted way. It was Mr. Kofi’s strong voice which brought me back:\n“Today we are going to see the Empire State Building and the Rockefeller Center, and maybe we manage to visit the Flatiron Building. Tomorrow is Nicole's play at the Minskoff Theater.”\n\nI yawned with my mouth wide open and had trouble holding my head up. The sight of me made Mrs. Kofi giggle.\n“Aww, is our little prince still tired? Did Nicole not let you sleep last night?”\nHer husband cut her off:\n“Asha, please.”\nMrs. Kofi gently touched my back, what made my tail wag a little. Then she asked me:\n“Balto, is everything ok with you? You know you can tell us everything, sweetie.”\nSlowly, I nodded at her.\n“All fine. I am just tired, Mrs. Kofi.”\nMom seemed to be worried.\n“Balto, do you want to stay here today?”\nI shook my head.\n“No. I want to see the Empire State. And the other things. And I would like to go to the Comic Store again.”\nThis last thing made mom growl.\n“Do you mean the one in which that man treated you like some kind of parasite? Balto, is that really necessary?”\nI nodded with pleading eyes.\n“Mom, I want the second Issue of this comic. The manager said he will put one aside for me.”\n\nMy mother only nodded. I could see a slight disgust in her face. After we all had finished breakfast, it was time to begin with today’s program.\nWe were almost out of the hotel’s front door, as I stopped. I forgot my backpack and Little Balto up in my room. I quickly ran back upstairs to get my stuff, then we first walked to the Rockefeller Center. Sadly, the big Christmas tree wasn’t there yet. But it still was interesting to see this place. We spent an hour there, before we walked south to the Empire State Building. This took us another 20 minutes.\nIn front of this famous landmark, we saw several street vendors who tried to sell us tickets for the Empire State Building. But Mr. Kofi denied that and meant that we will buy our tickets inside the building. For me, this sounded a bit strange. These vendors claimed that their tickets were much cheaper. As soon as we were able to enter the Lobby, we moved towards the big desk in front of this breathtaking wall decoration, which I knew from photos. A lady was standing there and showed the visitors the way to the ticket counters. \nMr. Kofi asked, as we passed the desk:\n“Excuse me, ma’am. May I ask you a question?”\nShe answered him in a very friendly tone:\n“Of course. What can I do for you, sir?”\n“We have seen these vendors outside selling tickets. Are they really cheaper than the ones we get at the counter?”\nThe lady shook her head.\n“No, sir. In fact, they are often not even valid. We have so many angry people every single day, who bought these worthless tickets. It is always the best to buy the tickets upstairs at the counter.”\nI could see a smile on Mr. Kofi’s face. \n“That is exactly what I thought. Thank you very much. I wish you a nice day.”\nThen Nikki’s father looked at me. \n“See, this is why I didn’t buy the tickets outside. You always have to be careful with street vendors who try to sell you something.”\n\nWe took the escalator up and got in line for our tickets. We had them only ten minutes later. After a security check, we were allowed to enter this iconic building. We saw many billboards with information about the skyscraper, but the best was the balcony on the top, along the ride with these high-speed elevators. They made my stomach feel funny.\nOn the balcony, we took photos with Little Balto, enjoyed the wonderful view over the city. Even from up there, I couldn’t see the edge of the metropolis, which is New York City.\nWe stayed inside the Empire State Building there for more than three hours, until we had seen everything and went back down to the first floor. \nWhat a breathtaking building. Thanks to the cold air, I was fully awake by now. \nI wanted to see more of this great city.\nOur next goal was the Flatiron Building. The walk there took us twenty minutes. This building looks so funny, like an architect would have said:\n“Hey, we have a triangle-shaped spot left here, let us build a house that looks like a piece of cake.” \n\nIt was late afternoon when we took a seat at some benches next to this funny-looking building. The adults discussed what we can do with the rest of the day. It was decided to visit Macy’s next. Especially mom and Mrs. Kofi wanted to go there. As we reached the shopping center, Mr. Kofi made me an offer. He wanted to go with me to the comic store, so the women have more time to go shopping in peace.\nAnd that is what we did. After a short ten-minute walk, we entered the comic store.\nMr. Kofi began to look around. To my surprise, he seemed to be interested in a certain comic book, which had a masked man I didn’t know on the cover. \nHe had a big black hat, a mask over his eyes and a cape. The masked man was sitting on a horse, doing a cool pose while holding a rapier.\n\nNikki’s father read a few pages of the book, while I browsed through the store. I would have never thought that Mr. Kofi likes comics. He had read at least a third of the comic book as I rejoined him. I became curious, and asked:\n“Mr. Kofi, what are you reading there? I don’t know this hero.”\nHe raised his head and looked at me with a smile while he introduced me to this ancient hero:\n“I am not surprised that you don't know Zorro. Balto. When I was at your age, he was my favorite hero. I wasn’t aware that they still make comics with him. You know, he is pretty much the archetype of a superhero, with the cape, a mask, and the secret identity. I think I will take that one. Have you found what you were looking for?”\nI shook my head.\n“No, sadly not. And I haven’t seen the manager anywhere.”\nMr. Kofi thought for a moment and then suggested:\n“Hm, we will simply ask the cashier. Come.”\n\nWe made a few steps towards the cash desk, as I heard the manager's voice from behind us. He appeared to be happy to see me.\n“Hey, little guy. I already thought you won’t come. Are you still interested in the second issue? As promised, I have saved a copy for you.”\nI called out cheerfully:\n“Oh yes! Thank you!”\n\nHe gave me my copy of the comic book, Mr. Kofi paid, and we left the store to go back to Macy’s. While we walked down the street, we saw some military guys collecting money for veterans. Mr. Kofi gave them a few bucks. One of the soldiers seemed to recognize him: \n“Sarge, is that you?”\nMr. Kofi seemed a bit surprised by this:\n“Well, I was a Sergeant during my time in the Army, yes, but” He took a closer look at the soldier he was talking to. “Wait, Privet Collins?”\nThe man saluted in front of Mr. Kofi.\n“Yes, sir! Well, I am a sergeant myself by now. What are you doing here in New York?”\nThe big cheetah was obviously happy to see one of his army friends again.\n“I am here with my family and some friends of ours. My daughter has a training at the Minskoff Theater, and the rest of us did some sightseeing during the week.”\nPrivet Collins became curious.\n“Your daughter? Little Nicole? It's been over 15 years since you had her and your wife at our annual meeting.”\nMr. Kofi giggled.\n“Nicole is now 19 years old and attends college. She is not so little anymore. Wait, I will show you a picture of her.”\nMr. Kofi pulled out his walled and showed a photo of Nikki. The man looked at the photo with a smile, then his gaze wandered over to me.\n“And who is this little guy?”\nMr. Kofi put his hand on my shoulder.\n“This is Balto, the son of our neighbor and good friend Christa.”\nI remembered his words from yesterday, that I should stand in for my relationship, and to be proud of it. Which is why I said into Mr. Kofi’s friend’s face:\n“And I am Nikki’s boyfriend.”\nPrivet Collins began to laugh, then he tousled through my hair.\n“Sure, young man.” The soldier looked back at Nikki’s father. “You have a little Joker here, Idrissa.”\nMr. Kofi stayed calm, but crossed his arms when he said:\n“It is true. Balto is Nicole’s boyfriend.” \nThe king cheetah looked at me and smiled, before he continued.\n“And I am happy about it. He has proved himself worthy of my daughter more than once.”\n\nThis sergeant was speechless for a moment, until he began to laugh again.\n“Are you serious, Sarge? Your daughter is 19, this boy must be way younger.”\nMr. Kofi had now a more earnest tone in his voice.\n“I am, Collins.”\nOnce more, the man became silent. Then he patted my back, which hurt a bit, and said:\n“My respect, kid.”\n\nTheir conversation went on for a bit longer. Since it tired me out, I didn’t listen so close to it anymore. The window of a nearby toy-store was way more interesting for me. They had a really cool Iron Man Statue standing there. \nUnfortunately, it was too expensive for me. This is why I only looked at it, until Mr. Kofi was done with his conversation. We walked back to Macy’s, where we met mom and Mrs. Kofi. Nikki’s mother had a bag in her hand and smiled at her husband, before she stepped closer and whispered something into his ear. His eyes became big during that, and his tail twitched. His gaze suddenly wandered over to my mother, who also smiled at him. I didn’t understand what was going on there, but that wasn’t so relevant for me at the moment. The only thing I was thinking about was food. I was so hungry that I didn’t want to wait for Nikki to join us. Luckily, mom had packed a small sandwich for me from the breakfast buffet.\nNext, we decided to pick up Nikki in front of the theater, and so we walked north to Time Square. On our way, we passed an old-looking bookstore. I had a sudden intuition. Gently, I pulled on my mother’s sleeve with one hand while pointing at the store with the other.\n\n“Mom, can we go in there, please? Maybe they have a certain book I'm looking for Nikki as a Christmas present,” I asked.\nMom seemed a bit surprised.\n“Balto, you know that this isn’t a comic store, yes? What exactly are you looking for?”\nI answered enthusiastically:\n“I want to see if they have the book on which 'Cats' is based on.”\n\nSo, we stepped into this bookstore. The wooden door creaked as we entered, and a small bell jingled. It smelled of wood and old books. An elder lady welcomed us. As she came closer, I could see that she was walking with a cane. A really nice and expensive looking one, with a dog’s head as its handle.\n“Hello, there, welcome to my little place of wonders and fantasy. What can I do for you on this beautiful day?”\nHer voice sounded so calm, warm, and friendly. The lady stepped closer to me, and gently touched my cheek.\n“Oh my, I haven’t seen one of your kind in here for so long. Are you searching for something special, my dear boy?”\nHow she knew that it was me who was seeking something, I will never know. My tail wagged a bit, as I explained to her:\n“I am looking for a Christmas gift for my girlfriend. Do you have ‘Old Possums book of practical Cats’ from 1939?”\nA smile was her first response, then she replied:\n“I would have never thought that a boy at your age might be interested in a book like this. I love this book, its stories, and the lovely characters in it. As it happens, I have just one copy here.”\n\nShe pulled a box out of a shelf, after she had slowly walked behind the counter. It looked a bit faded, like it would have been there for many years. Inside the box was a book, and in the store’s dim light, I could see a signature on the cover: T.S. Elliot. \nThe lady told us that she got this when she was young. But now she is old, and since she has no relatives, she doesn't want it to get lost somewhere or end up in the hands of someone who wants it just for its value. She further explained to me, as she saw the confused expression in my face:\n“Books are meant to be read, to be enjoyed by those who have enough imagination to bring the stories to life. They are not meant to end up on a collector’s shelf. I sell you this for, let us say, 50 bucks?”\nNikki’s mom took a closer look at the book.\n“Ma’am, you are aware that this is a first edition, yes? It must be worth thousands of dollars.”\nThe old lady smiled.\n“Yes, my dear. But look at me. I am old. My time on earth is running out. What should I do with thousands of dollars, if I instead can make a young boy happy? This is way more important for me than any money on earth.”\nMrs. Kofi took out her purse when she saw me taking out the 50 bucks, which I got from my mother earlier this week.\n“Wait, let me at least double that.”\nThe lady smiled, as she took the money. \n“Thank you. My dear boy, I am sure your girl will like her present. Tell her she should keep an eye on it for me, yes? I wish you all a nice Christmas, and thank you again for stepping in. Not many people are still reading books these days. You all made an old woman very happy today.”\n\nDeep in thoughts about the kindness of this wonderful lady, and with this precious book in its box in my hands, I walked out of this store.\nMom carefully put her hand on my shoulder and took the box out of my hands.\n“Let me put this into our bag, ok? Just to make sure Nicole doesn't see it before Christmas.” \nI happily agreed, before I asked my mother:\n“Mom, do you think that Nikki will like my present?”\nMrs. Kofi took the word and answered me:\n“Like it? She will jump right through the roof, if she sees that.”\n\nAfter mom had put the box into Mrs. Kofi’s bag, we continued our way north to Time Square.\nNikki was already waiting for us in front of the theater. I ran towards my girl, as I spotted her. Nikki gave me a tight hug, while my tail was wagging fast.\n“I missed you so much, Nikki!” I shouted.\nMy girl giggled.\n“Calm down, doggy, before you fly away. I missed you, too.”\nThen she waved at the others.\n“Hey, everyone. Where do we go for dinner? I am starving.”\n\nWe decided to try a Chinese restaurant for a change. I had noodles with roasted duck, what was delicious. I just couldn’t eat with those damn chopsticks. Luckily, the waiter had mercy on me and brought me a fork, after I tried it several times to get something into my mouth with the sticks. I was close to eating my food, how should I call it, doggy-like.\nWhile we ate, Nikki told us about the play, and her progress. As she explained it, the whole thing tomorrow will be like a sketch show. Each sketch, which always represents a scene from a musical, is performed by two actors who have rehearsed and practiced this scene during the week.\nIt will start at 10 am, so afterward, there will be plenty of time for us to do a bit more sightseeing. I still wanted to see the Intrepid, but Mr. Kofi said that the time for that might be too short. But we would decide about this tomorrow. \nAfter our dinner, we went back to the hotel.\nNikki quickly laid down on the bed, after she stripped out of her clothes. While she wrote some messages on her phone, I stepped closer, and gave her a little paw massage. I really love her sweet beans. They are so soft and warm.\n\nA sudden noise made us both listen closely. It came from next door and was actually music. Nikki told me, after she listened to it for a minute:\n“That is from Moulin Rouge. They are possibly just watching a movie.”\nAfter a while, they increased the volume. About an hour later, it became silent again. Nikki was already asleep, as I stood up and walked out of the room. I knocked at their door, and asked silently:\n“Mommy?” \nMy mother opened and stepped out of the room, dressed only in a white bathrobe. A bit worried, she asked:\n“Yes, sweetie? Is everything ok?”\nThe smell coming out of the room was well-known to me.\nI looked at my mother and tilted my head to the side. My mother sighted and knelt. Ashamed, she talked to me:\n“Balto, I know what you want to ask. Yes, we had sex. To be honest with you, I have sex with Asha since we were in High School. And this time, well, we asked Idrissa if he would want to join us.”\nShe sounded like she was regretting it at that moment.\n“I am so sorry, Balto. I didn’t want you to find out. You know, I still love your father, and I will never have a new relationship. But like you and Nicole, I need sex from time to time. And with Nicole's parents, well, your dad and I have already shared that particular kind of fun with them. Please Balto, can you forgive me for this?”\n\nI didn’t respond to her straight away. I looked down on the floor, even turned away and made a few steps, before I faced my kneeling mother, who covered her face in shame.\nAfter I walked back to her, I took her into my arms and told her silently:\n“I want my mommy to be happy. I love you.”\nShe pressed me against her.\n“I love you too, my son. Thank you for understanding this, my big little man.”\nMr. Kofi opened the door. He must have heard the whole thing.\n“Hey, Balto, I am sorry, too. Are we still friends, champ?”\nI nodded. \n“Sure. I know nothing bad will happen to mommy, if she is with you and Mrs. Kofi.”\nHe smiled down at me.\n“You have my word on that, Balto. But now you maybe should go back to your girl and try to sleep a bit. We will stand up early in the morning.”\n\nAnd that's how this day ended. I snuggled close to Nikki, her scent soothing my senses, and I quickly fell asleep.\n\n\nI know. Some of you might wonder why I wasn’t more shocked after this confession. Do you remember the day I came home, while Mr. Kofi and mom were sitting on the couch, with nothing on her body than her bathrobe? Back then, she tried to tell me that Mr. Kofi was only there to repair the sink. Yes, I am only 14 years old. But I understand analogies by now.\nMom also had fun with Nikki in the past, but their last time was months ago. I know that mom is a good-looking and still young woman. I am not blind or stupid. And I know how much fun it is, to have sex. Wouldn't it be selfish to deny mom this kind of fun? And besides, the Kofi’s are our friends. Mom is in good hands with them. \nBut enough of these thoughts for now.\n\nWe still have one more day to go.\n \nPart 7: Saturday\n(written by Nikki)\n\n\nBeep, beep, beep. How I hate it to be woken up by this stupid alarm. My mobile showed me that it was only 6 o'clock. I sat myself up and stretched my upper body. Balto was still sleeping next to me. I wouldn't be surprised if the little wolf slept through a day or two after this week. He looks so sweet in his sleep. His ears and his paws twitched, and I even heard him quietly whimper. He must have been in the middle of a dream.\nQuestions popped up in my head as I looked at my sleeping mate.\n\nWhat would have happened if I hadn’t decided to stay at their house that night? What if he hadn’t confessed his love to me? What if I had said that he is too young for me? I would probably still be with guy after guy who just wants to have sex with me. This boy here, he's so different from the guys I had before him. He cares about me and everyone he loves.\nBalto is a smart boy, another thing that differs him from my former partners. He might not be as strong as them, or doesn’t have a big cock like them, but the sex with him is in every way better than it ever was with one of these idiots. My sweet doggy. He has been through so much during those last few months. And he still managed to improve himself. The little guy becomes less and less shy, and his quick learning amazes me again and again.\nBalto woke up, after I watched him for about thirty minutes. He yawned with his muzzle wide open. My wolf looked around tiredly, like he would search for something. To avoid startling him, I spoke silently to him:\n“Morning, Fluffy. Are you looking for something?”\nHe crawled over to me and laid his head on my lap. A smile appeared on his face as he murmured:\n“Found it.”\n\nGently, I ruffled him behind the ear, which made his leg twitch. That was something new, and the sight of it made me giggle.\nSomeone knocked, causing Balto to raise his head and look sternly at the door. It was my mother who asked: \n“Nicole, Balto, are you two awake?”\nBalto tail wagged when I answered my mother:\n“Almost, mom. Just give us a minute or two.”\nThe response came fast:\n“Sure. But hurry, we meet you down in the lobby.”\n\nBalto yawned once more, before he stood up and slurped into the bathroom. I looked after him, while licking my muzzle. What a cute butt he has. If he were gay, he would certainly have his admirers. And not only Mikey.\nThat thought somehow reminded me to call Trish and ask how it looks with her and the sister of this little fox.\nI followed Balto to the bathroom, we brushed each other’s fur, cleaned our teeth, got dressed, then we walked down to the lobby. The others waited for us at a table and already prepared some breakfast for Balto and me.\nSomething at that morning felt different. Balto seemed to be in a somewhat clingy mood, while our parents just sat there in silence. I remembered the music from yesterday evening, and tried a shot into the blue, while I put my arm around Balto:\n“How was the sex yesterday?”\nThey looked at me with a clear shock in their eyes.\n\n\nThe expressions on their faces made me laugh.\n“Got you! Oh, come on. The music, which suddenly became louder, the mood here today. There is no other explanation for all that. So, how was it?”\nMy father gave me an angered look, stood up, excused himself, and walked in the direction of the elevators.\nWhen he was gone, I looked worried at my mother. \n“What is the matter with dad?”\nMy mother tilted her head. She looked at me like I should know what was wrong. What I honestly didn’t know. But she soon cleared that up:\n“Nicole, don't you think your question was a little inappropriate? Idrissa is still your father. It is good that Balto is barely awake, and probably hasn’t heard you asking him such a question.”\nI tried to defend myself:\n“Mom, we always talked openly about this stuff. There was never a need to hide something. You always taught me to speak out freely.”\n\nBalto’s mother added a few words:\n“Nicole, topics like that might be fine between us women. But you should have asked this question in front of your father and Balto.”\nNow I understood the problem. I apologized,\n“Oh, I am sorry.”\nChrista continued in a happier voice:\n“But since Balto already knows about it, it was good, and very relaxing for all of us.”\nMy mother looked at the white wolf, then her gaze went back to me.\n“Yes, it was indeed. But for now, please go upstairs and apologize to your father, Nicole. And hurry. We have to leave soon, if you want to be there in time.”\n\nI kissed Balto on his snout, before I stood up to talk to my father. I could hear him arguing with himself, as I reached the door. After I have knocked, I asked: \n“Dad, can we talk? I wanted to apologize.”\n\nHe opened the door and immediately said that I don’t have to apologize. That he made a big mistake when he had sex with the mother of my boyfriend. I told him that Christa and mom both liked it, but he was still upset. He said it felt like he had betrayed his best friend's trust by having sex with his wife. Again, I tried to explain to him that Christa wouldn't see it that way. And that everything is fine, as long as Balto is ok with it. \nIn my eyes, the little wolf was the only one dad should worry about in this case. Finally, dad calmed down, while I gave him a hug. When his mood was better, I couldn’t resist asking him how it was to have sex with Christa. You know, since I had sex with her myself.\nDad confessed that it felt heavenly for him, having both my mother and her taking care of him. Honestly, his explanations made me a little wet. Maybe I should invite Trish over for a little threesome.\n\nAs soon as we had finished our little talk, we rejoined the others downstairs in the lobby, and left the hotel shortly after.\nWe reached the theater just in time. My theatrical partner was already looking for me when I reached the dressing room. After I quickly slipped into my costume, we were ready to go. \nFrom behind the stage, I was able to watch a few of the other participants. They were truly great at performing in their given scenes, and I became nervous. After most of the other participants had finished, our instructor came towards me and my acting partner. \n“Mr. Lannister, Miss Kofi, you are next. Get ready.” \nMy heart was beating so fast, you could literally hear it. My legs didn’t want to move, as we got the signal to go on stage. I needed a push from my colleague, to get past the curtain.\n\n\nWhile I was walking into the spotlight, I heard the announcer:\n“Next, we have David Lannister from UC San Diego, and Nicole Kofi from Stark College in Darwin’s Hope. They will perform the scene and song “Mungojerrie and Rumpleteazer” from Cats. Enjoy.”\n\nThe music began to play, and I followed the lead of David during our performance. For me, Mungojerrie was always the leader of this duo. \nSince I want to avoid bothering you with describing every single move we made, I will give you a bit more information about the character’s background. \nRumpleteazer is in most versions the twin sister of Mungojerrie. \nThe two are known troublemakers and thieves, but they live in the household of a wealthy family. \nDavid and I had a lot of fun on stage, and after talking to him at the beginning of our training, we became a pretty good team. Our scene was only a few minutes long, but we were both exhausted, after we left the stage. \nWe went back to the changing rooms as fast as possible. Finally, I would have time to relax and to enjoy my stay in New York, at least for a few more hours. \nWhile I undressed and cleaned myself a bit, I looked at my phone. Balto had written me a message, also my friends from the acting class back home. While I typed an answer to them, it knocked at on the door. I answered to it by saying:\n“Yes?”\nThe voice I heard from outside came from our instructor.\n“Miss Kofi, the director wants to see you. I have to ask you to come with me.”\n\nI was standing there, half naked, and the director of this famous theater wanted to see me. I totally forgot that there was an interview scheduled after the show.\nIn a haste, I took a t-shirt and my pants while I yelled:\n“I am coming.”\nA moment later, I opened the door.\nThe man tapped on his clock.\n“Please hurry, Miss Kofi. The director isn’t a very patient man.”\n\nWe quickly moved to an office close to the stage, where other participants still performed.\nThe man who brought me here knocked and walked in but asked me to wait outside. The hallway was cold, my entire body was shivering. I was so freaking nervous.\nA minute later, the door reopened, and I was asked to come in. The director was sitting behind his desk, on which I saw some monitors. Probably, the director was watching the shows from here. Next to him, I saw a man with a clipboard, who introduced me:\n\n“This is Miss Nicole Kofi from Stark College in Darwin’s Hope. I saw her during a performance of, \n“Dance of the Vampires.” I was impressed by her skills in singing and acting in general.”\nThe director looked at me, without saying a word.\n\nLike he was inspecting the nervous feline standing in front of him. Minutes passed, before he finally spoke:\n“Darwin's Hope, you say? Stark College? I thought acting for Anthros was primarily bending over and lifting their tails for the camera.”\n\nHe was laughing about his stupid joke, while I had to control myself to not let him taste my claws. How could he even dare to speak about us like that? Just because there are a few Anthros who perform in adult movies. I tried to counter him with a little joke myself, to mask my anger:\n“Sir, I am not Lift-Her-Tail, I am Nicole Kofi, and I am glad you gave me a chance to perform in your theater.”\n\nHe cut me off.\n“Not Lift-Her-Tail? Oh, now I get that. My grandson told me about this. The name is out of an erotic novel in a game, “The Lusty Maid”, or something like that.”\nHe laughed again.\n“I apologize, should have insulted you. But you gave me a good answer, Miss Kofi.”\n\nIn my mind, I thanked my nerdy canine. Without him, I would have never known the name “Lift-her-Tail.” It is indeed out of a video game Balto often wastes his time with.\n\nThe director continued:\n“Well, Miss Kofi. We just rewatched your performance, and my agent here told me about the play he was able to enjoy in Darwin’s Hope. You sure have a lot of talent. But do you understand that many human actors still don’t want to perform with an Anthro?”\nI shook my head. \n“No sir. I don’t understand that. We don’t hurt anybody, and we are just as good as human actors.”\nThe director nodded.\n“Yes, I know that. But it is still not common at theater, to have your kind performing on stage. Yet to see you here today, to see how you and your human partner acted together, was a good sign for me. The only thing about your performance I have to criticize is that you seemed to hold yourself back. Please tell us, why you did that.”\nI gulped, before I answered.\n“My partner David had problems with the movements, and I felt it would be better not to overshadow him too much.”\nThe director sighed.\n“Miss Kofi, the theatrical business is hard. There are many talented actors out there, way more than there are roles for them to play. To catch a role can be a long and often dirty fight. If I can give you one tip for this business, then it is the following: Never hold yourself back, while you are on stage. Especially not to let another actor look better. \nBe assured that you could faster have a knife in your back, then you can look.” \nI sighed.\n“We have a group of actors at the college in Darwin’s Hope. We are all friends, and what you just told me, is really a bit of a shock for me. No one in our group would even think of betraying one of the others.”\n“Miss Kofi, in my long time at the theater, I have seen many friendships going down the drain. If you and your group can stay together, it would be a big achievement, and one you could really be proud of. Just be sure to watch your back. \nI will write to the director of your school, that I was pleased with what you have shown us during the week here, and especially today. \nYou have a great potential to become a star one day. Now, have a nice day, and greet your family from me.”\n\nAfter I had said goodbye to him and this agent, I left the room on still shaky legs. The director had given me a lot to think about.\nI walked back to my dressing room, so I could finally change into something warmer to wear.\nDeep in thoughts, I left the room and the theater. I walked out into the bright lights of Time Square. It had begun to rain, but that disturbed no one here. My parents waited for me outside. Strangely for me, there was no sign of Christa and my Balto.\nMy father spotted me, came closer and took me into his arms, followed by my mother. A bit confused about why Balto and Christa weren’t here, I asked:\n“Mom, where are Christa and Balto? Have they missed the show?”\nMy mother replied with a smile:\n“Of course not, Nicole. They wanted to make a few photos inside, and maybe buy a little souvenir.”\n\nWhile we were waiting, I heard David’s voice from behind.\n“Nicole!”\nMe and my parents turned around. David came closer, and asked me without even looking at my parents:\n“Me and my friends want to go to a club, do you want to join us? They would love to meet you.”\n\nDad cleared his throat and crossed his arms, causing David to take a step back.\n“Oh, are these your parents? I am sorry. My name is David Lannister, I was Nicole’s acting partner on stage.”\nHe reached his hand to my father, who took it. During the handshake, David made a face like he would feel a bit of pain, while dad told him a little detail: \n“My daughter is in steady hands, David.”\n\nMy former acting partner took another step back.\n“Oh, I didn’t know that. Sorry, Nicole. Well, it was fun to play with you, thanks. And sorry for my behavior earlier this week. Have a nice evening, bye.”\n\nMom laughed, but I looked a bit mad at my father.\n“Dad, you could have told him that without scaring him. I could swear he was close to wet himself.”\nDad giggled, and at that moment, Christa and Balto joined us. My little wolf ran towards me.\n“Nikki! You were awesome!”\nI took my mate into my arm and pressed him against me, before I kissed him on the lips. My sweet Fluffy.\n“Thank you, Balto. Next time, I want to perform with you. It is really time we begin with your training, so you can join me and our group.”\nChrista put one of her hands on my shoulder and one on Balto's shoulder.\n“Before you two begin to make plans for the Tony Awards, let us go to dinner. How about the Diner? I checked their website. They would have another Karaoke night today.”\n\nAll of us agreed, and we had a really nice time there. After our dinner, we walked down to the stage area for a last Karaoke night in New York City.\nBalto buried his nose in the list of songs, while I listened to some guests.\n\nAll of a sudden and full of enthusiasm, Balto said:\n“This one. Nikki, I want to sing this one with you.”\nI took a look at it. I knew that song, since I have heard it for a few times. The song’s name was ‘Something just like this’. Balto always had a thing for songs like that. Love songs, thoughtful songs, that sort of stuff. Songs which fit perfectly to him. It was a lot of fun for both of us to sing it.\n\nAfter the last note had fallen silent, Balto kissed me. His eyes were wet with tears. My little superstar. I was so proud of him. While we were singing, he showed off his talent to communicate with his whole body. I think the audience loved watching the little wolf giving everything he had to provide them with a good show.\nFor that reason, and to raise his confidence in his talent, I wanted him to do a song alone.\nAnd he did. A song that made all of us cry at the end, and not because he didn’t get some of the notes right. No. It was because he put so much feeling into it. The song's title was,\n“Can you feel the Love tonight?” by Sir Elton John.\nYou should have seen him up there. How he was holding the microphone in both his hands, and how he sang as good as he could.\nAfter the song was over, the room went silent. Balto’s hands, well, his entire body trembled, as the entire room started to applaud him. \nBalto wasn’t able to move, and my father went up on stage to get him down. I had to laugh, as dad tried to take the microphone out of Balto’s hands. It seemed that Balto didn’t want to give it back. We were all so proud of him. Especially his mother, who couldn’t stop crying while she held her son close to her. This little wolf clearly belongs on stage.\n\nAnd with this, I want to end my chapter, and this entry. \nBalto made a big step forward during this trip. One nobody had expected. I learned some important lessons about the true world behind the curtain. A world, to which my group and I will definitely try to prove that it can be different. \nWe should work together, and not against each other, to create a better place for all of us.\n\nWe all had a wonderful time in the Big Apple. This town has something magical. We will come back. \nWe promise.\n\nStay safe, everyone.\nYours,\nNikki and Balto \n\nPS: \n\nWait, Nikki. I want to tell one more thing, before we close this entry. \nAfter the show, we finally went to the USS Intrepid and visited the Air and Space Museum. It was a blast. We even could go on the Submarine Growler next to the carrier. I still can't imagine living and working in something like that. We have also seen the Space Shuttle Prototype Enterprise onboard the carrier. I simply loved to see all the aircraft on and under deck, and the ride on one of these big lifts was amazing. I felt like I was in Top Gun!\n\nIn the evening, we all went to a fancy steak restaurant in Brooklyn. Nikki’s dad wanted a special place for us all to celebrate his daughter’s success. For me, it was hard to decide what to take, so Mr. Kofi helped me to pick. Sure, I had steak before, but never at a place like this. At the end it was a T-Bone steak, medium rare. It was so good! But I mostly remember the look of the waiter, as I asked him for ketchup. He gave me some steak sauces instead and explained that it would be a crime to ruin a good steak with ketchup.\n\nAnd on Sunday, we drove back home. What a week that was.\n\nA sad thing at the end. A week ago, I chatted with one of my new human friends about this old woman’s bookstore, after he told me about his interest in fantasy books. A day later, he told me that the store was closed because the old lady had died. That news made me cry. She was such a nice lady. I hope that they have many good books for her in heaven. Nikki loved the gift I got for her. The book is well protected in its wooden box, which now stands on a bookshelf in Nikki’s room. Every time I visit her, we read a part of it. Like the old woman told me. A book is meant to be read by those with enough imagination to bring its stories to life. Every time we read in this book, I can see the cats dancing, and singing. And I can see the old Lady, who enjoys watching them. May she rest in peace. Maybe she and dad can read together now. Perhaps, an old detective story.\n\nI hope to see you all next time, thank you all so much, my friends.\n\n\n", "writing_bbcode_parsed": "21. NEW YORK CITY


Hey there, folks. I hope you all had a nice time since we last talked. More than two months have passed since we came back home from New York City. We had a blast there. Today, I finally want to tell you all about it. As always, Nikki helped me, and she also wrote a chapter out from her own perspective. But as always, let us start at the beginning.
 
Part 1: Preparations


Our adventure starts on November 20. The big journey was right ahead. I was busy with packing my things and going over my list of places to visit. Needless to say, I was very nervous.
Other than usual, Nikki didn’t come over for the weekend this time. She had to prepare herself for her show. This trip was essential for her. You know, playing on Broadway is something special, especially for an Anthro. With my suitcase laying on the bed in front of me, I reviewed the list Mom had given me.

Underwear                                 Check
Warm Hoodies                          Check
Warm Pants                               Check
Recharger and Power Bank     Check
T-Shirts                                        Check
Little Balto                                  Check
Backpack                                     Check
Comics for the trip                    Check
Headphones                               Check

I also wrote a list of all my comics because one of the “want to go to” locations on my wish list was a comic store, and I wanted to avoid risking buying a comic twice. Why a comic bookstore, you ask? Well, the little comic bookstore we have here in Darwin’s Hope often doesn’t get the good stuff. Sure, I could order most of it online, but they take an extra fee for that. I wish we would get a bigger store here.
To help me with choosing locations, Mom gave me a book about New York. There are so many interesting sightseeing tips and background information about the Big Apple in this book. Did you know that it was originally called New Amsterdam, before the British took over and renamed it?

Hm, maybe I could give you a few more information about my hometown at this point.
Darwin’s Hope is located in the New York State area. It is a small town, only about 12’000 Anthropomorphs live here. Nevertheless, with that number, it is one of the larger Anthro-Towns, if not even the largest. We also have a few humans here. They are set mainly in the Mendel and the Venter district. My home is in the Lamarck district, named after Jean-Baptiste Pierre Antoine de Monet, Chevalier de Lamarck (signing anything must have been a pain in the ass for that man), who was a famous biologist.
Our town is located close to Buffalo, in the Erie County. The biggest water body around here is Spaulding Lake. Perhaps you have now at least an idea where I am living.
The trip to New York will take more than six hours by car. At least that is what Mr. Kofi said. We will take the Kofi’s car, since it is way bigger than ours, and we all fit in there easily.
Ok, I guess we can start now. As said, it was the evening of the 20th of November.
After I finished packing, I was sitting at my desk and checked for new messages on Pawtalk. My mother entered the room, sat down next to my suitcase on the bed, and looked at me.

“Have you packed everything you need?” She asked in her kind voice.
I smiled and nodded.
“Yes, Mom. I checked it several times now. But I am nervous. New York City is so big, and full of humans. How will they treat us?”
She chuckled.
“New York City is big, yes. But don’t worry. New Yorkers are used to all sorts of crazy things, and most of them are very open-minded. They will not treat us any differently than other tourists.”
While I remained sitting on my play chair, I scooted over to my bed, closer to mom. She gently caressed my head, while she gifted me with a smile.
“It really was time for you to get a haircut. Looks so much better like that.”
I smiled back at her. She was right, I really needed that haircut. Then I remembered something I read in a travel guide online.  
“Mom, do we need our vaccination certificates?”
She thought for a moment, before she answered.
“Good question, Balto. Honestly, I don’t know. I will take them with me, just to be safe.”
I stood up from my chair, put the suitcase away, and sat down next to my mother.
“Mom, you have told me once that you had the idea for my name from the statue of Balto in Central Park. Was dad with you that day?” I asked curiously.
Her look became empty when her gaze went to the floor. In a saddened voice, she began to tell the story of how I got my name:
“Yes, he was. I remember the moment like it was yesterday. We were standing there, in front of this wonderful statue. Children were running around the area, some played next to it, others were sitting on its back. Up to this moment, we couldn’t decide a name for you. I watched your father’s hand wander over the name sign and saw him smiling. I could imagine what he was thinking, and I liked his idea. And that is how we came up with your name. I am so happy we can make this trip together. You will finally see the statue for yourself.”
She laid her arm around my shoulders and pulled me closer to her.
“Tell me, Balto. What things do you want to do in New York?”
The list I made was on my desk, so I jumped off my bed to get it.
“I wrote down a few places I want to see. Look here,” I said happily.
After I sat back down, we went through my list. Mom was reading it out loud:
“Let me take a look. Hm, Central Park. That was obvious. The Museum of Natural History. A big place, we should plan a whole day for that. Liberty Island, that is, in fact, a place we haven’t visited back then. I bet Idrissa will love to go there, and to Battery Park. Hm, then the Intrepid Air and Space Museum. That is located on an old Aircraft Carrier, but I bet you already know that. I think this is something you should visit with Idrissa. Hm, and then we have Time Square, and the Broadway.
The last point on my list surprised her.
“A Comic Book Store?”
I nodded to my mother.
“Yes, I heard that this one should be really good. It is way bigger than the one we have here.”
Mom shook her head.
“As if you weren't already spending enough of your money in the comic store here. Well, the last three should be doable on a single day. Be aware that we will walk a lot during this week. Better pack your paw protectors. You will need them.”
The paw protectors. They are mostly like shoes, just that they are made for us Anthropomorphs. They protect our sensitive paw pads in summer, if we walk over the hot streets, or if we have to walk over gravel. Occasionally, we need them in winter too, but I don’t like it so much to wear them. Only if I really have to do it.
Then mom mentioned another important thing:
“Oh, and don’t forget to pack the travel adapters for the toilet. I doubt that the bathrooms in New York will be very Anthro-friendly.”

This was really something I had forgotten to pack. A short explanation.
Most male Anthros have a sheath, in which our penis rests. It may look cool, but often causes problems if we want to use as a common toilet.
The easiest solution, and one of the cleanest, is to use an adapter, which we place over the tip of the sheath, after we pulled it back a bit. Attached to the adapter is a short hose, through which we can urinate without ruining the entire bathroom. Urinals inside public restrooms are often easier for us to use, which is why I prefer using them. The reason is simple.
I don’t like carrying this adapter with me all the time. Cleaning that thing in a public room isn’t always easy. I stood up from the bed once more and packed a travel-set into my suitcase, while mom’s eyes followed me.
“Do you maybe feel like watching a movie with me since Nicole isn't coming over today? Or we can watch a documentary about New York City, if you want.”
Her voice sounded sad. I liked her idea and wagged my tail happily.
“Sure, mom. Can we make some popcorn? Oh, and I would like to watch Ghostbusters 1 and 2 with you.”
She seemed to be a bit surprised.
“Those old movies? Not exactly what I had in mind, but sure. You know, their Headquarters is still standing. We can visit it, if you want.”
That was indeed something I didn’t know until that point.
“Really? That would be so cool!”

Mommy made popcorn for us, and while we cuddled on the couch, we watched the movies together. I don’t know why, but I love these old classics. It was a great evening with mom. We really should do this more often.
After the second movie ended, mom switched the channel to watch the weather forecast. It said that we will have unusual warm weather for a November in New York, about 64 °F (17.78 °C) to 68 °F (20 °C). At least for the first days, which is why I packed in some shorts too. I always prefer to wear shorts than pants, they are so much more comfortable for me.

On Sunday, around noon, Nikki sent me some videos from “Cats”. Especially about “Rumpelteazer”, the role she was supposed to play. I searched the Internet a little and found out that the Musical “Cats” is based on a collection of poems, called “Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats” from 1939. Pretty old stuff. I bet Nikki would love to get a copy of this book.
Nikki’s dad called in the afternoon. He told mom that he wanted to leave at midnight, since he didn’t want to risk coming into New York’s rush hour. Mom was a bit surprised about this, but she agreed with him. In the evening, we packed our stuff into the car, and after that, we all sat together in our living room.
Mr. Kofi explained our route, the adults checked all necessary papers once more, and during that, Nikki’s mom saw our vaccination passes.

“Christa, why do you take these with you? We don’t need them in New York,” Mrs. Kofi said in an astonished voice.
Mom looked at the passes for a moment.
“I thought it would be better to have them with us. You know, just in case.”
Mrs. Kofi had to think for a moment.
“Hm, maybe a good Idea. Better safe than sorry. I will go and get ours, too.”
She left and came back a few minutes later with the passes in her hand, which she put into her purse.
Time passed, while we talked about the trip. At midnight, it was time to leave. The night was cold, even for me. Good thing that the Kofi’s car has a good AC.
Since I am the smallest, I had to take the middle seat. Nikki was sitting on my right side, and mom to my left. My girl and I cuddled up close, and we felt asleep shortly after.  
And so, our journey to Gotham City began. (Don’t laugh, that is indeed a name for New York City since 1807)
 
Part 2: Arrival and the first day


The journey took us about seven and a half hours. I slept through most of the time, as did Nikki. After we entered the town, I heard my mother’s voice:
“Balto, Nicole, wake up.”
Tired as we were, we opened and rubbed our eyes, followed by a loud group yawn. Everyone laughed, and while we left the Lincoln Tunnel, Mr. Kofi said:
“Good morning, sleepyheads. Look outside, we are finally here.”
Still barely awake, I looked outside. All I could see were large buildings, many cars, and humans. Nothing that really would have caught my interest. While we drove up the 8th Avenue, I could see many fancy shops, and countless Christmas decorations. Here I couldn’t decide where to look first.
A few minutes later, Mr. Kofi parked the car in the hotel garage, and we all stepped out to stretch our bodies. Afterward, Nikki’s dad walked away to get one of these luggage carts. We packed our stuff on it, moved up to the lobby for the check-in, then we walked to our rooms. Nikki’s parents and my mother had their room right next to Nikki’s and mine. Mr. Kofi told us that he needed some sleep after the long drive. Mrs. Kofi joined him. My mom wasn’t tired, so she, Nikki and I decided to get breakfast. Luckily, we were just in time for the hotel’s own buffet. So much tasty food!
After we were finished, it sadly was time for Nikki to leave. Mom and I accompanied her on the way. Since the theater in which Nikki’s play should take place is in Time Square, we were able to visit this iconic place, after we said goodbye to my girl.

All these lights, the sounds of the big city, the people, it was an overwhelming feeling for me. Mom had to tell me more than once to look where I was going, instead of looking at the surrounding things. I even almost tripped over a bag of garbage lying on the edge of the sidewalk. We made our way to these big red steps in the center of Time Square, where we used the opportunity to sit down for a moment.
Mom excused herself, she wanted to get a quick coffee from a nearby vendor. That gave me some time to look around a bit more.
The first things I noticed were people in cheap costumes taking money for photos, and heavily armed police officers with their dogs standing guard. I could also see a man in a Santa Claus costume ringing a bell and collecting money. He had a surprisingly nice outfit.
While I watched all these things around me, a little human child came closer. I didn’t see it coming, and startled with a wide-open muzzle when this kid suddenly touched me. It must have been scared by the look of my bare teeth, and his mother, thinking that I wanted to harm the child, quickly pulled it away.
I saw the fear in this little human’s face, but also the anger in its mother’s. She hastily moved her head from one side to the other, shouting:
“Why it that thing not wearing a muzzle and a leash? Where is its owner? Police!”
I was frightened, my ears were folded back, and didn’t know what to do. I only sat there on the stairs, trying to hide in my hoodie. A police officer came by, and asked the lady what was wrong.
“Ma’am, is there a problem here?”
She pointed at me.
“Yes, this thing there wanted to attack my child. I demand it to be taken down. It doesn’t even wear a muzzle or a leash!”
The officer took a brief look at me, then he tried to calm down the woman.
“Ma’am, this boy is not an animal. He is an Anthropomorph, and he doesn’t need a leash or a muzzle. I am sure that he had no intention to attack your child. This certainly is all a big misunderstanding.”
But the lady didn’t calm down.
“A what is that?”

Silently, I tried to speak up in my defense:
“Ma'am, I'm sorry, I just got startled when your child touched me."
The woman seemed to be shocked when she heard me speak.
“That thing is talking?”
The police officer tried to stay calm and friendly.
“Ma’am, as I have said it before. He is an Anthropomorph. Not a thing, and not an animal. He has the same rights as everyone else here. And if he is saying that he didn’t want to harm your child, you should believe him. I must ask you to move along now.”
The woman was still mumbling in anger, as she took her kid and walked away. The officer knelt beside me, before asking in a calm voice:
“Is everything ok with you?”
I only nodded, while my gaze was fixed on the ground.
“Heads up. I bet she was only stressed because of Christmas and everything. People always get nuts during this time of the year. Where are your parents?”
I lifted my head and looked into this man’s face.
“My mom only wanted to get a coffee. She should have been back by now.”
At that moment, I heard my mother’s voice. She sounded worried, after seeing this police officer next to me.
“Balto! Is everything ok? What happened?”
The officer stood up and faced my mother.
“Your kid is fine, don’t worry. There was a little misunderstanding with a lady and her child, but everything is ok. Have a nice day, ma’am.”
The officer walked away, while my mom was looking at me.
“Ok Balto, now tell me. What has happened here?”
I was a bit ashamed, wrapped my arms around my legs, before I answered her.
“I was sitting here, as this woman's child suddenly touched me. I was startled with my mouth open, that must have freighted the child. Its mother began to shout around, why I won’t wear a muzzle and a leash, and where my owner would be. Then this officer came by to help. That is everything, I swear.”
My mother nodded and sipped on her coffee, which she was holding in her hand.
“Ok, I understand. Humans can be so stupid. I am sorry that it took me so long. The waiting line was longer than I had expected it to be.”
She pulled a little bag out of her purse.
“Here, I bought a blueberry muffin for you.”
My tail wagged, as I took the bag out of her hand. It even was a bit warm and tasted heavenly. Mom sat down next to me. Her hand caressed over my back, which made me relax while I ate the muffin.
“Ok, what do you want to do now? We could make a walk north to Columbus Square, or south to the Flatiron Building, before we go back to the hotel and see if Nicole’s parents are ready for a longer walk.”
I thought about the possibilities for a moment.
“Mom, can we go to the comic store? It isn’t so far away from here.”
My mother took a sip of her coffee, before she answered.
“Sure, then we can cross that off our list. Where was it again?”
I took my mobile and started the navigation app.
“Here, see? It is only a few minutes away.”
Mom stood up, helped me to get on my paws, and together we followed the navigation app to the comic store.
It didn’t take us long, until we were reached a building with a big sign and a Spider-Man attached to it. What we didn’t find was the door. It was a bit frustrating for me, what mom noticed. She asked a group of kids, which just passed by. They first looked a bit strange at her, but then they kindly explained where we could find the entrance. It was on the side of the building. Through a small door, and then up some stairs.
Mom excused herself once more, she wanted to go into a nearby tobacco shop. No, she doesn’t smoke. But her boss smokes cigars, and she wanted to get him some as a present.
She handed me 50 Bucks, saying that we will meet again in thirty minutes.
With the money in my pocket and a smile on my face, I walked upstairs to the store.

It was full of human kids, but they were too busy with reading and looking at the merch, so no one even recognized me. Or they just didn’t care. For them, I was just another comic-loving kid.
As you might know by now, my favorite hero is Iron Man. The reason I wanted to come here was the Collector Edition of the first Issue of a new series, called “Captain America/Iron Man #1”. It has a special cover, which is why I wanted to have it. Our little store sadly never gets those special editions. Together with the money from my mother, I had more than enough to buy it.
While I browsed through the store, I saw and heard a group of kid chatting together. They always looked over at me, what became frightening after some time. And then there was another pair of eyes watching every move I made. One of the store employees seemed to be annoyed by my presence. I didn’t put more thoughts into it and slowly walked to the upper floor. There they had even more merchandise, action figures, toy lightsabers and such stuff. I have also seen some chess figures of Rocket Raccoon, what made me giggle. A sudden voice from behind made my ears turn around, what caused loud laughter.
“Cool costume, where did you get this? This looks so real.”
I didn’t know what to say, turned my head into the voice's direction, and saw the group of kids from before.
They waved at me, came closer and inspected my head.
“Where do you see out of there? Is it warm in there?”
I still didn’t know what they wanted from me, as I felt how one of them pulled my tail.
“Ouch, that hurts, please don’t do that.”
The kids got big eyes, as they heard talking and saw me talking.
“Oh, he can move his jaws. That is so cool!”
Now I finally got it. They thought I was a human wearing a costume. I have heard of those humans who like to dress as Anthros. They call themselves “Furry”.
While I caressed my tail, I looked at these curious kids and told them:
“This isn’t a costume. I am an Anthro. My name is Balto.”
They gasped.
“You are a real Anthro? I have never seen a real one. This is so cool. Can we see your teeth again?”

Still unsure why this was such a big thing, I opened my mouth to show them my teeth once more. To my surprise, we had a rather nice conversation after that. I showed them my comic book collection on my phone, my Iron Wolf Armor, and some photos from the comic con, also a few pics of Nikki as Black Widow. Then I looked at the clock.
“Damn, my mother is waiting for me. Does one of you know where to find the Iron Man Comics?”
They explained to me where to find them, and luckily, I found what I was looking for.
With the comic book in my hands, I went to the cash register. This employee from before was standing there and looked at me. I could tell by the look in his eyes that he wasn't too happy to see me. But I thought I could just ignore that. All I wanted was the comic.

After I gave it to him, he told me in a harsh tone:
“That's 90 bucks.”
I found that a bit odd, since I have looked at the price tag before. Which is why I asked him:
“But that sticker says it costs 76,50, why do I have to pay 90 bucks?”
He looked at me, and his tone became even harsher:
“That is a cleaning fee. You lost fur all over the place, dog boy.”
The line behind me became longer, the other costumers began to mumble.
Maybe that was the reason for the manager to show up.
“Is something wrong here?”
The coworker answered him, now surprisingly friendly:
“The boy can’t pay and won’t move.”
My hands were shaking, as I protested loudly:
“There is a price tag with 76,50. He says I have to pay 90, because of a cleaning fee. Is that true?”

The manager looked a bit confused at his coworker, before he asked him:
“A what? There is no such thing, this kid is a costumer like everyone else. The comic costs 76.50, why do you want to take 90 bucks from him?”
The man tried to defend his actions:
“Because he makes everything dirty in here with his fur. Those Anthros are filthy creatures.”
Now the manager began to shout at him, what scared me. My ears folded back, and I clamped my tail between my legs.
“Your stupid racism has no place in my store. You are fired. Take your stuff and get out of here.”
Angry about that, the man left his place. After he passed me, he suddenly turned around, raised his hand, and shouted:
“You stupid dog!”

I ducked, put my arms around my head to protect myself, and closed my eyes. Then I heard a growling. As I reopened my eyes, I could see my mother, who showed her bare teeth to this man. Her fur was standing up, she must have been really pissed off in that situation, as she shouted:
“If you dare to touch my son, I will make you regret the day you were born.”
The kids behind me cheered, as this man slowly crawled out of the store. I could swear that his pants were wet, after he had to face my angered mother’s bared teeth.
The whole store became silent for a minute, before the manager took the word:
“Ma’am, I am deeply sorry. Please, let me give your son this comic as a gift, as an apology for this unsettling situation.”
Mom was still in a rage.
“A comic? Was all this because of a comic? This man wanted to hurt my son because of a stupid comic book?”
Carefully, I took my mom’s hand. I could feel her hardened muscles, her pulse was racing. I spoke to her in a silent voice:
“Mom, it’s ok. Nothing happened. Please, can we go? Everyone is looking at us.”
Her head turned to me, and luckily, she calmed down. I felt how she relaxed, after she took a deep breath.
“Sure, Balto. Let us go back to the Hotel. That really was enough trouble for one day.”
She took my hand, and together we left the store. Back on the street, we heard the store manager calling for us from behind. After we turned around, I could see him holding a paper bag in his hand.
“Ma’am, please. I want to assure you, that this is not what our company stands for. Please, accept my deepest apology for what happened today.”

Mom crossed her arms while looking at him in silence. The manager added:
“And please, let me give your son this book he wanted as a present.”
My mother nodded wordlessly. The manager knelt and looked at me when he handed me the bag.
“Here, my boy. I hope you will enjoy reading it. I also put my business card in there. Should you need anything from our store, just write me an E-Mail, and I will send it to you without any additional costs. You would only have to pay for the article itself. I will also give you a discount, if possible. I hope you can forgive me for what happened up there.”
My look went up to my mom, then back to the manager.
“Sure. I just feel sorry for this man who lost his job because of me. Thank you for the comic, sir.”
He smiled at me, after he placed his hand on my shoulder.
“You don’t have to be sorry for him. It wasn’t the first time he showed this attitude. And now I had enough of it. By the way, at the end of the week, I will get Issue Number 2. I will put one aside for you, if you like.”
With my tail wagging fast, I said to him:
“That would be cool, thanks!”
The man apologized to us again before he left us. Mom mumbled in response to my I feel sorry statement:
“You feel sorry for that racist? Balto, he insulted you, wanted to hit you. And you feel sorry for him?”
She sighed, before she continued.
“Once more, I can see how much of your father is in you. Always trying to find balance, and to see the good in everyone. Let us go back to the hotel. I can’t believe that you had to face two such stupid people on just one day. What has happened to this city? The last time I was here, I didn’t have such problems at all.”
I tried to see the positive things. With a smile on my face, I showed the price tag of the comic to her when I said:
“It is ok, mom. Look, we just saved 76 Dollars.”
Her eyes became big, as she saw the tag. Her voice sounded serious when she told me:
“You wanted to pay 76 Dollars for a comic? Seriously? Balto, you shouldn’t spend so much money on stuff like that. There are so many things which are more important than comics. And let me tell you another thing. The only reason this man gifted you this book was to prevent us from suing him and his company. In that case, he would have lost much more than an overpriced picture book. Let us go back to the hotel now and see if Idrissa and Asha are awake.”

On our way back to the hotel, my phone buzzed. It was a message from Nikki. She complained about what an idiot the human would be, who was supposed to play her partner, Mungojerrie. That this person was constantly staring at her butt and breasts. Poor Nikki.
Mom and I walked up the 7th Avenue and passed the big M&M Store. The sweet smell out of it watered my mouth. Unfortunately, we cannot eat chocolate made for humans. It is not healthy for us. The chocolate and cocoa we use is especially made for us Anthros, but this smell was breathtaking. Mom joked that it alone was enough to get diabetes.

The way back took us over an hour. This town is so much bigger than ours. We entered the hotel and went up to our rooms. In front of the doors, mom told me I should read a bit, relax, and she will see if Nikki’s parents were already awake.
I opened the door, laid down on the big bed and read the first pages of my new comic, as I heard someone knocking. I mumbled and stood up to see who it was.
To my surprise, it was my mother. After she came in, she explained:
“Sorry, Balto. Idrissa and Asha are… well… busy. I hope you don’t mind if I quickly use the shower here.”
I chuckled softly because I could imagine what kind of being busy mom was talking about.
After her shower, which took her a bit longer than usually, and after she wrapped herself into a big towel, mom sat down next to me on the bed. We used the time to watch TV and to talk a bit.
Thirty minutes later, we heard someone else knocking at the door. This time, it was Mrs. Kofi, asking if we would want to join them for a little snack.
We all went downstairs to the hotel’s lobby, got some food, and talked about what had happened today. We also made plans for the next few days.
For tomorrow, it was decided to visit Liberty Island in the morning, In the afternoon, Mr. Kofi and I wanted to visit the Intrepid. Central Park was set for Wednesday, as Nikki could come with us that day. Thursday was reserved for the Natural History Museum. On Friday, we wanted to see the Empire State Building and the Rockefeller Center.

Saturday was Nikki’s play, so we decided to take another look at the Time Square and the surrounding area on that day. And on Sunday, we will travel back home after breakfast.
It was late in the afternoon, as Nikki finally called. Since we all wanted to enjoy dinner together, we walked over to the theater to pick her up. Luckily, we found a good restaurant not far from the theater.  
Well, it wasn't some fancy place, just a small pizzeria in a side street. But the pizza was fantastic!
After our dinner, we all went back to the hotel. Nikki and I took a shower together, then my girl asked me for a paw massage. Nikki was so tired; she fell asleep during it. My kitty looked so cute. I cuddled up close to her, and it didn’t take me long until I also felt into a deep slumber.

One day done, five more to go.
 
Part 3: Tuesday

Nikki's alarm went off at 7 am. She quickly stood up to get dressed. As for myself, I had my problems getting out of bed on this cold morning. Nikki was already halfway out of the door when I finally got
out of the sheets. I grumbled while I went to the bathroom to brush my teeth. Nikki watched me and impatiently tapped the floor with her paw.
“Hurry, Fluffy. I want to get breakfast before I have to go to the theater.”
Ten minutes later, we walked down to the dining area and shared breakfast together. Sadly, they didn’t have cocoa, so I had to take a cup of tea. We didn’t talk much, as Nikki was writing to someone on her mobile for most of the time. She left at around 8:30, and I was sitting there alone for some time. While I looked around, I saw all sorts of people walking in and out. Businessman, families with kids, and then I noticed a man writing something down in a little book. That made me chuckle because it reminded me of myself. Sporadically, I also take notes during the day. I took a deep breath as the memories of yesterday came back to me. Sure, I have heard about racism before. But I have never experienced it myself in the way I did yesterday. And not only once. No, twice. Luckily, there were also some nice humans. This police officer in Time Square, for example. Or the manager of the comic store, even if he only wanted to protect himself from a lawsuit, like mom said. Suddenly, I felt a hand on my shoulder, what startled me a bit. As I looked up, I saw Mr. Kofi standing behind me.
“Morning, champ. Why are you sitting here alone? Is Nicole still asleep?”
I shook my head.
“Good morning, Mr. Kofi. Nikki is already on her way to the theater. I was just thinking about yesterday.”
The big cheetah sat down next to me, after he got himself something to eat and a cup of coffee. In a calm voice, he began to talk:
“Don’t put too many thoughts into what happened yesterday. I know that this must have been difficult for you, but stuff like that will happen to you again and again. I even had to experience this during my time in the army.”
I nodded in silence and took a sip from my tea. Mr. Kofi continued:
“Let us change the topic, ok? Today we will see Liberty Island and Battery Park. There is also Castle Clinton, and the East Coast memorial. It is standing for fallen serviceman, who died in the coastal waters of the western Atlantic Ocean in the Battle of the Atlantic during World War 2.”
I set my plate and cup aside, put my arms on the table in front of me, and propped my head on them before speaking softly:
“I just would wish that Nikki could come with us.”
Mr. Kofi caressed gently over my back.
“I know, Balto. And I bet Nicole would prefer to be with us, too. But for her, this is not a vacation. See, we will make many photos, and in the evening, we will show them to Nicole. Did you already wish her good luck for today’s training?”
Again, I shook my head.
“No, I didn’t, Mr. Kofi.”
He encouraged me:
“Do it, Balto. Write her a little message. Your girl is waiting for it, believe me.”
I wrote Nikki a few words.
“Hey Nikki. I hope you will have a great day, break a leg!
I miss you, wish you could come with us.”
Her answer didn’t take long.
“Thank you, Fluffy. I miss you, too. I talked to my partner here, after I caught him staring at me once more. He promised to be more professional from now on, and so far, it works. We made good progress, and I am beginning to have fun here. Will show you my costume later.
I love you.”

I wiped a tear out of my eye, what Mr. Kofi noticed. He asked me in a calm voice:
“Is everything ok?”
I smiled a bit while looking at him.
“Yes, Mr. Kofi. Nikki is fine, and she wrote that she made progress with the man she has to work with.”
Our talk continued for a bit longer, until mom and Mrs. Kofi joined us. Mommy took me into her arms from behind and gave me a kiss on my cheek. Her whispers tickled my ear when she said:
“Morning my son. You had a nice breakfast?”
My tail wagged, while I enjoyed my mother’s warm hug.
“Yes, mom. Can’t wait to see Miss Liberty. Did you know that her full name is
“Liberty Enlightening the World?””
Mom chuckled.
“No, Mr. Smartypants. Where do you get this from again?”
Proudly, I answered:
“I know that from ‘Histeria!’ They made an episode about the statue.”
Mrs. Kofi smiled:
“Christa, you can really be proud. Balto is a little renaissance man.”
I quickly asked her:
“Oh, you know this show too, Mrs. Kofi?”
Nikki’s mother laughed.
“Sure thing. I used to watch it with Nicole all the time, as she was a cub.”
Mom tousled through my hair.
“Maybe I should watch a few episodes with you, too. Seems like even an adult could learn something from it.”

I took my phone and went on Pawtube, looking for a video. Luckily, I found a clip of the episode about Lady Liberty, which I showed to the others.
After we finished our breakfast, I went back upstairs to get Little Balto from our room, then we walked to the nearby Underground station. Mr. Kofi bought the tickets for all of us before we moved through the gates and down to the trains. The whole place was crowded with people. Some of them looked at us like we would be some kind of aliens. The adults seemed not to notice that, or they just didn’t care. Next, I saw this man from earlier again, holding his little journal and writing notes into it. Was he following us? What a strange guy.
It took us about 30 minutes to reach Battery Park. Mr. Kofi and I walked out of the subway station in front, the women followed us. Before we went to Castle Clinton for the tickets, we visited the War Memorial, looked at several statues, made photos, a group of schoolgirls even wanted to take a photo with me. Funny detail, one even gave me a kiss on my muzzle.

After we finished our little sightseeing tour through this park, it was time to get to Liberty Island. Once more, it was Nikki’s father, who bought the tickets for us. Four tickets to Liberty Island, including the visit to the statue. I wondered a little why he said that specifically.
Why else would you go there if you don't want to go in there as well? Next, we moved down to the docks. There we had to go to an airport-like security procedure, before we were allowed to board the Liberty Island Ferry. The other passengers on board always kept a bit of distance from us. Perhaps, they were afraid of us, maybe we smelled bad to them, I don’t know. Besides that, the boat ride to the island was quite uneventful. We arrived there, left the boat, then we made a little walk around the Island to make photos. For one of those, my mom let me pose like Lady Liberty. With Little Balto as my torch, and his transport box was my tablet of law. I wanted to protest, since I thought it was embarrassing, but it was mom who asked me. I could never deny a wish from my mom.
Luckily, she didn’t ask me to wear one of these stupid foam crowns they sell here in the gift shop. And you know what is the worst about this photo? Nikki is now using it as background for her Desktop and her Laptop!
After that was done, we saw a really cool motorbike standing in a big showcase. Nikki would have definitely wanted to see that. She loves all things that go fast. Cars, motorcycles, roller coasters, her Magic Wand. Ok, I also like that last one, to be honest.

When we had completed our walk around Liberty Island, we joined the queue in front of the statue. And that is when I heard why Mr. Kofi specifically said that we also wanted to go inside the statue, when he bought the tickets. The couple in front of us was denied from entering, since they had the wrong tickets. Poor people.

Inside the statue’s socket is a pretty nice exhibition about the history of Lady Liberty. We went up on the balcony, where we enjoyed the beautiful view over the harbor and the Skyline of New York City.
Afterward, we visited the Museum. Besides other things, we could see the original torch of Lady Liberty there. I felt so small while I was standing in front of it.

We spent several hours on Liberty Island, until we took the ferry back to Battery Park. I used the time on board to write Nikki, and also to send her some of the pictures I took on the island. My girl answered with some pictures of the location she was in, and a selfie of her in this tight costume she had to wear. It looked pretty hot, but Nikki wrote that it was a bit too tight for her. I couldn’t wait to see her perform again. I was thinking about how breathtaking it was for me to see her in “Dance of the Vampires.” And how much I have enjoyed dancing with her. I touched the spot on my neck, where she had bitten me after our dance. I was deep in my thoughts, until a voice brought me back into the here and now.
“Excuse me, can my son take a picture with you? He thinks you look like you are from ‘PAW Patrol’. He loves that show”.
I put my phone into my pocket, and after the boy sat down next to me, we took a little photo together. The kid even hugged me like I was some kind of plushie. But ok, better than he starts to scream, and I get trouble again. My mother and Nikki’s parents also smiled as they watched the scene. My mom said to me:
“I remember like it was yesterday that you were as small as this boy, Balto.”
I smiled in response, while the kid and its parents thanked me and my mother.
It was still a strange feeling to be treated like an attraction in a circus. Mom could clearly see my discomfort and sat down next to me. Mr. Kofi placed himself on my other side, and Mrs. Kofi next to him. Their protective nearness made me feel a bit better. For the rest of the boat trip, I snuggled up to my mother. Back in Battery Park, we disembarked. The clock showed almost four o'clock in the afternoon by now. It sadly was too late now for visiting the Intrepid, but also a bit too early to go back. Something came into my mind.
“Can we go to Seward Park? There is a special statue I would like to see.”
Mom asked curiously which statue I meant. I explained to her that there is a statue of Togo in that park. He was a famous dog from the 1925 Serum Run. Mr. Kofi looked for the best way to get there, and we decided for a little walk. That way we could also see a little part of the so-called China Town. It took us about 40 minutes to get to Seward Park, with a little stop for a slice of pizza. Well, Mr. Kofi wanted the pizza. It was too greasy for my taste, and also with salami on it. I don’t like salami.
Inside Seward Park, I made a few photos of Little Balto standing next to the statue of Togo, I also tried to let it look like he is saluting to him, but that sadly didn’t really work.
After we're done, it was time to go back to our hotel. While we walked to a nearby subway station, we passed a firehouse. Next to it was, fixed on a lamppost, a piece of paper. As I read what was written on it, I had to giggle. Mom asked me:
“What is so funny, Balto?”
I was so amused by this sign; I could barely talk clearly.
“There was a sign for a missed dog.”
The adults looked a little confused, so I explained to them why I had been giggling:
“We are in China Town.”

Mom chided me.
“Balto, that was dark. Even for your wicked sense of humor.”
Mr. Kofi, on the other hand, chuckled.
“I don’t know, Christa. I think that it is pretty funny. Dark humor is often the funniest kind of humor.”
Mom looked at him with a serious expression in her face.
“Idrissa, I try to teach my son to be sensitive. What if the owner of that dog had heard your joke?”
I felt bad. Mom was right, that wouldn’t have been very funny. While looking down on the ground, I lowered my ears in regret.
“I am sorry, mom.”
Mom placed her hand on my shoulder.
“Balto, just be careful to who you are telling such jokes. People these days easily get offended.”
To this, Mrs. Kofi added:
“Your mother is right. But I have to admit that I thought it was funny, too. Because I know it was meant as a joke, and because I know you would never intentionally hurt anyone.”

I nodded, while we walked down the stairs of the subway station. Half an hour later, we reached our hotel. It was a long day for me, and I was pretty tired. But I was also hungry. Apart from our breakfast, we hadn't eaten anything all day.
In the hotel lobby, I asked my mother:
“Mom, I am hungry. Are we going to a restaurant later?”
Mom looked to Nikki’s parents.
“Oh, I totally forgot that. Idrissa, Asha, what about you?”
Mrs. Kofi answered:
“Well, why don’t we wait for Nicole? That way we could go to dinner all together. And I bet she will also be hungry.”
Unnoticed by us, Nikki came in at that moment, and heard that last sentence from her mother. Hearing her voice let us all turn our heads around.
“You would win that bet, mom. I could eat a whole Zebra!”
Happily, I ran up to my girl and took her into my arms.
“Nikki! I missed you so much!”
My tail went crazy while she caressed my back. Nikki pressed me against her.
“I missed you too, Fluffy. So, what was that about having dinner?”
 Mr. Kofi answered his daughter:
“Well, since I doubt, we can find a restaurant that serves Zebras in Manhattan, how about a Diner nearby? I have found one that should have reasonable prices, and good food.”
It was decided to try out that diner. I just put my backpack into our room, then we walked over to this place. I have to say, the look of it was wonderful. They even had a live show in there. It was full, and we nearly lost hope of getting a table.
A young, somewhat overexcited waitress approached us.
“Hi! My name is Jessy, what can I do for you?”
Mr. Kofi took the word.
“Do you have a table for five, by any chance?”
“Let me check. Yes, there is a free table for you.”
Next, she looked at me.
“Oh, look at you. You are so cute. I have never seen an Anthro so small. Follow me, I will bring you to your table.”
 
We followed the girl to one of the bigger tables, where we took our seats.
Jessy asked if we wanted something to drink. Mom and Nikki’s parents ordered a bottle of wine, Nikki wanted something called a strawberry kiss, and I was allowed to drink a coke.
As I looked around, I could see many humans with their kids enjoying their meals, I heard the live music, it seemed like a really cool place.
Jessy brought us our drinks, we checked the menu, ordered food. Mom and I had cheeseburgers, Nikki took a chicken salad, and her parents ordered steak. To make this short, it tasted great.

After we were finished, and Mr. Kofi asked for the check, Jessy told us that there will be Karaoke later downstairs in their so-called “Iridium”.
That was something Nikki didn’t want to miss. After she begged us to go there, we went downstairs. There was a stage with microphones standing on it, and also a monitor. Typical set-up for Karaoke.
Some teenagers were already standing on stage and sang a song, I think it was called “Poison”.
Nikki quickly grabbed a list with the available songs, after we found a place to sit down. Jessy, our waitress from before, came to us.
“Hi there again. Do you guys want something else to drink?”
The adults ordered some cocktails, Nikki wanted another Strawberry Kiss, and I became curious.
“Mom, can I also try a cocktail?”
Her answer didn’t take long.
“Sweetie, you are 14. Cocktails are alcoholic.”
Nikki came to my aid.
“Not my one. The Strawberry Kiss doesn’t have any alcohol in it. It is more of a shake than a cocktail. Otherwise, dad would not let me drink it.”
Her parents nodded, and mom gave her ok. That is how I got my first cocktail. I sniffed mine after Jesse had placed the drinks on the table. I often do that with foods and drinks which I don't know.
It smelled sweet and fruity. I took a sip through the straw, and damn, it tasted really good. I mean, muzzle-licking good. Mom smiled at me.
“And, how is it?”
I answered her enthusiastically:
“It is awesome! Want to try?”
Mom took a little sip of my drink.
“Ok, that is a bit too sweet for my taste. But you always liked the sweet stuff.”
While she said that, her gaze wandered over to Nikki. The young cheetah was still looking at the list of songs, and didn’t notice my mom smiling at her. She didn't look up from the list until my mother addressed her:
“Have you found a song for you to sing, Nicole?”
My girl nodded.
“Yes, I did. But it would be a duet, and I need someone to sing it with me.”
Her gaze went over to me.
“Do you want to sing a song with me, sweetie?”

She showed me the list and pointed at the song. It was, like many songs on this list, from a cartoon. Its name was “I see the Light”.
I wasn’t so sure about it. I mean, performing here, in front of all these humans. My body began to shiver, what mom recognized.
“Balto, if you don’t want to sing, you don’t have to do it. But take a look at your girl. She would love to sing with you again. You did it on the camping trip, for what I was told.”
Her hand was resting on my shoulder, massaging it a bit.
“Just try to forget the people around you. Focus on Nicole. Besides that, remember that no one here is a professional singer, and therefore, no one will judge you.”
I looked at Nikki. She smiled at me, looked at me with her wonderful purple eyes while her hands were folded like for a prayer.
“Well, ok. I will try it.”

We listened to a few more songs before it was our turn. Nikki dragged me on stage, accompanied by a few whistles from a group of boys.
The music began, Nikki started to sing, and the room went silent. While Nikki was singing, she must have noticed me looking into the faces of all these people. Their stares somehow paralyzed me.
My girl carefully took my muzzle in her hand and directed my gaze towards her. At that moment, everyone else vanished for me. As we sang together, all I saw was Nikki.
At the end, to my surprise, she kissed me, and the audience cheered. I began to cry. I simply couldn’t hold it back, as much as I have tried it. Nikki took me into her arms, while we walked back to our table.
Because of my tearful eyes, I couldn’t see much. But I heard my mother’s warm voice, as she gave a tight hug.
“You did great, Balto. My little superstar.”
Mrs. Kofi added:
“It was truly wonderful to see you both up there. Idrissa, let us sing a song together, too. What do you think? We haven’t done that in years.”
Long story short, they also sang a song together. Mom seemed to be deep in thoughts during it, and I became a bit worried.
“What is wrong, mom?”
She shook her head in response.
“Nothing, Balto. All is fine, don’t worry.”
I looked at her with a serious expression.
“Mom, you always tell me not to lie. And now you do it yourself, if I ask you what is wrong.”
She looked at me and sighed, while she gently touched my cheek.
“Ok, ok. When I saw Asha and Idrissa up there, I had to think about your father. From time to time, he and I also sang Karaoke together. It was always so much fun.”
Without any more words, I took the list of songs. And I found something I thought might just fit at that moment.
“We are one” from The Lion King 2. I said, while I was pointing at the song:
“Mom, do you want to sing that one with me?”
Mom wasn't convinced yet.
“You want to sing with me? Balto, I don’t know.”
I begged her:
“Please, mom. I want to sing that with you. You sing Simba’s lines, and I will sing the part of Kiara.”

There was no way out of this for mom now, and she agreed. What should I tell you, it was a very emotional moment for both of us. I love my mom. She is simply the best mommy in the world.
We stayed at the diner for another hour before we walked back to the hotel. I was so tired, that I could barely keep my eyes open. After Nikki brought me to bed, she left the room. Because of my tiredness, I felt asleep pretty fast.

Second day done, four more to go!
 
Part 4: Wednesday


The sounds of the city woke me up early in the morning. The sirens from a police car, to be more specific. After I sat up in our bed, I looked next to me. Nikki was still sleeping. She lay there, her back to me, in all her natural beauty. Her clothes were everywhere in the room. It must have been late, as she finally came to bed. I sneaked into the bathroom, since I didn’t want to wake her up. After I came back, I noticed that Nikki had rolled herself on her back. Her long legs were spread, her honey pot presented to me on a silver platter. We didn’t have sex for quite some time, as she was so extremely busy with college during the past weeks. I simply couldn’t resist this opportunity.
I went on all fours, crawled to the bed. Slowly, to avoid making any sounds. The smell of her pussy became stronger with every inch I came closer to my girl. As I reached the bed, I carefully I went up to get into position between Nikki’s legs.
Then I lowered my head, sniffed, and inhaled the heavenly scent. A brief look up confirmed that my cheetah was still asleep. A little closer, and I was able to lick my girl’s vagina. Nikki moaned in her sleep when my tongue touched her sensitive labia, what encouraged me to continue. I licked her slit in its full length, made it more and more wet in the process. Nikki moaning grew louder, her body moved from one side to the other, but she didn’t wake up. I could feel my member coming out of its hideout. With both my hands, I tried to lift the kitty’s cute butt, so I was able to lick inside the moist sex of my girl. Slowly, I stuck my tongue as deep as I could into Nikki’s vagina. I licked her out, her taste and her scent were enough to me forget everything around me. My ears perked up, as I suddenly heard Nikki’s soft and lovely voice:
“Are you enjoying yourself down there, Fluffy?”
I startled and moved back. Unfortunately, a bit too far. I fell of the edge oof the bed and landed on my butt.
“Sorry Nikki, I couldn’t resist. You know, we didn’t have sex for so long, and you were naked, and your legs spread, you smelled so good, and…”
Thank God, she interrupted me, before I could make a complete fool out of myself.
“Fluffy, stop. It is ok. Come back to bed. But turn around, so I can have a taste of my doggy, too.”

I smiled, crawled back up on the bed, turned around and presented my butt to Nikki. She laid down, her head rested on the big pillows, while she pulled me close to her muzzle. She carefully groped my tail on its root, lifted it up, so she could get a clear view of my backside.
Next, I felt her tongue licking over my backdoor, before she gently bit my butt. I yapped silently, while Nikki lifted her legs up. Quickly I positioned my arms under her knees, so she couldn’t put them back down again. Now her wet vagina was gleaming in front of me. I licked my muzzle, before I lowered my head and licked over it in long terms. Meanwhile, Nikki took good care of my balls and my sheath, what made my member grow to its full size in no-time.
You know, I would have been happy if we had just kept going like that, but Nikki wanted more now.
“Balto, stop. I want you to fuck me.”

Nikki directed me on my back. Now I was resting my head on the gig, soft pillows. Out of this comfortable position, I could watch how Nikki slowly knelt down over my belly. How I love this view of her body and her firm breasts. A smile appeared on my face, which Nikki returned.
She asked me with a grin in her face, while she squeezed her boobs:
“Missed seeing me like that, Fluffy?”
I only nodded, as she slowly moved backwards. I gasped, as her butt came in contact with my hard member. She lifted herself up a little, and I could watch Nikki's wet slit sliding over my already dripping cock. Next, she groped my shaft with her hand, pointed it at her tight hole, right before she slowly let it slide into her wet and warm pleasure grotto.
Nikki stopped moving, after every inch of my member had disappeared inside her.

She looked at me with her beautiful eyes.
“You got bigger again, Balto. Damn, it feels so nice to have you inside me again.”

She began to move her hips and started bouncing up and down. Slowly at first, but her pace became faster soon. The cheetah was riding hard on my member, my knot swelled. Nikki nearly screamed in pleasure, as it slipped inside and plopped out again three or four times. She bounced up and down on my cock, her pace increased further, and I felt the pressure raising in my balls.
As I came closer to my climax, I tried to warn my girl:
“Nikki, I can’t hold…”
The feline stopped and stood up slowly. Her pussy was dripping from her own juices. Nikki stepped off the bed, placed a shirt under her on the ground, went on all fours and lifted her butt high up in the air, before she commanded me:
“Mount me, and don’t hold back.”
I guess that is something a girl doesn’t have to say twice to a horny boy.
Swiftly, I moved behind her, bend my knees and rammed my wet shaft back inside her pussy, including the knot. Nikki screamed in pleasure. Slowly, I pulled out, before pushing my member back in. My Kitty whimpered and begged:
“Balto, faster, please. Don’t tease me.”
I increased my pace, with my hands left and right on her hips to hold her in position. My cock went in and out, again and again, while Nikki rubbed her clit fast and moaned lustfully. It didn’t take long until I felt the pressure raising again. A few more thrusts, and I rammed my knot into her pussy. I was stuck. Nikki screamed, as she felt my knot stretching out her tight vagina. Waves of pleasure ran all over her body, while she enjoyed her climax.
My cheetah’s pussy got even tighter now, as the muscles in her vagina contracted during her orgasm. This was too much for a young wolf like me. Accompanied by a little howl, I shot my seed deep into her cave of pleasure.
We were both panting hard. Nikki laid on the carpet, her legs trembled. I could hear her whispering in my direction:
“Good boy. Learned much you have, young Padawan.”

I had to hold back a laugh. Nikki was trying to talk like Yoda. I responded, after I caught my breath:
“A good teacher I had, my master.”
Now Nikki was laughing, while she was still breathing hard.
I caressed over her back, while I tried to stand at least a bit more comfortable behind my girl.
A sudden knocking at the door let us both raise our heads and look into its direction in shock. We were both relieved when we heard it was only Nikki’s mother, who asked:
“Are you two done by now? It is time for breakfast. We will wait for you downstairs. Hurry up a bit, okay? Have you heard me?”
Nikki gave her an answer:
“Sure, mom. Give us ten minutes, ok? We just need to brush our teeth.”
Her response made us both giggle:
“Ok. Oh, and please pipe it down next time. Your father wasn’t so amused about hearing the sounds you two just made.”
A few moments after that, I was able to pull my knot out of Nikki’s tight vagina. A big grin appeared on my face, as I looked at my work. Nikki’s sex was covered in a mix of my seed and pussy juice. I wanted to go to the bathroom, but Nikki, who was still on all fours, protested while shaking her butt:
“Where do you think you are going? Come back here and clean up your mess. I thought your mother taught you to clean up after playing.”
I walked back behind her, knelt and licked up this mix of fluids. The taste of it alone almost made me horny again. Nikki moaned silently as I cleaned my playground. After her pussy was clean, I licked up over the cheetah’s butthole. Nikki gasped in response and hissed:
“Stop that, doggy. We don’t have time for another round.”
My ears dropped. I whimpered while looking at my girl with big puppy eyes.
“Sorry, Nikki.”
My kitty stretched her long legs, before she stood up and turned her head to me. She tousled my hair, after she looked at my wet muzzle.
“Good boy. Now let us get ready, before dad comes up to get us.”

We took care of the rest of our mess before we joined our parents in the lobby. My mother spotted us first and smiled at me, what felt a bit embarrassing. I could tell by the look on her face that she knew why Nikki and I were coming down so late. We grabbed something to eat and sat down. The first minutes passed without anyone saying something. Finally, my mother's voice broke the silence:
“Ok, I think we should talk about the plan for today. Central Park. I would say we walk up to Columbus Circle, which will take us about fifteen minutes. From there, we can follow the West Drive and the Center Drive, until we reach Chess and Checkers. That will take another ten to fifteen minutes. The Statue of Balto is only five more minutes away from there, if my navigation program is correct.”
Mr. Kofi checked his phone.
“The weather forecast says that it will be a warm day for the end of November, and there will be no wind. Since the walk shouldn’t take us that long, we have plenty of time for the rest of the park, after we have seen the statue.”
Now, I also took a look at my phone and searched for a map of the park.
“Mom, can we also visit the Zoo? Oh, and it is said that there are a few places with raccoons, can we try to find some?”
Mom looked at me.
“Sure, Balto. But don’t get your hopes up too much. And remember, these raccoons are wild animals, and not pets. But we certainly will have a nice time there, with or without raccoons.”

Mr. Kofi spoke up once more, while he looked at Nikki and me.
“Yeah, a nice time. Like you two had it before. Nicole, are you nuts? See, I don’t care about the fact you two have sex together, that is nothing new anymore. But do you have to entertain the whole hotel with your screaming and moaning? Please, try to pipe it down a bit, ok?”
Nikki tried to defend us:
“Dad, I am sorry, I was carried away. Balto and I hadn't had sex for weeks. I promise it will not happen again.”
The male king cheetah’s face became a bit friendlier.
“Nicole, please don’t get me wrong. I am happy for you having fun. All I ask for is that you remember you are inside a hotel. Keep the noises at room volume, ok?”
Nikki looked down at the0 table.
“I promise, dad,” she mumbled.

After we had finished this rather unpleasant conversation, we ate up, and then it was time to get ready. Mr. Kofi and mom stayed in the lobby, while Mrs. Kofi, Nikki and I walked back to our room. When we had gone through the door, Mrs. Kofi had a few more words for me while her daughter went into the bathroom:
“Balto, please don’t take Idrissa’s words too seriously, ok?”
I sighed a bit.
“Ok, Mrs. Kofi.”
She smiled and placed her hand on my shoulder.
“Believe me, he is happy for you two. But for him, Nicole is still his little girl, and therefore it is often a bit hard for him to hear his daughter having sex.”
I just nodded, and Nikki’s mother continued, while I packed my backpack.
“My dear boy, you can be proud of yourself, if your girl makes sounds like that during sex.”
This talk was somehow as embarrassing and unpleasant as the one before. I still have my problems talking about things like that, especially with Nikki's parents. I kindly asked Mrs. Kofi:
“Mrs. Kofi, can we talk about something else, please?”
She laughed.
“Should I tell you about Nicole’s last boyfriend before you?”
Nikki interrupted her, what made me giggle.
“Mom, please. He really doesn’t have to hear the shameful stories about my past love life.”
Mrs. Kofi chuckled, sat down on the bed and looked at us.
“Do you know that you are completing each other in a truly wonderful way? Balto, you became so much more self-confident during the past months. You even go on a stage now and sing with your girl in front of dozens of people. And Nicole, since you are in this relationship, I can feel that you have become more relaxed. Balto has a calming effect on you. Because of him, you can trust males again, after your former so-called boyfriends only used you. I can’t say how happy I am every time I see you two together.”
Nikki listened to her mother, while she looked down at the spot where we had sex on before. Sure, my kitty had placed a shirt underneath her, but there was a clearly visible stain on the carpet. Her mother chuckled, as she noticed how Nikki looked at this stain.
“Don’t worry, Nicole. The cleaning staff at this hotel surely has seen much worse.”
Nikki took a deep breath, walked over to me and hugged me tightly.
“Mom, I want to thank you. I don’t know if we could have come so far without your support.”
Her mother stood up and took us both into her arms.
“It was always a pleasure for me, Nicole. And be assured that I will always support you both. The same goes for your father. And of course, for your mother as well, Balto.”
My tail wagged a bit.
“Thank you, Mrs. Kofi.”
She smiled at me.
“You are very welcome. But now get ready, we have to go.”
A brief look at my clothes must have given her the chills, since I was still only wearing shorts and a t-shirt.
“Balto, don’t you want to wear something warmer? We have almost December.”
I shook my head.
“No, I am fine.”
Mrs. Kofi didn’t want to let me leave like that.
“Please, Balto. At least take some long pants and a hoodie with you in your backpack. It will get cold in the park.”
I nodded.
“I will, Mrs. Kofi.”
Somewhat reluctantly, I packed some warmer clothes, next to Little Balto, into my backpack. Mrs. Kofi commented while watching me:
“Good boy.”
She turned her head over to her daughter.
“Nicole, are you ready?”
My cheetah was also ready to go and said happily:
“Sure, mom.”

Now it was time to see the statue of my name giver.

Our little group of adventurers left the hotel and walked north to Columbus Circle. That is basically a big traffic circle located in the southwest corner of Central Park, with a statue of Christopher Columbus in its center. From there we walked into this wonderful park, following the ways to the east to the Chess and Checkers visitor center. To my mom’s surprise, it was closed, and didn’t look like it would be open any time soon. Close to it was a little souvenir store, where we bought something to drink. Mom also bought a few refrigerator magnets, big cups with Central Park written on it, and most important, a hand-painted Christmas ornament with the statue of Balto on it. After this, we continued our way to the statue. Only a few minutes later, we could see it.
The famous bronze statue of my name giver. Many kids ran around it, played games, and posed for photos. I don’t know why, but the number of people here somehow freighted me. I took my mother’s hand, held it tightly for the rest of the way.
On the left side of the statue is a lawn, where I could see a dog playing. As soon as this canine saw us, he lifted his head, wagged with his tail, and came closer. He sniffed at us curiously, and I somehow couldn’t resist doing something. Mom, Nikki, and her parents laughed as I leaned down to the dog until our noses touched. The owner of this friendly dog also smiled, while I played a bit with her four-legged friend. For me, this was the first time I got so close to a feral dog.
See, in Darwin’s Hope, pets aren’t as common as in human cities.
After my little play date with this dog, we all moved in front of the statue. Underneath it, I could read this big stone tablet with the well-known inscription on it. I am sure you all know these words, or at least have heard them once:

“Dedicated to the indomitable spirit of
The sled dogs
that relayed antitoxin six hundred miles over rough ice,
across treacherous waters, through Arctic blizzards from
Nenana to the relief of stricken Nome in the
Winter of 1925.
Endurance · Fidelity · Intelligence”

Touching words. At least I felt a shiver running down my spine, as I read this. And even more as I looked up to the statue itself. Nikki signed me to go up, as soon as the other kids were gone.
I took off my paw protectors and my backpack. It was simply more comfortable for me to go up there without them.
As I was standing next to the statue, I put my left arm around its neck and smiled at my mother, while she tried to take a photo. But then Nikki interfered. Someone was missing. She opened my backpack to take Little Balto out of his box and placed him underneath the statue. And that is how my favorite photo from this vacation was taken. Nikki joked, that there were three Baltos at one place:
Little Balto, Metal Balto, and Fluffy Balto.
A cold wind came up after I climbed down from the rock on which the statue stands. Even I was getting a little chilly now. My mother noticed me rubbing my arms.

“Balto, are you cold?” She asked, in a slightly concerned voice.
I answered to her:
“Yes, mom. It is that wind. Before it started, it wasn't this cold.”
Nikki giggled.
“My wolfy is feeling cold? Aww, I have to mark that in my calendar.”

Mrs. Kofi reminded me of the long pants and the hoodie in my backpack.
I dressed up, then we sat down on the nearby benches.
Mom looked at her watch and said:
“Ok, we have plenty of time left for the rest of the park. There are many more statues to see, and some other nice landmarks. There is Bow Bridge, a place which is seen in many movies, and also one of the most romantic places this park has to offer. And the Bethesda Terrace. Oh, and Nicole, this might also be interesting for you. Statues of famous literary figures, then the one of Hans Christian Andersen, and here is the location where they perform Shakespeare in the Park. But first, I need a restroom. There is one close to the zoo. Just wait for me here, it won’t take long.”
Mrs. Kofi and Nikki stood up as well.
“We will come with you, Christa.”
The last to stand up was Mr. Kofi.
“I want to ask the Zoo for its opening hours. Balto, you better come with me.”
But I wanted to stay here for a moment longer. I felt a deep connection to this place.
While I was looking at the others, I asked:
“Can I stay here for a moment? Just five more minutes, ok?”
Mom looked at me.
“Well, ok. But you will stay here. You don’t leave this place, you got me?”
My tail wagged.
“I promise, mom. I just want to look at the statue for a bit longer.”

The others left, and I stayed on the bench. While I sat there and looked up at Metal Balto, I heard the characteristic sound of a pencil wandering over a piece of paper. When I looked in the direction of the sound, I once more spotted this man I first saw in our hotel’s lobby. He was sitting on the bench next to me, writing notes in his little notebook.
This guy was starting to frighten me. I watched him writing for a few moments, until he turned his head towards me.

“Oh, hey there, boy. What are you doing here all by yourself? I hope that I haven’t disturbed you. I just write down notes for a story I am working on."
I scooped away from him a bit, before I replied to him with a question:
“Are you following me?"
The human shook his head and laughed.
“No, of course not. It is also a surprise for me to see you and your family again and again.”
His voice somehow sounded strangely familiar, and I became curious.
“What exactly are you writing there? Every time I see you, you are writing in this little journal.”
He began to explain:
“Well, actually, I am writing stories about a family of Anthropomorphic wolves. They are written from the view of a teenage boy, like he would write a diary.”

As if this wouldn't already sound strange enough, he added a few more details:
"This boy has recently found a girlfriend who is a slightly older cheetah. The two of them do all sorts of things together, it's really fun to write."
I got more and more confused. Was he writing about Nikki and me? Who was this man? I asked him:
“You know, this boy, he sounds just like me.”
The man looked at me and examined me from the head down to my paws.
“Well, you even look like him, to be honest. By the way, what is your name?”
I looked up to the statue, before answering him.
“My name is Balto, and yours?”
He giggled a bit.
“My name is Peter.”

Then I suddenly heard Mr. Kofi’s voice. Coming from the other direction.
“Balto, your mother sent me to get you. Who are talking to?”
While I turned my head to him, I answered:
“Oh, this is Mr. Peter, he told me about the stories he is writing.”
I looked back to the spot the man was sitting on before, but he was gone. I was confused, my heart began to beat faster.
Mr. Kofi looked at the bench next to mine and asked:
“Balto, there was no one there. Is everything ok? You worry me, boy.”
I couldn’t understand this and shook my head.
“All is fine, Mr. Kofi. Can we visit the Zoo?”

Together, we went off to see the Central Park Zoo. I took another look back, but the benches were empty. I haven’t seen this man for the rest of our time in New York. Was he even real?
After we visited this little zoo, we walked further through the park to see the statues of Alice in Wonderland, Hans Christian Anderson, the 107th Infantry Memorial, William Shakespeare and Alexander Hamilton. We also visited the Bethesda Terrace with the famous fountain, and many other well-known locations I knew from movies and TV Series. Nikki and I were even able to give each other a kiss in front of the Bow Bridge.
This was so great!
It became late, and we were all a bit exhausted, after we walked through Central Park for the entire day.

While walking back south, we passed the statue of Balto once more, and sat down on the benches to talk.
Mom asked the rest of us:
“Ok, I think we all had a great time today. What are we going to do with the rest of the time? It is a bit too early to go back to the hotel.”
I asked her in a hopeful voice:
“Can we go and see the Ghostbusters HQ?”
Mom looked a bit unsure at me:
“That is pretty far away, Balto. Are you sure? Maybe we should do that during the next few days.”
I tilted my head, and Mr. Kofi spoke up, after checking his phone.
“Wait, Christa. If we take the Line 1, it will just take us 30 minutes. And after that, we can check for a place to eat something.”
I was begging with my killer puppy eyes:
“Please mom, please!”
Mom sighed.
“Ok, fine. Let us go, before it gets dark.”

We took the subway down to Franklin Street Station. From there it was only a minute to this world-famous building. We were even allowed to take a look inside, and the original sign from Ghostbusters 2 was still inside. I bought a few patches as souvenirs for Mikey, Nikki and me, we made photos, then it was time to go for dinner.

What an outstanding day that was. As we went to sleep later, I was thinking about all the things we had seen, and of course, about my encounter with this strange human. Was he real, or was it just my imagination? I could feel Nikki’s hand on my chest, what brought me back to reality.
“Is everything ok, sweetie? You seem to be very far away with your thoughts,” she whispered to me.

I nodded and cuddled myself close to my naked girl, took her into my arms. I breathed in her wonderful scent, while she patted my back.
I whispered back to her:
“I love you, Nikki.”
Before we both fell asleep, she answered:
“I love you, too.”

Three days done, three more to go.
 
Part 5: Thursday


Once more, I woke up alone. The spot Nikki had slept on was cold. She must have been gone for quite a while.
I sighed when I stood up to get ready for breakfast.

My mother and Nikki's parents were already sitting in the lobby enjoying a cup of coffee as I joined them. Mom welcomed me:
“Good morning, Balto. Did you sleep well?”
I nodded to her without saying anything. Instead, she added:
“Good. Idrissa told me that you have talked to yourself in the park yesterday. Do you want to tell me about that?”
I sighed. Unfortunately, I couldn’t escape this conversation, so I explained:
“Mom, I have really seen this human named Peter, he was there. He told me about the stories he writes about a teenage wolf and his cheetah girlfriend.”
Mr. Kofi spoke up:
“Balto, there was no one there when I walked up to you. You spoke to an empty bench.”
Then I felt Mrs. Kofi's hand first caressing the back of my head, before she began to stroke me behind the ears.
“Idrissa, go easy on him. Most probably, he had just stress. Think of all the things the boy has experienced during the last few months.”
She gently took me into her arms, before looking over to my mother.
“Christa, maybe we should take Balto to a more relaxing location next time. Your boy has been through more than children his age should go through. What about the spa? We both had such a nice time there. Wouldn’t mind for another weekend. And I am certain that Nicole would love it there, too.”
A slight grin appeared on my mother’s face.
“Yeah, it was a good time. You are probably right, Asha. We could all use a little relaxation after this trip, and the spa would be the perfect location for that.”
Mrs. Kofi’s soft and gentle touches caused me to close my eyes. It was such a pleasant feeling. My ears were twitching, as I heard Mr. Kofi talking:
“Well, let us go on with today’s plan, before our little wolf here is falling asleep again. If I remember it right, we wanted to visit the Museum of Natural History today.”

Mom agreed with him, and after a delightful little breakfast, we walked up north to the museum. Since it was the nicer way, we took a route through Central Park, which took us about two hours. Well, we would have been faster, but we ran into a group of playing children.

To my surprise, it was the group I met in the comic store, who recognized me as we passed strawberry fields. Nikki’s father explained to me that this was the place where a musician by the name of John Lennon was shot.

The kids came towards us and yelled:
“Hey, Balto, is that you? Do you remember us? From the Comic Store? Do you want to play with us?”
My mom looked at me.
“You know these kids, Balto?”
I smiled, and couldn’t prevent my tail from wagging.
“Yes, mom. I met them while I was in the comic store. They are cool.”
The kids stopped in front of our little group and asked again:
“Do you want to play softball with us?”
I looked at my mother.
“Can I, mom?”
Mom looked at her watch to check the time.
“Balto, we wanted to go to the museum, we don’t have time.”
Mrs. Kofi interfered.
“Wait, Christa. Let him play. It is so rare for him to find other kids to play with. From one mother to the other. Let him be a normal child for a change.”
Nikki’s mother looked at me.
“Balto, we will get a coffee or something, and pick you up here in an hour. Have fun.”

She gave me a little push, then I ran off with the kids. They had to explain this game to me, and honestly, I sucked in it. But we all had fun. After we were done, and since mom and Nikki’s parents were nowhere to be seen, we sat down to talk a bit.
They asked me all sorts of questions about our town and how certain things like driving a car work for us. They also asked me about Nikki, remembering the photos of her I had shown them. It was a nice time, until mom and the Kofis came back to pick me up. As I spotted them, I stood up and looked at my new friends.
“I got to go now. Thanks for the game. Sorry that I was so bad at it. Next time, we should maybe just play a game of catch or something like that.”
They laughed.
“It was fun, Balto. And you can run quite fast. Oh, can we perhaps have your phone number?”

I smiled happily and gave them my number. Since that day, we have written to each other pretty often. One of them even asked if it would be possible for him to visit me, or if I wanted to visit him.
After we said goodbye to each other, me and the others continued our way to the museum.

It was nearly noon, as we walked up the impressive front stairs of the massive building that houses the museum. I loved this big statue of Theodore Roosevelt sitting on his horse. We moved inside, bought tickets, then we entered the first showroom.
In the entrance hall, I was stunned by this massive Allosaurus skeleton. And it just got better after that. We have seen animals from all over the world in amazing looking showcases. My favorites were the wolves and cheetahs, of course. The lions were awesome, and also the grizzlies. Then the group of elephants. I was simply blown away by the dinosaur exhibit, and the outstanding Hall of Marine Life. That blue whale hanging from the ceiling is truly an eye-catcher.
Two other great areas were the Rose Center for Earth and Space, and the Planetarium.
I simply loved everything inside this museum. Nearly at the end of our day there, Mr. Kofi spotted a poster for a special presentation in the Hall of Human History. It was about the origins of the Anthropomorphic Society, held by a Dr. Lucius Allister.

There weren’t so many people there, as we entered and took seats in the back row. The doctor began to speak, after he stepped on a little podium in front of us. As he began to speak, the rows were filled to the last seat.

“Welcome, everyone. My name is Doctor Lucius Allister. Today, I want to speak with you about the creation of Anthropomorphic Life, as we know it today.
I was personally involved in the process from the very beginning of the research. Up to the point from which I simply could go on, I worked for the genetic research company Helix Genetics. That was one of the first companies responsible for the creation of the Anthropomorphic race. Let me start my presentation at the very beginning of our research.
When the so-called Cold War began, the government searched for ways to give our soldiers more strength, resilience, and endurance. We scientists should find a way to improve the human abilities, create a “Super-Soldier”, if you want to say so.
Full of enthusiasm and patriotism, my colleagues and I began to work. Genetic manipulation was an entirely new form of science back then.
We tried for years to manipulate the pure human DNA, and we achieved good results. But not exactly what we were looking for. Some people inside the company believed that the results we had at that point could have also been reached through a breeding program, like the Germans tried it during World War 2. You know, only the best possible specimens should become parents. But for us scientists, that simply wasn’t enough. It was in our laboratories in Africa, where we began our experiments with mixing human and animal DNA.
We didn’t want to simply improve the human DNA, we wanted to give humans animal-like attributes and abilities. The strengths of lions, the speed of a cheetah, the eyesight of an eagle. It all sounded like science fiction, but we were confident to be able doing it.
Soon we got the first, very promising results. Well, at least we thought like that. The first creatures we created sadly didn’t survive longer than a few weeks in their tubes. It took us fifteen years until we finally had something we could present to the government. It was an Anthropomorphic female tiger. We called her Suki, and I was chosen to raise this little girl. I taught her to read and to speak, showed her human manners. Suki was a quick learner. I was so proud of her.
But at this point, a group of private investors took over the whole program. The world had changed, our research wasn’t profitable enough. These private investors forced us to rush the program.
The focus was not on quality anymore, they wanted to create a new kind of worker. One who would never be seen as a human being. More as a thing. Because of special clauses in our contracts, which would have ruined us all if we had stopped working, my colleagues and I had to continue. We soon had created thousands of Anthros all over the world, as Helix Genetics had its facilities everywhere. More and more we were shocked to see how our work was used. Living, sentient beings, used as slaves, and treated like garbage. They didn’t have any rights, even if it was clear, that they could think and feel like humans.
One day, a businessman from India entered our laboratory. He saw Suki, who worked as my assistant at that time, and took her with him. No words, I didn’t even have the chance to say goodbye to her. Later I heard that she was used as a luxury prostitute. That broke my heart and was the boiling point for me and many of my colleagues. We quitted our jobs, regardless of the consequences, and began to support the growing civil rights movement.
We fought alongside the Anthropomorphs. And after about a year, we won. They were free. But sadly, it was too late for our Suki. We heard that she had killed herself. She was so desperate, that she used her own claws to end her life. And that shortly before the Anthropomorphs were granted full human rights.

Since that time, I continued with what, at least I think so, is my duty as a scientist who helped to bring these wonderful creatures to life. I fight against prejudice and the human stupidity. I am doing this on Suki's behalf, so that no more Anthros will never again have to suffer the way she did.
I was more than happy to witness how the Anthropomorphs formed stable societies, that they grew in numbers, built their own cities, and showed us that they can live together with humans in peace and harmony.

In the younger past, I supported the movement for an amendment to the Child protection laws, which decriminalized relationships of underage Anthros with slightly older members of the Anthropomorphic society. Some of you might ask now why I did that. The reason is simple.
Anthros often begin to explore their sexuality way earlier than human children. And this is why this amendment was so important for us. It gave young couples safety and protection.”

The doctor spotted us, as he let his gaze wander over the audience.
“As I see, we have some special guests here today. If you look in the back row, you will see four wonderful examples for why I will never regret my role in creating the Anthropomorphic race.
Would you four maybe give me the honor and come up here? I am sure some members of the audience will have questions, as there are many humans who never met an Anthro in their entire life.”

Mr. and Mrs. Kofi looked at my mother and me, while they stood up. Mrs. Kofi asked us:
“Christa, Balto, do you come with us?”
Mom only looked at me, before turning her head back to Mrs. Kofi.
“I don’t know if that is such a good idea, Asha.”
Mrs. Kofi smiled, while she tried to make us join them.
“Come on, this will be fun for sure. And Balto, this could be a nice training for you, if you want to go on stage one day.”  
Mom was still looking at me, while she was holding my hand.
“You don’t have to do this, Balto.”
I nodded.
“I know, mom. But I would like to give it a try.”
Mrs. Kofi smiled, as she took my other hand.
“That's the spirit. Quick, Idrissa is already halfway on stage.”

Together, we moved towards the stage and joined the doctor on it. A few helpers brought chairs for us, so we didn’t have to stand. After we sat down, Dr. Allister asked Mr. Kofi:
“Let us begin with a little introduction, if that is ok for you.”
Nikki’s father then introduced us to the audience by pointing at us and saying our names:
“My name is Idrissa Kofi, this is my wife Asha, next to her is Balto, and his mother Christa Star. We are all from Darwin’s Hope.”
The doctor smiled.
“Darwin’s Hope. What a wonderful town. Mrs. Kofi, Mrs. Star, I am pleased to meet you. And Balto, it is always a wonderful thing to meet the next generation. Thank you for coming up here.”

He reached me his hand, and it smelled good. The audience laughed when I curiously sniffed on it. This smell was well-known to me. I giggled a bit, while I looked up to the doctor.
“You had waffles earlier, didn’t you? Your hands smell after them.”
The doctor chuckled.
“Yes, my dear boy. I had some right before I entered here. Do you like waffles?”
I nodded, before I answered him:
“I love them. But I prefer pancakes. Mom often makes them for me at the weekend, they are so tasty.”
Doctor Allister smiled when he turned his head at his audience.
“This is a perfect example on how similar we are to each other. Here you see a healthy child who likes to eat pancakes in the morning, and a loving mother who makes them for her son. Just like it is the case in so many human families. And Balto here has just shown us one of his advantages. His sense of smell is better developed than that of a human. Same goes for his hearing. Anthros tend to use those senses more often than humans do, a genetic inheritance from their animal ancestors.

His gaze went over to Nikki’s parents.
“If you allow me the question, Mr. and Mrs. Kofi. Do you have children as well?”
Nikki’s mom answered that:
"Yes, we have a wonderful daughter. Her name is Nicole, she is 19 and currently attends Stark College. At the moment, she is training for a small audition at the Minskoff Theater. Nicole wants to become a theatrical actress later."
The doctor seemed to be impressed.
“Quite rare for an Anthropomorph. This is fantastic. You must be really proud of your daughter.”


Mrs. Kofi nodded.
“We are more than just proud of Nicole. She is an honor student, has excellent grades. She also helped Balto here to improve his grades and his social skills.”
I could feel how mom was pressing my hand, while the doctor looked over to her.
“Mrs. Star, what else can you tell us about your son?”
My mother cleared her throat, before she answered:
“Balto is currently attending to Seppala Middle School. I hope he can keep up his good grades and will be able to go to college one day. He also dreams of becoming a theatrical actor, since he saw Nicole performing on stage. He likes Karaoke and singing in general. Besides that, he likes to write and play video games. Nicole and Balto have known each other since he was born.
They were always good friends. Nicole even was his babysitter for a few years.”
A smile appeared on my face, followed by a sad look. Good friends. Why did she lie? Somehow it made me a bit angry to hear this. Mrs. Kofi caressed over my back, as she noticed my anger. I balled my fists and showed my teeth, while my ears fold back. I am not only friends with Nikki. That was not the truth.
Mrs. Kofi tried to calm me down. She moved her head closer to my ear and whispered:
“Balto, this is not the time. Take a deep breath, my boy.”
Mr. Kofi also must have seen my struggle, since he took the word, after he stood up from his chair.
“Christa, Asha, I think that I have to set this straight, as I can clearly see how angry Balto is right now. Besides that, it might be something of interest to the audience here. As Dr. Allister has said before, the child protection law was changed in favor of young couples in the anthropomorphic society. I don’t see any reason why we can’t be honest and say, that Balto and our daughter have formed a happy and healthy relationship even before the law was changed.”

A murmur went through the hall, while my mom and Mrs. Kofi looked at Mr. Kofi with a bit of a shock in their faces. Dr. Allister just smiled.
“Well, what a surprising reveal. Ladies and Gentlemen, this here just became way more interesting than I ever imagined it would be. Relationships of different species are extremely rare. Personally, I was never able to speak with such a couple.
But, to protect the boy, I will not go further into this topic for now. I want to ask the audience politely to accept the child’s privacy. Before I end this lecture, I give you all the chance to ask some questions. But please ask with respect. Yes, the lady in the front row.”

“I have a question for Mrs. Star. I have a daughter who is in love with an older boy. How did you feel, after your son told you about his relationship?”
Mom looked at me, caressed my head.
“First, I wasn’t so pleased. But I supported my son in his decision and helped him and his girlfriend. That is my duty as his mother. The relationship of Balto and Nicole is lasting for almost two years now, and they are one of the happiest couples I have ever known. Nicole’s influence brought out the best in my son, and I never regretted my support. I think you should respect your daughter’s decision and support her. Give her the feeling, that you stand behind her. And let her know that you will always be there to listen, if she has problems of any kind. That is the most important thing to do for parents, if their children reach a certain age and begin to form love-based relationships. Even if some of them begin a bit early with that.”
She looked at me again. By now, I was hiding under my hoodie, what made some people in the audience laugh. It may sound strange, but I don’t like it that much if people talk about me, and that directly in front of me.
My mother added, after she had seen me trying to hide in my clothes:
“If you excuse me now, Balto is still often very shy, and I think it is the best to bring him off the stage now.”


While we walked back to our seats in the last row, the doctor called another member out of the audience:
“I have a question for Mr. Kofi. Did you also support this then illegal relationship from the beginning?"
The big cheetah answered with a calm voice:
“No, I didn’t. The evening my wife and Christa told me about it, I made a complete fool out of myself. I even wanted to call the police. But my wife brought me back to my senses. Since that time, my daughter and Balto have proven it to me more than once, that they are serious about their relationship. Balto’s father was my best friend, and I will support and protect his son and my daughter by any means necessary. That is a promise I made to him that evening.”

Another question:
Mr. Kofi and Mrs. Kofi, what kind of work do you do?”
“Well, I served our country as an army scout. I was a sergeant, as I dropped out of service. Now I have a little carpenter service in Darwin’s Hope.”
Mrs. Kofi answered:
“And I plan and organize weddings. Besides that, I design wedding dresses.”

And another question, this time it came from an older lady:
“Mrs. Kofi, will you also design the dress for your daughter? And plan her wedding?”
Nikki’s mom quickly answered this:
“Yes, of course. I would be an honor for me to do this for my Nicole. In fact, she has already picked a dress I designed for my catalog. A white dress with gold embellishments. Nicole didn’t even want to give it back to me, and I took it out of the catalog immediately. It will be hers, and hers alone.”
Here Mr. Kofi threw in a few words:
“And I will be more than proud to lead her down the aisle, and to give her into the hands of my son-in-law. But this all will take a few more years until Balto is at least 18.”

What came next was a far more interesting question:
“Dr. Allister, is it possible for mixed couples likes wolves and cheetahs to get children? I mean, how could that even work? Can they even have sex? I mean, cats and dogs can’t have sex together, as far as I know.”

The doctor seemed to think about it, before he tried to give an answer:
“A good question. As we know, it is mostly impossible for members of different animal species to produce offspring. In nature, different species often couldn’t even mate with each other, even if they would want to. The simple reason for this is that their sexual organs do not usually match. Think of horses and smaller mammals, for example. Now let us take a look into the Anthropomorphic community. Interspecies relationships are quite rare, but they do happen from time to time, as we have just learned from the example of the young wolf Balto and his feline girlfriend Nicole.
Personally, I don’t know any cases, in which a child was born from these mixed-species couples. And honestly, I don’t think that this would be possible. On the other hand, all anthropomorphs are mostly human in their genetics. That means, their base is the same, no matter which animal they present. So just like with dogs and wolves, or with tigers and lions, crossbreeding might be possible.
Maybe not completely naturally, but with the help of In vitro fertilization and some minor DNA modifications. That way we could make it possible, for example, to create a cub with the strength of a wolf, and the speed of a cheetah. But that is gray theory at this point.
What we already did, as we created the first Anthros, was to improve their intelligence and their ability to learn new things faster than usual. Because of that, things like a so-called eidetic memory can be found more often. Sadly, this often comes with a price, like a lack in social competence. What can be a big problem, especially for members of an otherwise very social species, like wolves and other canines.
But I am drifting away. What I would like to mention as well are the most noticeable physical features, which can be seen especially on the body of female Anthros.
Most of them have human rather than animal primary and secondary sexual characteristics. Their reproduction-cycle is also pretty similar to that of us humans. That means they can get pregnant during the whole year, and not only to a specific time of it, like it is the case for many animals. This applies not only to the females of many species, but also to their male counterparts, which sometimes have this limitation by nature. In case you don’t know, male wolves for example aren’t interested or even able to mate outside the mating season. Anthros don’t have these limitations.
To cut this down a bit, maybe we will see a mix of two different species one day. Perhaps it will be the child of Balto and Nicole. I would be more than happy to see this coming true. That I can say for sure. If you want further information about this and many other topics, my newest book is available in the gift shop.”
The time was up, Dr. Allister had to end his lecture after he had answered this question.
“Unfortunately, I have to end the presentation at this point. I thank you all for participating, and a special thank you to our guests from Darwin’s Hope.”

The audience applauded and left. A few moments later, we were alone. Mom and I were still sitting on our chairs, when Mr. and Mrs. Kofi came back to us. My mother seemed angry when she looked at Nikki's father and asked him in a serious tone:
“Idrissa, please explain to me why you had to tell everyone here about Balto and Nicole’s relationship.”
The feline answered calmly:
“Christa, I did that because I saw how angry Balto became at the moment you said that he and Nicole are just best friends. And you know what? I can understand him. No one should be forced to hide his love. Gays and lesbians had to do that for a long time, until the laws were changed. Our kids had to hide as well, but there is no reason for that anymore, besides some close-minded idiots. Our kids don’t break any laws, they don’t hurt anyone, and none of them is forced to do things they don’t want to do. Why should they hide?
Look at your son, Christa. He wants to show his love openly like everyone else, and I will support him with that. Remember how hard it was for you and Sebastian back then, Christa. His parents didn’t want a non-Catholic as his wife. For that reason, he wasn’t able to tell them about you for a long time, until he had enough of this nonsense.”

Mom slowly stood up, while Mrs. Kofi sat down next to me. She took a step forward, and I thought she was going to punch Mr. Kofi in the face. But no, she took him into her arms and thanked him for his words. And I?
My legs were shaking, as I stood up and walked over to Mr. Kofi, with my arms wide open. The big king cheetah knelt down and took me into his arms. He whispered into my ear, while my eyes filled with tears:
“My boy, never hide your love ever again. Stand proud. And be assured, I will always have your back.”
Mrs. Kofi then also knelt next to her husband to join our hug, followed by my mother.

Before we left the museum, we visited its gift shop. I found a few nice books, some magnets for our refrigerator and a nice NASA shirt.
What a great day.
Nikki nearly couldn’t believe what she heard about the things her father said during and after Dr. Allister’s presentation. She gave him a long hug and a kiss on his cheek.
Later, we had a delightful dinner together in this cool diner, talked about the day, before we went back to our hotel. Nikki and I took a long shower together, after which we laid down next to each other in this soft bed. Shyly, I placed my hand on my girl’s belly, and began to stroke her short fur. Nikki purred, as my hand wandered upwards to her breasts. For some reason unknown to me, I didn't dare touch them.
Nikki giggled, looked at me and asked:
“Is something wrong, Balto? You touch me as shyly as you did on our first night together.”
I sighed quietly.
“Yeah, all fine. I was just thinking. Nikki, do you believe in God?”
Nikki laughed, before she kissed my nose and looked me in the eyes.
“Sweetie, is this still about this man you saw in the park yesterday? Just forget that. And no, I don’t believe in a God or someone else who controls our destiny. Everyone is the architect of their own future.”
My gaze was fixed on a window, while it began to rain.
“But I have seen this man. And moments later, he was gone. Your dad said that he hasn’t seen anyone next to me. This man told me that he writes stories about a young wolf and his girlfriend, who is a cheetah. It sounded like he would write about us, Nikki. This was all so strange.”
Nikki came closer and cuddled herself against me, while she gently touched my cheek.
“Balto, just try to switch off your little brain. You think too much.”
She looked down on me, I could feel her hand between my legs. Next, she whispered into my twitching ear:
“Let's see if I can take your mind off it a little bit.”
She gently squeezed my balls, let them role in her hand, what caused me to moan silently.
Nikki grinned as she watched the tip of my member appearing from my sheath. I heard her saying in her lovely voice:
“That is better. Just relax and enjoy.”

Nikki’s hand wandered up my sheath. She squeezed it. Purred, as she felt it swell beneath her gentle hand. It didn’t take my member long to grow out of its hideout. Inch by inch appeared, and soon, it was standing in full size.
My cheetah licked her muzzle while looking at my cock. I mumbled,
“Nikki, I…”
She placed her finger on my lips.
“Shhh, your sweet muzzle is on break now. Just enjoy.”

She stood up, knelt next to me, and looked for her bag, which was standing next to right side of the bed. Before she continued pleasuring me, she reached for the bag, then pulled a little bottle out of it. It was her strawberry lube, which she now carefully placed on my member. It was a bit cold but smelled and felt great. I moaned, while I moved my body from one side to the other.
Nikki had to use her lube-smeared right hand, to keep me in place.
“Hold still.”
She lowered her head. I could feel her warm breath on my erected shaft. How her soft tongue licked the lube off my sensitive pleasure bringer felt heavenly. Nikki then slowly took my member into her mouth, swallowed it entirely.
With my dick deep in her muzzle, my girl looked up to me and smiled. Nikki then began to move her head up, and as only the tip remained inside, she slowly moved it back down. The feline repeated this several times. The pressure in my ball raised with every move she made.
It only took me five minutes, until I mumbled:
“Nikki, this… Aaahhh…”
Nikki purred loudly while she continued to suck on my wet member. My knot began to swell and pressed against her muzzle every time my cock disappeared inside her mouth. Instinctively, I began to move my hips to her rhythm and thrust into her mouth with growing pleasure. My climax came closer with every thrust.
Nikki responded to my thrusts by closing her lips tighter around my dripping manhood. My climax came closer and closer as my moans of pleasure filled the room. Nikki grabbed the base of my member, sucking harder and faster. She wanted her creamy reward. With her sucking so skillfully on my cock, it didn’t take me much longer until I exploded inside her mouth.
Nikki smacked happily when she swallowed my warm seed. Then she laid back down, kissed me, cuddled up to me and closed her eyes. Her loud purring made me smile.
How do I earn this angel of a girl?

A few minutes past, then we both fell into a deep slumber.

Four days done. Two more to go.
 
Part 6: Friday

Darkness still held the world firmly in its grip when I opened my eyes the next morning. Well, as far as you can speak of darkness in New York City.
Nikki was snoring a bit, her time to stand up was still over an hour away. My girl was sleeping tight and didn't notice me getting out of bed. I took my journal out of my backpack, sat down at the desk opposite the bed, and wrote down a few notes on the events of the last few days.
For example, about this stranger I saw several times since our arrival. I still don’t know if he was really there. My gaze wandered over to my sleeping beauty.
How peaceful she looked. Her spotted fur between the white covers, like a tasty fruit in natural yogurt. I could spend hours with only watching her lips moving when she is having a dream. How her ears and paws twitch during her sleep is looking so damn cute.
I turned back to my notes, wrote down my memories of Dr. Allister’s presentation. They will make an excellent essay for my biology class. One of the books I found in the gift shop was the one the doctor had mentioned during his lecture. Inside it, I found an email-address of his organization. Perhaps I will try writing to him. I wonder if he would like to visit my school.
Next, my thoughts went back to this mysterious stranger.
“My name is Peter.”
He even introduced himself. Since when do imaginary people introduce themselves?
I shook my head. What is wrong with me?
Nikki woke up, as her alarm set off. My ears turned in her direction, when I heard her say my name.
“Balto? Why are you up already?”
Quickly, I stood up from the chair, made a few steps and jumped on the bed, to give my love a big hug.
“Good morning, Nikki. I woke up early, I couldn’t sleep anymore,” I said in a happy voice.
Tiredly, Nikki answered:
“Balto, you need your sleep. I have to leave soon, promise me you will lie down and try to get some more sleep, ok?”
I nodded to my cheetah.
“I promise, Nikki.”
Nikki patted my head.
“Good boy. As you are awake, you can help me to get ready. Today is my last training, and tomorrow is the show. After that, we will go celebrate. I can't wait for all of this to be over.”

I helped Nikki to get ready. An hour later, she left me alone in the hotel room. As I have promised it to her, I laid down again and tried to get some more sleep. It was a surprisingly good night's sleep until a knock on the door woke me up. Through the door I heard mom's voice. She asked if I was awake yet. A quick glance at the clock showed that it was almost 10 o'clock.
Tiredly, I answered to my mother’s question:
“Yes, mom. I am up.”
She replied:
“Good. Please get dressed and join us for breakfast. We want to leave right after it, so please take everything you need with you.”
Slowly, I stood up, got dressed and went down to the lobby, where I enjoyed breakfast with my mother and Nikki's parents. While I smashed my cereals with a spoon, my thoughts drifted way. It was Mr. Kofi’s strong voice which brought me back:
“Today we are going to see the Empire State Building and the Rockefeller Center, and maybe we manage to visit the Flatiron Building. Tomorrow is Nicole's play at the Minskoff Theater.”

I yawned with my mouth wide open and had trouble holding my head up. The sight of me made Mrs. Kofi giggle.
“Aww, is our little prince still tired? Did Nicole not let you sleep last night?”
Her husband cut her off:
“Asha, please.”
Mrs. Kofi gently touched my back, what made my tail wag a little. Then she asked me:
“Balto, is everything ok with you? You know you can tell us everything, sweetie.”
Slowly, I nodded at her.
“All fine. I am just tired, Mrs. Kofi.”
Mom seemed to be worried.
“Balto, do you want to stay here today?”
I shook my head.
“No. I want to see the Empire State. And the other things. And I would like to go to the Comic Store again.”
This last thing made mom growl.
“Do you mean the one in which that man treated you like some kind of parasite? Balto, is that really necessary?”
I nodded with pleading eyes.
“Mom, I want the second Issue of this comic. The manager said he will put one aside for me.”

My mother only nodded. I could see a slight disgust in her face. After we all had finished breakfast, it was time to begin with today’s program.
We were almost out of the hotel’s front door, as I stopped. I forgot my backpack and Little Balto up in my room. I quickly ran back upstairs to get my stuff, then we first walked to the Rockefeller Center. Sadly, the big Christmas tree wasn’t there yet. But it still was interesting to see this place. We spent an hour there, before we walked south to the Empire State Building. This took us another 20 minutes.
In front of this famous landmark, we saw several street vendors who tried to sell us tickets for the Empire State Building. But Mr. Kofi denied that and meant that we will buy our tickets inside the building. For me, this sounded a bit strange. These vendors claimed that their tickets were much cheaper. As soon as we were able to enter the Lobby, we moved towards the big desk in front of this breathtaking wall decoration, which I knew from photos. A lady was standing there and showed the visitors the way to the ticket counters.
Mr. Kofi asked, as we passed the desk:
“Excuse me, ma’am. May I ask you a question?”
She answered him in a very friendly tone:
“Of course. What can I do for you, sir?”
“We have seen these vendors outside selling tickets. Are they really cheaper than the ones we get at the counter?”
The lady shook her head.
“No, sir. In fact, they are often not even valid. We have so many angry people every single day, who bought these worthless tickets. It is always the best to buy the tickets upstairs at the counter.”
I could see a smile on Mr. Kofi’s face.
“That is exactly what I thought. Thank you very much. I wish you a nice day.”
Then Nikki’s father looked at me.
“See, this is why I didn’t buy the tickets outside. You always have to be careful with street vendors who try to sell you something.”

We took the escalator up and got in line for our tickets. We had them only ten minutes later. After a security check, we were allowed to enter this iconic building. We saw many billboards with information about the skyscraper, but the best was the balcony on the top, along the ride with these high-speed elevators. They made my stomach feel funny.
On the balcony, we took photos with Little Balto, enjoyed the wonderful view over the city. Even from up there, I couldn’t see the edge of the metropolis, which is New York City.
We stayed inside the Empire State Building there for more than three hours, until we had seen everything and went back down to the first floor.
What a breathtaking building. Thanks to the cold air, I was fully awake by now.
I wanted to see more of this great city.
Our next goal was the Flatiron Building. The walk there took us twenty minutes. This building looks so funny, like an architect would have said:
“Hey, we have a triangle-shaped spot left here, let us build a house that looks like a piece of cake.”

It was late afternoon when we took a seat at some benches next to this funny-looking building. The adults discussed what we can do with the rest of the day. It was decided to visit Macy’s next. Especially mom and Mrs. Kofi wanted to go there. As we reached the shopping center, Mr. Kofi made me an offer. He wanted to go with me to the comic store, so the women have more time to go shopping in peace.
And that is what we did. After a short ten-minute walk, we entered the comic store.
Mr. Kofi began to look around. To my surprise, he seemed to be interested in a certain comic book, which had a masked man I didn’t know on the cover.
He had a big black hat, a mask over his eyes and a cape. The masked man was sitting on a horse, doing a cool pose while holding a rapier.

Nikki’s father read a few pages of the book, while I browsed through the store. I would have never thought that Mr. Kofi likes comics. He had read at least a third of the comic book as I rejoined him. I became curious, and asked:
“Mr. Kofi, what are you reading there? I don’t know this hero.”
He raised his head and looked at me with a smile while he introduced me to this ancient hero:
“I am not surprised that you don't know Zorro. Balto. When I was at your age, he was my favorite hero. I wasn’t aware that they still make comics with him. You know, he is pretty much the archetype of a superhero, with the cape, a mask, and the secret identity. I think I will take that one. Have you found what you were looking for?”
I shook my head.
“No, sadly not. And I haven’t seen the manager anywhere.”
Mr. Kofi thought for a moment and then suggested:
“Hm, we will simply ask the cashier. Come.”

We made a few steps towards the cash desk, as I heard the manager's voice from behind us. He appeared to be happy to see me.
“Hey, little guy. I already thought you won’t come. Are you still interested in the second issue? As promised, I have saved a copy for you.”
I called out cheerfully:
“Oh yes! Thank you!”

He gave me my copy of the comic book, Mr. Kofi paid, and we left the store to go back to Macy’s. While we walked down the street, we saw some military guys collecting money for veterans. Mr. Kofi gave them a few bucks. One of the soldiers seemed to recognize him:
“Sarge, is that you?”
Mr. Kofi seemed a bit surprised by this:
“Well, I was a Sergeant during my time in the Army, yes, but” He took a closer look at the soldier he was talking to. “Wait, Privet Collins?”
The man saluted in front of Mr. Kofi.
“Yes, sir! Well, I am a sergeant myself by now. What are you doing here in New York?”
The big cheetah was obviously happy to see one of his army friends again.
“I am here with my family and some friends of ours. My daughter has a training at the Minskoff Theater, and the rest of us did some sightseeing during the week.”
Privet Collins became curious.
“Your daughter? Little Nicole? It's been over 15 years since you had her and your wife at our annual meeting.”
Mr. Kofi giggled.
“Nicole is now 19 years old and attends college. She is not so little anymore. Wait, I will show you a picture of her.”
Mr. Kofi pulled out his walled and showed a photo of Nikki. The man looked at the photo with a smile, then his gaze wandered over to me.
“And who is this little guy?”
Mr. Kofi put his hand on my shoulder.
“This is Balto, the son of our neighbor and good friend Christa.”
I remembered his words from yesterday, that I should stand in for my relationship, and to be proud of it. Which is why I said into Mr. Kofi’s friend’s face:
“And I am Nikki’s boyfriend.”
Privet Collins began to laugh, then he tousled through my hair.
“Sure, young man.” The soldier looked back at Nikki’s father. “You have a little Joker here, Idrissa.”
Mr. Kofi stayed calm, but crossed his arms when he said:
“It is true. Balto is Nicole’s boyfriend.”
The king cheetah looked at me and smiled, before he continued.
“And I am happy about it. He has proved himself worthy of my daughter more than once.”

This sergeant was speechless for a moment, until he began to laugh again.
“Are you serious, Sarge? Your daughter is 19, this boy must be way younger.”
Mr. Kofi had now a more earnest tone in his voice.
“I am, Collins.”
Once more, the man became silent. Then he patted my back, which hurt a bit, and said:
“My respect, kid.”

Their conversation went on for a bit longer. Since it tired me out, I didn’t listen so close to it anymore. The window of a nearby toy-store was way more interesting for me. They had a really cool Iron Man Statue standing there.
Unfortunately, it was too expensive for me. This is why I only looked at it, until Mr. Kofi was done with his conversation. We walked back to Macy’s, where we met mom and Mrs. Kofi. Nikki’s mother had a bag in her hand and smiled at her husband, before she stepped closer and whispered something into his ear. His eyes became big during that, and his tail twitched. His gaze suddenly wandered over to my mother, who also smiled at him. I didn’t understand what was going on there, but that wasn’t so relevant for me at the moment. The only thing I was thinking about was food. I was so hungry that I didn’t want to wait for Nikki to join us. Luckily, mom had packed a small sandwich for me from the breakfast buffet.
Next, we decided to pick up Nikki in front of the theater, and so we walked north to Time Square. On our way, we passed an old-looking bookstore. I had a sudden intuition. Gently, I pulled on my mother’s sleeve with one hand while pointing at the store with the other.

“Mom, can we go in there, please? Maybe they have a certain book I'm looking for Nikki as a Christmas present,” I asked.
Mom seemed a bit surprised.
“Balto, you know that this isn’t a comic store, yes? What exactly are you looking for?”
I answered enthusiastically:
“I want to see if they have the book on which 'Cats' is based on.”

So, we stepped into this bookstore. The wooden door creaked as we entered, and a small bell jingled. It smelled of wood and old books. An elder lady welcomed us. As she came closer, I could see that she was walking with a cane. A really nice and expensive looking one, with a dog’s head as its handle.
“Hello, there, welcome to my little place of wonders and fantasy. What can I do for you on this beautiful day?”
Her voice sounded so calm, warm, and friendly. The lady stepped closer to me, and gently touched my cheek.
“Oh my, I haven’t seen one of your kind in here for so long. Are you searching for something special, my dear boy?”
How she knew that it was me who was seeking something, I will never know. My tail wagged a bit, as I explained to her:
“I am looking for a Christmas gift for my girlfriend. Do you have ‘Old Possums book of practical Cats’ from 1939?”
A smile was her first response, then she replied:
“I would have never thought that a boy at your age might be interested in a book like this. I love this book, its stories, and the lovely characters in it. As it happens, I have just one copy here.”

She pulled a box out of a shelf, after she had slowly walked behind the counter. It looked a bit faded, like it would have been there for many years. Inside the box was a book, and in the store’s dim light, I could see a signature on the cover: T.S. Elliot.
The lady told us that she got this when she was young. But now she is old, and since she has no relatives, she doesn't want it to get lost somewhere or end up in the hands of someone who wants it just for its value. She further explained to me, as she saw the confused expression in my face:
“Books are meant to be read, to be enjoyed by those who have enough imagination to bring the stories to life. They are not meant to end up on a collector’s shelf. I sell you this for, let us say, 50 bucks?”
Nikki’s mom took a closer look at the book.
“Ma’am, you are aware that this is a first edition, yes? It must be worth thousands of dollars.”
The old lady smiled.
“Yes, my dear. But look at me. I am old. My time on earth is running out. What should I do with thousands of dollars, if I instead can make a young boy happy? This is way more important for me than any money on earth.”
Mrs. Kofi took out her purse when she saw me taking out the 50 bucks, which I got from my mother earlier this week.
“Wait, let me at least double that.”
The lady smiled, as she took the money.
“Thank you. My dear boy, I am sure your girl will like her present. Tell her she should keep an eye on it for me, yes? I wish you all a nice Christmas, and thank you again for stepping in. Not many people are still reading books these days. You all made an old woman very happy today.”

Deep in thoughts about the kindness of this wonderful lady, and with this precious book in its box in my hands, I walked out of this store.
Mom carefully put her hand on my shoulder and took the box out of my hands.
“Let me put this into our bag, ok? Just to make sure Nicole doesn't see it before Christmas.”
I happily agreed, before I asked my mother:
“Mom, do you think that Nikki will like my present?”
Mrs. Kofi took the word and answered me:
“Like it? She will jump right through the roof, if she sees that.”

After mom had put the box into Mrs. Kofi’s bag, we continued our way north to Time Square.
Nikki was already waiting for us in front of the theater. I ran towards my girl, as I spotted her. Nikki gave me a tight hug, while my tail was wagging fast.
“I missed you so much, Nikki!” I shouted.
My girl giggled.
“Calm down, doggy, before you fly away. I missed you, too.”
Then she waved at the others.
“Hey, everyone. Where do we go for dinner? I am starving.”

We decided to try a Chinese restaurant for a change. I had noodles with roasted duck, what was delicious. I just couldn’t eat with those damn chopsticks. Luckily, the waiter had mercy on me and brought me a fork, after I tried it several times to get something into my mouth with the sticks. I was close to eating my food, how should I call it, doggy-like.
While we ate, Nikki told us about the play, and her progress. As she explained it, the whole thing tomorrow will be like a sketch show. Each sketch, which always represents a scene from a musical, is performed by two actors who have rehearsed and practiced this scene during the week.
It will start at 10 am, so afterward, there will be plenty of time for us to do a bit more sightseeing. I still wanted to see the Intrepid, but Mr. Kofi said that the time for that might be too short. But we would decide about this tomorrow.
After our dinner, we went back to the hotel.
Nikki quickly laid down on the bed, after she stripped out of her clothes. While she wrote some messages on her phone, I stepped closer, and gave her a little paw massage. I really love her sweet beans. They are so soft and warm.

A sudden noise made us both listen closely. It came from next door and was actually music. Nikki told me, after she listened to it for a minute:
“That is from Moulin Rouge. They are possibly just watching a movie.”
After a while, they increased the volume. About an hour later, it became silent again. Nikki was already asleep, as I stood up and walked out of the room. I knocked at their door, and asked silently:
“Mommy?”
My mother opened and stepped out of the room, dressed only in a white bathrobe. A bit worried, she asked:
“Yes, sweetie? Is everything ok?”
The smell coming out of the room was well-known to me.
I looked at my mother and tilted my head to the side. My mother sighted and knelt. Ashamed, she talked to me:
“Balto, I know what you want to ask. Yes, we had sex. To be honest with you, I have sex with Asha since we were in High School. And this time, well, we asked Idrissa if he would want to join us.”
She sounded like she was regretting it at that moment.
“I am so sorry, Balto. I didn’t want you to find out. You know, I still love your father, and I will never have a new relationship. But like you and Nicole, I need sex from time to time. And with Nicole's parents, well, your dad and I have already shared that particular kind of fun with them. Please Balto, can you forgive me for this?”

I didn’t respond to her straight away. I looked down on the floor, even turned away and made a few steps, before I faced my kneeling mother, who covered her face in shame.
After I walked back to her, I took her into my arms and told her silently:
“I want my mommy to be happy. I love you.”
She pressed me against her.
“I love you too, my son. Thank you for understanding this, my big little man.”
Mr. Kofi opened the door. He must have heard the whole thing.
“Hey, Balto, I am sorry, too. Are we still friends, champ?”
I nodded.
“Sure. I know nothing bad will happen to mommy, if she is with you and Mrs. Kofi.”
He smiled down at me.
“You have my word on that, Balto. But now you maybe should go back to your girl and try to sleep a bit. We will stand up early in the morning.”

And that's how this day ended. I snuggled close to Nikki, her scent soothing my senses, and I quickly fell asleep.


I know. Some of you might wonder why I wasn’t more shocked after this confession. Do you remember the day I came home, while Mr. Kofi and mom were sitting on the couch, with nothing on her body than her bathrobe? Back then, she tried to tell me that Mr. Kofi was only there to repair the sink. Yes, I am only 14 years old. But I understand analogies by now.
Mom also had fun with Nikki in the past, but their last time was months ago. I know that mom is a good-looking and still young woman. I am not blind or stupid. And I know how much fun it is, to have sex. Wouldn't it be selfish to deny mom this kind of fun? And besides, the Kofi’s are our friends. Mom is in good hands with them.
But enough of these thoughts for now.

We still have one more day to go.
 
Part 7: Saturday
(written by Nikki)


Beep, beep, beep. How I hate it to be woken up by this stupid alarm. My mobile showed me that it was only 6 o'clock. I sat myself up and stretched my upper body. Balto was still sleeping next to me. I wouldn't be surprised if the little wolf slept through a day or two after this week. He looks so sweet in his sleep. His ears and his paws twitched, and I even heard him quietly whimper. He must have been in the middle of a dream.
Questions popped up in my head as I looked at my sleeping mate.

What would have happened if I hadn’t decided to stay at their house that night? What if he hadn’t confessed his love to me? What if I had said that he is too young for me? I would probably still be with guy after guy who just wants to have sex with me. This boy here, he's so different from the guys I had before him. He cares about me and everyone he loves.
Balto is a smart boy, another thing that differs him from my former partners. He might not be as strong as them, or doesn’t have a big cock like them, but the sex with him is in every way better than it ever was with one of these idiots. My sweet doggy. He has been through so much during those last few months. And he still managed to improve himself. The little guy becomes less and less shy, and his quick learning amazes me again and again.
Balto woke up, after I watched him for about thirty minutes. He yawned with his muzzle wide open. My wolf looked around tiredly, like he would search for something. To avoid startling him, I spoke silently to him:
“Morning, Fluffy. Are you looking for something?”
He crawled over to me and laid his head on my lap. A smile appeared on his face as he murmured:
“Found it.”

Gently, I ruffled him behind the ear, which made his leg twitch. That was something new, and the sight of it made me giggle.
Someone knocked, causing Balto to raise his head and look sternly at the door. It was my mother who asked:
“Nicole, Balto, are you two awake?”
Balto tail wagged when I answered my mother:
“Almost, mom. Just give us a minute or two.”
The response came fast:
“Sure. But hurry, we meet you down in the lobby.”

Balto yawned once more, before he stood up and slurped into the bathroom. I looked after him, while licking my muzzle. What a cute butt he has. If he were gay, he would certainly have his admirers. And not only Mikey.
That thought somehow reminded me to call Trish and ask how it looks with her and the sister of this little fox.
I followed Balto to the bathroom, we brushed each other’s fur, cleaned our teeth, got dressed, then we walked down to the lobby. The others waited for us at a table and already prepared some breakfast for Balto and me.
Something at that morning felt different. Balto seemed to be in a somewhat clingy mood, while our parents just sat there in silence. I remembered the music from yesterday evening, and tried a shot into the blue, while I put my arm around Balto:
“How was the sex yesterday?”
They looked at me with a clear shock in their eyes.


The expressions on their faces made me laugh.
“Got you! Oh, come on. The music, which suddenly became louder, the mood here today. There is no other explanation for all that. So, how was it?”
My father gave me an angered look, stood up, excused himself, and walked in the direction of the elevators.
When he was gone, I looked worried at my mother.
“What is the matter with dad?”
My mother tilted her head. She looked at me like I should know what was wrong. What I honestly didn’t know. But she soon cleared that up:
“Nicole, don't you think your question was a little inappropriate? Idrissa is still your father. It is good that Balto is barely awake, and probably hasn’t heard you asking him such a question.”
I tried to defend myself:
“Mom, we always talked openly about this stuff. There was never a need to hide something. You always taught me to speak out freely.”

Balto’s mother added a few words:
“Nicole, topics like that might be fine between us women. But you should have asked this question in front of your father and Balto.”
Now I understood the problem. I apologized,
“Oh, I am sorry.”
Christa continued in a happier voice:
“But since Balto already knows about it, it was good, and very relaxing for all of us.”
My mother looked at the white wolf, then her gaze went back to me.
“Yes, it was indeed. But for now, please go upstairs and apologize to your father, Nicole. And hurry. We have to leave soon, if you want to be there in time.”

I kissed Balto on his snout, before I stood up to talk to my father. I could hear him arguing with himself, as I reached the door. After I have knocked, I asked:
“Dad, can we talk? I wanted to apologize.”

He opened the door and immediately said that I don’t have to apologize. That he made a big mistake when he had sex with the mother of my boyfriend. I told him that Christa and mom both liked it, but he was still upset. He said it felt like he had betrayed his best friend's trust by having sex with his wife. Again, I tried to explain to him that Christa wouldn't see it that way. And that everything is fine, as long as Balto is ok with it.
In my eyes, the little wolf was the only one dad should worry about in this case. Finally, dad calmed down, while I gave him a hug. When his mood was better, I couldn’t resist asking him how it was to have sex with Christa. You know, since I had sex with her myself.
Dad confessed that it felt heavenly for him, having both my mother and her taking care of him. Honestly, his explanations made me a little wet. Maybe I should invite Trish over for a little threesome.

As soon as we had finished our little talk, we rejoined the others downstairs in the lobby, and left the hotel shortly after.
We reached the theater just in time. My theatrical partner was already looking for me when I reached the dressing room. After I quickly slipped into my costume, we were ready to go.
From behind the stage, I was able to watch a few of the other participants. They were truly great at performing in their given scenes, and I became nervous. After most of the other participants had finished, our instructor came towards me and my acting partner.
“Mr. Lannister, Miss Kofi, you are next. Get ready.”
My heart was beating so fast, you could literally hear it. My legs didn’t want to move, as we got the signal to go on stage. I needed a push from my colleague, to get past the curtain.


While I was walking into the spotlight, I heard the announcer:
“Next, we have David Lannister from UC San Diego, and Nicole Kofi from Stark College in Darwin’s Hope. They will perform the scene and song “Mungojerrie and Rumpleteazer” from Cats. Enjoy.”

The music began to play, and I followed the lead of David during our performance. For me, Mungojerrie was always the leader of this duo.
Since I want to avoid bothering you with describing every single move we made, I will give you a bit more information about the character’s background.
Rumpleteazer is in most versions the twin sister of Mungojerrie.
The two are known troublemakers and thieves, but they live in the household of a wealthy family.
David and I had a lot of fun on stage, and after talking to him at the beginning of our training, we became a pretty good team. Our scene was only a few minutes long, but we were both exhausted, after we left the stage.
We went back to the changing rooms as fast as possible. Finally, I would have time to relax and to enjoy my stay in New York, at least for a few more hours.
While I undressed and cleaned myself a bit, I looked at my phone. Balto had written me a message, also my friends from the acting class back home. While I typed an answer to them, it knocked at on the door. I answered to it by saying:
“Yes?”
The voice I heard from outside came from our instructor.
“Miss Kofi, the director wants to see you. I have to ask you to come with me.”

I was standing there, half naked, and the director of this famous theater wanted to see me. I totally forgot that there was an interview scheduled after the show.
In a haste, I took a t-shirt and my pants while I yelled:
“I am coming.”
A moment later, I opened the door.
The man tapped on his clock.
“Please hurry, Miss Kofi. The director isn’t a very patient man.”

We quickly moved to an office close to the stage, where other participants still performed.
The man who brought me here knocked and walked in but asked me to wait outside. The hallway was cold, my entire body was shivering. I was so freaking nervous.
A minute later, the door reopened, and I was asked to come in. The director was sitting behind his desk, on which I saw some monitors. Probably, the director was watching the shows from here. Next to him, I saw a man with a clipboard, who introduced me:

“This is Miss Nicole Kofi from Stark College in Darwin’s Hope. I saw her during a performance of,
“Dance of the Vampires.” I was impressed by her skills in singing and acting in general.”
The director looked at me, without saying a word.

Like he was inspecting the nervous feline standing in front of him. Minutes passed, before he finally spoke:
“Darwin's Hope, you say? Stark College? I thought acting for Anthros was primarily bending over and lifting their tails for the camera.”

He was laughing about his stupid joke, while I had to control myself to not let him taste my claws. How could he even dare to speak about us like that? Just because there are a few Anthros who perform in adult movies. I tried to counter him with a little joke myself, to mask my anger:
“Sir, I am not Lift-Her-Tail, I am Nicole Kofi, and I am glad you gave me a chance to perform in your theater.”

He cut me off.
“Not Lift-Her-Tail? Oh, now I get that. My grandson told me about this. The name is out of an erotic novel in a game, “The Lusty Maid”, or something like that.”
He laughed again.
“I apologize, should have insulted you. But you gave me a good answer, Miss Kofi.”

In my mind, I thanked my nerdy canine. Without him, I would have never known the name “Lift-her-Tail.” It is indeed out of a video game Balto often wastes his time with.

The director continued:
“Well, Miss Kofi. We just rewatched your performance, and my agent here told me about the play he was able to enjoy in Darwin’s Hope. You sure have a lot of talent. But do you understand that many human actors still don’t want to perform with an Anthro?”
I shook my head.
“No sir. I don’t understand that. We don’t hurt anybody, and we are just as good as human actors.”
The director nodded.
“Yes, I know that. But it is still not common at theater, to have your kind performing on stage. Yet to see you here today, to see how you and your human partner acted together, was a good sign for me. The only thing about your performance I have to criticize is that you seemed to hold yourself back. Please tell us, why you did that.”
I gulped, before I answered.
“My partner David had problems with the movements, and I felt it would be better not to overshadow him too much.”
The director sighed.
“Miss Kofi, the theatrical business is hard. There are many talented actors out there, way more than there are roles for them to play. To catch a role can be a long and often dirty fight. If I can give you one tip for this business, then it is the following: Never hold yourself back, while you are on stage. Especially not to let another actor look better.
Be assured that you could faster have a knife in your back, then you can look.”
I sighed.
“We have a group of actors at the college in Darwin’s Hope. We are all friends, and what you just told me, is really a bit of a shock for me. No one in our group would even think of betraying one of the others.”
“Miss Kofi, in my long time at the theater, I have seen many friendships going down the drain. If you and your group can stay together, it would be a big achievement, and one you could really be proud of. Just be sure to watch your back.
I will write to the director of your school, that I was pleased with what you have shown us during the week here, and especially today.
You have a great potential to become a star one day. Now, have a nice day, and greet your family from me.”

After I had said goodbye to him and this agent, I left the room on still shaky legs. The director had given me a lot to think about.
I walked back to my dressing room, so I could finally change into something warmer to wear.
Deep in thoughts, I left the room and the theater. I walked out into the bright lights of Time Square. It had begun to rain, but that disturbed no one here. My parents waited for me outside. Strangely for me, there was no sign of Christa and my Balto.
My father spotted me, came closer and took me into his arms, followed by my mother. A bit confused about why Balto and Christa weren’t here, I asked:
“Mom, where are Christa and Balto? Have they missed the show?”
My mother replied with a smile:
“Of course not, Nicole. They wanted to make a few photos inside, and maybe buy a little souvenir.”

While we were waiting, I heard David’s voice from behind.
“Nicole!”
Me and my parents turned around. David came closer, and asked me without even looking at my parents:
“Me and my friends want to go to a club, do you want to join us? They would love to meet you.”

Dad cleared his throat and crossed his arms, causing David to take a step back.
“Oh, are these your parents? I am sorry. My name is David Lannister, I was Nicole’s acting partner on stage.”
He reached his hand to my father, who took it. During the handshake, David made a face like he would feel a bit of pain, while dad told him a little detail:
“My daughter is in steady hands, David.”

My former acting partner took another step back.
“Oh, I didn’t know that. Sorry, Nicole. Well, it was fun to play with you, thanks. And sorry for my behavior earlier this week. Have a nice evening, bye.”

Mom laughed, but I looked a bit mad at my father.
“Dad, you could have told him that without scaring him. I could swear he was close to wet himself.”
Dad giggled, and at that moment, Christa and Balto joined us. My little wolf ran towards me.
“Nikki! You were awesome!”
I took my mate into my arm and pressed him against me, before I kissed him on the lips. My sweet Fluffy.
“Thank you, Balto. Next time, I want to perform with you. It is really time we begin with your training, so you can join me and our group.”
Christa put one of her hands on my shoulder and one on Balto's shoulder.
“Before you two begin to make plans for the Tony Awards, let us go to dinner. How about the Diner? I checked their website. They would have another Karaoke night today.”

All of us agreed, and we had a really nice time there. After our dinner, we walked down to the stage area for a last Karaoke night in New York City.
Balto buried his nose in the list of songs, while I listened to some guests.

All of a sudden and full of enthusiasm, Balto said:
“This one. Nikki, I want to sing this one with you.”
I took a look at it. I knew that song, since I have heard it for a few times. The song’s name was ‘Something just like this’. Balto always had a thing for songs like that. Love songs, thoughtful songs, that sort of stuff. Songs which fit perfectly to him. It was a lot of fun for both of us to sing it.

After the last note had fallen silent, Balto kissed me. His eyes were wet with tears. My little superstar. I was so proud of him. While we were singing, he showed off his talent to communicate with his whole body. I think the audience loved watching the little wolf giving everything he had to provide them with a good show.
For that reason, and to raise his confidence in his talent, I wanted him to do a song alone.
And he did. A song that made all of us cry at the end, and not because he didn’t get some of the notes right. No. It was because he put so much feeling into it. The song's title was,
“Can you feel the Love tonight?” by Sir Elton John.
You should have seen him up there. How he was holding the microphone in both his hands, and how he sang as good as he could.
After the song was over, the room went silent. Balto’s hands, well, his entire body trembled, as the entire room started to applaud him.
Balto wasn’t able to move, and my father went up on stage to get him down. I had to laugh, as dad tried to take the microphone out of Balto’s hands. It seemed that Balto didn’t want to give it back. We were all so proud of him. Especially his mother, who couldn’t stop crying while she held her son close to her. This little wolf clearly belongs on stage.

And with this, I want to end my chapter, and this entry.
Balto made a big step forward during this trip. One nobody had expected. I learned some important lessons about the true world behind the curtain. A world, to which my group and I will definitely try to prove that it can be different.
We should work together, and not against each other, to create a better place for all of us.

We all had a wonderful time in the Big Apple. This town has something magical. We will come back.
We promise.

Stay safe, everyone.
Yours,
Nikki and Balto

PS:

Wait, Nikki. I want to tell one more thing, before we close this entry.
After the show, we finally went to the USS Intrepid and visited the Air and Space Museum. It was a blast. We even could go on the Submarine Growler next to the carrier. I still can't imagine living and working in something like that. We have also seen the Space Shuttle Prototype Enterprise onboard the carrier. I simply loved to see all the aircraft on and under deck, and the ride on one of these big lifts was amazing. I felt like I was in Top Gun!

In the evening, we all went to a fancy steak restaurant in Brooklyn. Nikki’s dad wanted a special place for us all to celebrate his daughter’s success. For me, it was hard to decide what to take, so Mr. Kofi helped me to pick. Sure, I had steak before, but never at a place like this. At the end it was a T-Bone steak, medium rare. It was so good! But I mostly remember the look of the waiter, as I asked him for ketchup. He gave me some steak sauces instead and explained that it would be a crime to ruin a good steak with ketchup.

And on Sunday, we drove back home. What a week that was.

A sad thing at the end. A week ago, I chatted with one of my new human friends about this old woman’s bookstore, after he told me about his interest in fantasy books. A day later, he told me that the store was closed because the old lady had died. That news made me cry. She was such a nice lady. I hope that they have many good books for her in heaven. Nikki loved the gift I got for her. The book is well protected in its wooden box, which now stands on a bookshelf in Nikki’s room. Every time I visit her, we read a part of it. Like the old woman told me. A book is meant to be read by those with enough imagination to bring its stories to life. Every time we read in this book, I can see the cats dancing, and singing. And I can see the old Lady, who enjoys watching them. May she rest in peace. Maybe she and dad can read together now. Perhaps, an old detective story.

I hope to see you all next time, thank you all so much, my friends.


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