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This is an on-going series of loose stories.", "count": "24", "submission_left_submission_id": "1290354", "submission_left_file_name": "1808779_Fritti_meanwhile_in_minnaluna_-_faekitties_and_mry_culture_part_1_of_2_.txt", "submission_left_thumbnail_url_huge": "https://nl1.ib.metapix.net/thumbnails/huge/1808/1808779_Fritti_meanwhile_in_minnaluna_-_faekitties_and_mry_culture_part_1_of_2_.jpg", "submission_left_thumbnail_url_large": "https://nl1.ib.metapix.net/thumbnails/large/1808/1808779_Fritti_meanwhile_in_minnaluna_-_faekitties_and_mry_culture_part_1_of_2_.jpg", "submission_left_thumbnail_url_medium": "https://nl1.ib.metapix.net/thumbnails/medium/1808/1808779_Fritti_meanwhile_in_minnaluna_-_faekitties_and_mry_culture_part_1_of_2_.jpg", "submission_left_thumb_huge_x": "300", "submission_left_thumb_huge_y": "300", "submission_left_thumb_large_x": "200", "submission_left_thumb_large_y": "200", "submission_left_thumb_medium_x": "120", "submission_left_thumb_medium_y": "120", "submission_right_submission_id": "1290362", "submission_right_file_name": "1940724_Fritti_map_of_minnaluna_archipelago_1280px_.png", "submission_right_thumbnail_url_huge_noncustom": "https://nl1.ib.metapix.net/files/preview/1940/1940724_Fritti_map_of_minnaluna_archipelago_1280px_.jpg", "submission_right_thumbnail_url_large_noncustom": "https://nl1.ib.metapix.net/thumbnails/large/1940/1940724_Fritti_map_of_minnaluna_archipelago_1280px__noncustom.jpg", "submission_right_thumbnail_url_medium_noncustom": "https://nl1.ib.metapix.net/thumbnails/medium/1940/1940724_Fritti_map_of_minnaluna_archipelago_1280px__noncustom.jpg", "submission_right_thumb_medium_noncustom_x": "120", "submission_right_thumb_medium_noncustom_y": "80", "submission_right_thumb_large_noncustom_x": "200", "submission_right_thumb_large_noncustom_y": "133", "submission_right_thumb_huge_noncustom_x": "300", "submission_right_thumb_huge_noncustom_y": "200" } ], "description": "And here it is; the second part of the large story featuring my hamster reporter lady Hazel as she gets assigned to find out about the winged feline that has been spotted, and find out the truth about Faekitties! Here we see her traveling to Nezinoma Salis, and getting the first preparations for her stay there taken care of.\n\nAnd yes, I know... I said this story would come in two parts. And this part, even while being longer than the previous part, still has nothing about Hazel finding that bipedal butterfly-winged feline or any Faekitties or anything. There is still so much more to tell! But, well... she is not in Minnaluna anymore, she is now in Nezinoma Salis, so the Minnaluna part of the story has come to an end and the story will pick up again in the Nezinoma Salis part of the series. That's logical, right?\n(Uh, yeah, that's my excuse, and I'm sticking to it =P)\n\nStill marked Mature, this part is, because there is nudity in it, and some talk about sexual topics.\n\nStay tuned for the next parts! There is so much still to tell! >^_^<\n\n© to me are:\nMry species\nFaekitty species\nHazel Krecek\nHeavenly Sky\nSummer Sky\n\n...and all the other Mry and such that were mentioned >~_^<", "description_bbcode_parsed": "And here it is; the second part of the large story featuring my hamster reporter lady Hazel as she gets assigned to find out about the winged feline that has been spotted, and find out the truth about Faekitties! Here we see her traveling to Nezinoma Salis, and getting the first preparations for her stay there taken care of.

And yes, I know... I said this story would come in two parts. And this part, even while being longer than the previous part, still has nothing about Hazel finding that bipedal butterfly-winged feline or any Faekitties or anything. There is still so much more to tell! But, well... she is not in Minnaluna anymore, she is now in Nezinoma Salis, so the Minnaluna part of the story has come to an end and the story will pick up again in the Nezinoma Salis part of the series. That's logical, right?
(Uh, yeah, that's my excuse, and I'm sticking to it =P)

Still marked Mature, this part is, because there is nudity in it, and some talk about sexual topics.

Stay tuned for the next parts! There is so much still to tell! >^_^<

© to me are:
Mry species
Faekitty species
Hazel Krecek
Heavenly Sky
Summer Sky

...and all the other Mry and such that were mentioned >~_^<", "writing": "The milky light of the morning attempted to lighten up the blanket of grey covering the sky. The weather had not improved compared with the day before - as a matter of fact, it had gotten a bit worse. Instead of a slow drizzle coating everything in a thin film of wetness, now a light rain was falling, rushing quietly in the foliage of the trees and pitter-pattering against the windows of the houses of Merian.\n\nThough while the weather seemed to want to make sure the world and everything upon it was thoroughly damp, it did not dampen the mood of Hazel Krecek, the very short-coupled hamster woman who slipped out of her bed that morning and stretched with a squeaky yawn. She merely smiled at the grey sky and the rain rushing down as she looked out of her bedroom window before heading into the bathroom for her morning shower. The weather was not going to ruin this day for her - nothing could ruin this day for her. There was so much laying ahead for her this day.\n\nShe merrily sang Elton John's \"Tiny dancer\" while she took her shower, the singing dying down into a hum as she dried herself off and brushed her fur. A fresh dress, one coming down to her ankles and with long sleeves, was quickly selected and put on, and it only took her a moment to realize she couldn't find her good fur brush and her toothbrush because she had already packed those into her toiletries bag that was in the small suitcase sitting in the trunk of her car.\n\nAfter a calm breakfast of cereal with slices of fruit and milk, a slice of toast with some of the homemade blueberry jam she had bought at the Spring Fair the week before and a cup of tea, Hazel glanced the clock and nodded to herself with a smile. It was time to go. She checked her purse for everything she would be needing to bring along with her, wrote a quick note for her neighbor across the street who would be minding her one and half story bungalow during her absence, put on a raincoat and a rain cap and stepped outside, carrying her summer coat and summer hat over one arm as well. She put those on the passenger's seat of her car after she had locked her front door, getting behind the wheel of her car and calmly driving off.\n\nIt was still early enough, allowing her to drive at a calm, almost leisurely pace as she made her way through town. Making a stop by the bank, the short hamster cashed the check her boss had written her the day before and carefully tucked the envelope with six one hundred dollar bills in her purse, next to a small brown envelope she had made very sure not to forget to bring along. Then she was on her way again, driving out of the city limits and taking one or two B-roads to make her way down to the coastal road that would lead her all the way into the coastal town of Fandago.\n\nEven though she now entered the small town from a different road than the day before, Hazel quickly found the sort of ring road that encircled the town. She looked around her a bit as she drove down the ring road, one ear constantly flicking to the shuddering squeak of the windshield wipers brushing the light rain off the windshield in a rhythmical back and forth motion. Her smile was bright enough to burn through the gloomy grey of the rainy morning when she pulled onto the premises of the Heavenly Auto Repair garage and found the large blue Mry proprietor, Heavenly Sky, waiting there for her with paws on hips, dressed in the top part of a denim mechanic's overall and an old army jacket while an even older Panama hat perched atop her head.\n\nSky directed Hazel around the large main building to some parking spots at the back of it where the hamster could put her car for the time she would be staying in Nezinoma Salis. She also gave Hazel a card with the words \"Customer vehicle. Do not touch\" stamped on it to place behind the windshield. Having taken everything she needed from her car and having locked it carefully, Hazel followed Sky back around the main building. As they walked up to a large GMC Sierra pickup truck with Crew Cab, she couldn't help but ask.\n \"How do you even drive?\"\nSky chuckled softly.\n \"I done some mods to me car too, 'oney. Watch.\"\n\nTo her surprise, Hazel noticed the door lock was on the small second door of the Crew Cab instead of on the driver's door. She stepped up closer curiously, letting out a soft squeak of understanding and, frankly, impression as she saw how Heavenly Sky's truck was modified even more cleverly than her own car. On the driver's side, the B-pillar had been removed and the small second door had been crafted onto the driver's door, creating one very large door and very large opening to get into the truck. The driver's seat and small backseat were removed as well and had been replaced with thick, flat pillows, only the single passenger's seat still being in place. It did indeed allow the large Mry to easily get into and drive the truck, while also still allowing for a bipedal passenger to ride along in relative comfort.\n\nStepping around the truck, Hazel noticed the doors on the passenger's side had been left as they were. Climbing onto the side-step, she managed to reach the door handle and open the passenger door, getting onto the passenger's seat with a decent amount of scrambling and climbing. Sky chuckled softly, leaning over to the side to help the short-coupled hamster get her luggage and herself into the truck.\n \"Anythin' ya need to take care o' 'fore we get to the 'arbor, 'oney?\" she asked as she started the truck.\n \"No, I have everything I need with me,\" Hazel smiled. \"I only need to convert the money I brought for Nezinoma money.\"\n \"Right. We're off then.\"\n\nHazel nodded, but squeaked the next moment and grabbed a hold of her seatbelt with both paws when Sky shifted into reverse and mashed down the accelerator, making the truck squeal backwards and turn ninety degrees with a yank of the steering wheel. Shifting into forward then, the large Mry chuckled softly again as she drove off the garage lot and noticed Hazel's hard grip on the seatbelt and wide eyes.\n \"Sorry, 'oney. Power o' 'abit.\"\n\nShe drove a lot calmer through the streets on the way to the harbor. Hazel relaxed again and shook her head with a small smile, looking aside with her head a bit tilted at a casual question from Heavenly Sky.\n \"Wan' me to do som'thin' 'bout yer car while yer done, 'oney?\"\n \"Like what? As far as I know, there's nothing wrong with my car, except for those treated spots on the body.\"\n \"Well, f'r one, tha' motor could do with a tune-up, 'oney. Sounds quite rough, it does. Gotta fan belt squeak too, so them belts are likely due f'r replacement.\"\n \"Do you think so? I've always kept up with the regular maintenance pretty well, so it should be alright.\" A short laugh escaped Hazel's lips. \"Of course, I'm no expert, you most likely know a whole lot more about it than I do. I'm one of those 'if it starts, runs and gets me where I need to go, it's good' types of car owner.\"\nSky chuckled softly.\n \"Well, lemme tell ya, 'oney; some fresh fluids, sparks an' belts an' a bit o' tunin' up, an' she'll start, run an' get ya where ya need to be a lot better an' smoother. Probably usin' less gas in the process, too.\"\n \"So it's true what they say, then?\" Hazel giggled. \"A car is like a woman; pamper her and treat her well and she'll treat you very well in return?\"\n \"Haha! Yeah, ya could say tha',\" Sky laughed.\nHazel giggled again and nodded.\n \"Well, I'm sure you'll know how to pamper my car just right, so, yes, if you don't mind having a look at it while I'm gone, then thanks, I'd appreciate it a lot.\"\n \"Will do, 'oney,\" Sky nodded with a small wink.\n\nShe cut a hard right off the main road into the harbor, maneuvering the truck around and between a number of buildings and a bunch of vans and trucks in the cargo area. Eventually she pulled up to a number of parking spaces by a warehouse where she parked her truck and waited for Hazel to get out before locking the passenger door and getting out herself. Hazel shivered a bit and pulled up the collar of her coat - even though the rain had stopped, the wind was quite a bit chillier so close by the ocean. She let out another soft giggle though when Heavenly Sky stepped up beside her and acted as a windbreaker while leading the way through the tangle of cranes, shipping containers, warehouses and small stalls selling a variety of wares, and the many people milling about.\n\nBefore too long, Hazel found herself directed to a row of low buildings housing various offices, a bar, two restaurants, and one small nondescript office that only had a dog-eared paper in the window reading \"Mry exchange\". As Sky held the door open for her, Hazel stepped inside and looked around, finding nothing more than some pillows around a low table in the corner by the window, and a large counter spanning the entire width of the small room in the back.\n\nBehind the counter was a somewhat scruffy, but friendly-looking tawny brown male Mry with a ragamuffin mop of ginger hair and a set of whiskers to rival those of a walrus. He looked up over a pair of small glasses and waved as Sky and Hazel stepped into the building.\n \"Mornin', Sky.\"\n \"Tha' was me mum,\" Sky chuckled.\nThe male Mry chuckled softly.\n \"Joke's old, Sky. Who's your friend?\"\n \"Hazel Krecek, of the Merian Meridian,\" Hazel introduced herself, stepping up to the counter and offering a paw.\n \"Pleased,\" the male Mry said, shaking paws with Hazel. \"The name's Firepelt, but Fire will do. What can I do for you?\"\n \"Miss Sky told me I can exchange money here for the currency used on Nezinoma Salis. I'm going to be staying there for a while, so I have an amount of cash I would like to exchange.\"\n \"Certainly, that's no problem,\" Firepelt nodded. \"Are you going on a vacation? You don't see very many people from the mainland here traveling to our island.\"\n \"Actually, it's for work,\" Hazel smiled while she rummaged through her purse. \"The paper I work for was notified of the sightings of a winged female feline that sort of resembled a Faekitty. I have once written an article about those, so they sent me out to investigate this, and further research Faekitties as well. Miss Sky here has been an awesome help, she got in touch with her sister to bring me over and let me stay on Nezinoma for a while.\"\n \"I see, I see,\" Firepelt nodded again. \"That's very nice. I'm sure you will be able to find a good deal of information on our island. Now then, how much money would you like to convert?\"\nHazel extricated the envelope with money from her purse and put it on the counter.\n \"These six hundred dollars, please.\"\n \"That's quite a lot,\" Firepelt remarked. \"How would you like it? We have gold, silver and copper coins.\"\n \"Yes, I'll be buying a car and having it modified, for one,\" Hazel nodded, twirling her right whiskers around a finger in thought. \"Uhm... I suppose... four hundred in gold coins, one hundred fifty in silver and the rest in copper?\"\n \"I think I can do that. You'll need a pouch to carry all that though, possibly two.\"\n \"I got some she c'n use,\" Sky said.\n\nShe dug deep into the pockets of her army jacket and pulled out two basic leather, closeable pouches meant for hanging from a Mry's waist-belt. Firepelt nodded and took both pouches, stepping through a door in the wall behind him. It took a few moments before he returned, laying both pouches on the counter with a heavy tinkling rattle.\n \"Here you are, miss Hazel.\"\n \"Thank you.\" Hazel picked up one of the pouches - and put it right back down on the counter. \"Whoo! That's heavier than I thought. How should I carry them?\"\n \"Well, these type of pouches are designed to go on a waist-belt, like this,\" Firepelt said, motioning at the belt he was wearing around his own waist. \"Do you have anything like that?\"\n \"Uh, no, I don't,\" Hazel said.\n \"Ain't no problem,\" Sky said calmly, picking up the pouches and putting them in the deep pockets of her army jacket. \"I'll carry'em f'r now, an' we'll stop by the bazaar an' pick up belt f'r ya.\"\nHazel pricked up her ears in interest.\n \"Bazaar? Oh, that sounds like fun. I'd like to check that out.\"\n \"Le's be off, then,\" Sky nodded, turning and shaking paws with the tawny Mry behind the counter. \"Thanks f'r the service, Firepelt.\"\n \"Yes, thank you,\" Hazel smiled.\n \"My pleasure,\" Firepelt nodded. \"Come back any time. And have a wonderful time on our island.\"\n \"I'm sure I will! Thank you,\" Hazel smiled again.\n\nWith a cheery wave they parted company. Heavenly Sky led the way out of the small building and down the rest of the narrow road. All the way at the end was a quite large building with a large canopy over the entrance and colorful pennants flapping in the breeze. Just the sight of the building already put a smile on Hazel's face, and that smile widened even more when she followed Sky into the building.\n\nThe floor was carpeted wall to wall in artificial grass, and judging by the random stripes of faded white and yellow that could be seen here and there, it had been recycled from an old sports field. Along both side walls and the rear wall were walled-off rooms, some holding a small kitchen where various kinds of food were prepared for sale - a few of the rooms along the rear wall held restrooms, some were offices. The rest of the floor space was divided into several wide aisles by means of market stalls from which merchants were selling all kinds of goods.\n\nA cheery hubbub filled the building. Hazel had to do her best not to be distracted by all the people and all the different kinds of wares they were peddling - but it was hard. She looked this way and that as she followed Heavenly Sky through the building, holding a paw over her mouth to hide a soft giggle when she spotted a large Flamelin with the fur colors and pattern of a tuxedo cat offering for sale very large-sized plush cat beds - the regular oval baskets of foam with a plush cover, sized to fit an adult Flamelin. It made sense of course when thinking about it, but it just looked very amusing to Hazel to see a large quadruped feline selling kitty beds.\n\nNear the start of one of the aisles was a stall manned by a somewhat thin female Mry with slightly curly fur the darkblue hue of the night sky. It was that stall Heavenly Sky led the way to, greeting the Mry behind it with the same familiarity she had greeted Firepelt with earlier.\n \"Hoi Nighttime.\"\n \"As I live and breathe,\" the darkblue Mry said, looking up. \"Heavenly Sky. What made you show your nose around these parts, darling?\"\n \"Jus' 'elpin' out a friend f'r a bit,\" Sky smiled, motioning Hazel to step closer. \"Ya got any waist-belts that'll fit 'er?\"\n \"I think I might,\" the darkblue Mry nodded with her head a bit tilted. She motioned to the side of the stall. \"Step over here please, miss, uh...\"\n \"Hazel.\"\n\nShe stepped to the side of the stall, while the darkblue Mry also stepped out from behind the stall, pulling a tape measure from around her neck and kneeling down on her feral forepaws. Whipping the tape measure around Hazel with a routine gesture, she took the size of the hamster's waist and nodded again.\n \"Teenage size would do.\" She stepped back behind the stall and laid out several belts. \"I have some here that would fit you well, miss Hazel, you can choose from these.\"\nHazel looked at the belts, giving an appreciative nod of her head. Even if they were quite simple in design, it was clear there was a lot of craftsmanship in them. One belt in particular drew the hamster's attention; a somewhat narrow one in a rather unusual, but very attractive grey-ish blue color with elegant stainless steel buckles and a number of fine but sturdy stainless steel rings.\n \"This one is really beautiful,\" she said, tilting her head in surprise as she ran a finger over the belt's surface. \"What's it made of?\"\n \"Ah, you have an eye for it,\" the darkblue Mry smiled. \"That's shark hide. Very strong, very durable, and if need be you can sharpen a knife on it.\"\n \"I don't think I'd have a need for that,\" Hazel giggled softly. \"But I do like it, it looks really pretty. How much is it?\"\n \"Seven dollars and it's yours, darling.\"\n \"Seriously? I'll have it, please!\"\n \"Ya 'appen to 'ave any pouches tha' go with it, Nighttime?\" Sky asked.\n \"I think I may.\" The darkblue Mry knelt down on her feral forepaws again and leaned over deeply to pull a box from under the stall. After rummaging through it for a moment or two, she rose back up and placed two pouches on the stall. They had an elegant clip on the front to close them, and two clips on the back to fasten them to the rings on the belt. \"There we are. Five dollars apiece, but I'll let you have both and the belt for fifteen dollars altogether, miss Hazel.\"\n \"Definitely sold,\" Hazel nodded. \"Thank you so much.\"\n\nShe paid the curly-furred Mry and with Sky's help put on the belt over her dress. Sky clipped the extra pouches Hazel had bought on either side, and the leather pouches with the coins in them at the front. It felt a bit strange as they walked back through the bazaar, but Hazel soon enough got used to it.\n \"The extra pouches look nice,\" she commented. \"It's nice to have some that go with the belt. Do you think I'll be needing them, though?\"\n \"Af'er ya been goin' 'round Nezinoma f'r a while, definitely,\" Sky nodded with a soft chuckle. \"It's 'ow we carry 'round mos' all our stuff, ya know. I reckon, a day or two, three, an' ya won' even be carryin' yer purse no more b'cause ya will be puttin' all ya need to bring with ya in them pouches.\"\n \"I suppose that makes sense,\" Hazel giggled softly. \"And speaking of things to bring with me...\" Rummaging in her purse, Hazel found her car keys and handed them to Sky. \"You're going to be needing these if you're going to work on my car while I'm gone.\" She closed her coat again when they stepped outside. \"Where do we meet your sister?\"\n \"Round this way, she'll 'ave to moor at the marina f'r private craft,\" Sky pointed down the road.\n\nHazel nodded - that made perfect sense as well. Chatting calmly, they made their way through the hustle and bustle of the harbor, eventually walking onto the premises of a rather large marina with several long piers and docks that extended far into the water. Several boats were moored at the piers, from simple row boats to small sailboats to larger yachts, bobbing calmly on the small waves stirred up by the breeze.\n\nBoth of them walked back and forth a bit along the piers and docks, looking at the boats, looking out across the ocean and listening to the now more far-off hubbub of the main harbor area. After about half an hour they found a place to sit down somewhere since the wait was longer than they had expected. It took even another half hour before Heavenly Sky rose to her four feral feet and leaned up high with a paw shielding her eyes as she looked out over the ocean, then gave a short nod of her head and a short remark.\n \"There she be.\"\n\nHazel followed the large blue Mry's gaze. From the south-west a sailboat approached, sporting a large clear green sail with a huge single flower painted in the middle of it. Maneuvering in a slight zig-zag motion, the boat made its way towards the harbor, the sail eventually being lowered by what was unmistakably a fairly large Mry with a deep, clear gold-colored fur and rather long, orange-ish hair, dressed in what seemed like nothing more than a strip of blue fabric tied around her anthro upper chest like a sort of tube top, and a belt around her waist with a few pouches and a sheathed dagger hanging from it.\n\nThe boat glided the last distance towards the outer pier where it was quickly moored. Shortly after, the gold-colored Mry easily hopped out of the boat and onto the pier, wiping her hair out of her face and looking around while walking up the pier. Sky calmly walking in the direction of the pier as well, and as soon as the gold-colored Mry spotted her, she broke into a trot, waving.\n\nHazel, walking a step or two behind, giggled softly behind a paw when the two Mry met at the start of the pier. They both reared up on their feral hindlegs and embraced each other with both their feral forepaws as well as their arms. That looked both very sweet, and quite amusing at the same time. Hazel could also see several similarities between Summer Sky and Heavenly Sky, despite the colors of their fur being so very different. Summer had the same kind of short, wavy stripe markings along the shoulders and upper parts of her feral forepaws and along the hips and upper thighs of her feral hindlegs, as well as all along the length of her tail and along the shoulders and upper arms of her anthro upper torso and in her face, though where the markings were darker blue and white on Heavenly Sky, they were a soft peach-like orange and a light pastel pink on Summer Sky. Summer's hair was long and straight as well, but shorter than Heavenly Sky's hair which hung down all the way past the shoulders of her feral forepaws, whereas on Summer it only reached to the point where the anthro upper torso met the feral lower body. And of course, Summer's hair was light orange in color, the same tint of orange as some of her markings. The other main differences, apart from their fur colors, were that Summer's eyes were a soft light green in color rather than silvergrey, her skin was a light tan color rather than Heavenly Sky's light blue skin, and Summer only had one pair of breasts on her upper torso instead of the double pair Heavenly Sky boasted.\n\nStanding back on all fours after their double embrace, the two Mry smooched each other on the cheek, and then started playfully ribbing each other.\n \"Well 'ey there, sunshine. Took ya long 'nough to get 'ere!\"\n \"Hoi bluebutt! Good to see ya 'gain! Heh, gimme a break, darlin', I had to pick up my boat at the dock in Arrow Reef Village, an' I had to sail all the way 'round the island an' the Shark's Tooth an' Cluster Reef, ya know! The wind's been weird this mornin'.\"\n \"Fair 'nough, I s'pose,\" Heavenly Sky chuckled, folding an arm around the gold-colored Mry's shoulders and turning around to face Hazel. \"Well then, 'oney, this 'ere be me sister Summer Sky.\"\n \"Nice to meet you. My name is Hazel Krec-... eep!\"\nHazel broke off with a sudden squeak when the gold-colored Mry bent through her feral forepaws and leaned over to take the short hamster into a big, friendly hug as well.\n \"Pleasure's mine, Hazel! Ya can call me jus' Summer, that'll be easier. So! Yer the lady who's coming to check out our Faekitties an' whatnot, are ya?\" There was an accent similar to that of Heavenly Sky in her voice, but somewhat less prominent.\n \"Ah... yes, that's me,\" Hazel nodded, recollecting herself and smiling. \"And I'd like to thank you very much for coming all this way to pick me up, and letting me stay with you while I do my research and my writing, miss Summer.\"\nSummer Sky waved a paw.\n \"Jus' Summer, darlin', jus' Summer will do jus' fine. Ya ready to go? Got everythin' ya need an' whatnot?\"\n \"Ah, yes, I have everything right here,\" Hazel nodded, lifting her small suitcase a bit. \"Is there a hurry?\"\n \"Jus' a bit, darlin'. We can stick 'round 'ere for a while more if ya like, but it'll take the better part o' seven 'ours to sail back to the island, an' that's even takin' the shortest way there to Oceanside,\" Summer smiled. \"An' seein' as 'ow it'll take a bunch o' 'ours to drive from there all the way 'cross the island to Clear Lake Town where I live, I figured we'd sail to Oceanside an' stay the night there, then drive to my place come the morrow.\"\n \"That sounds fine to me,\" Hazel nodded with a smile. \"It's even rather convenient. I need to buy a car, and miss Sky said there was a dealer in Oceanside?\"\n \"An autocart store? Yes, there is,\" Summer confirmed. \"I'll take ya there, darlin', I'm gonna be needin' to borrow an autocart from there to drive us to my place anyhow.\"\n \"Alright, good, thank you,\" Hazel smiled. \"Well, I guess we're all ready to go then.\"\n \"Right, off we trot!\" Summer said with a light giggle, turning to Heavenly Sky. \"Ya got any partin' words o' wisdom, bluebutt?\"\n \"Jus' this,\" Heavenly Sky chuckled, pushing a paper into Summer's paw while they walked back down the pier to Summer's boat. \"A few things I'd like ya to get t'gether f'r me. 'Azel c'n bring'em 'long when she returns. An' o' course, be careful.\"\n \"I said words o' wisdom, but I s'pose that'll do,\" Summer giggled. Having reached her boat at the end of the pier, she turned and hugged Heavenly Sky, smooching her on the side of the muzzle. \"Sorry I can't stick 'round longer. When I bring Hazel back 'ere, I promise I'll 'ang 'round for a few days so we can catch up an' whatnot.\"\n \"Soun's good, sunshine,\" Heavenly Sky smiled. \"Y'all 'ave a safe trip now, an' good luck on yer writing an' all that, 'Azel. I 'ope ya will find lots o' inf'rmation an' all.\"\n \"Thank you, and once again, thank you ever so much for all your help, miss Sky,\" Hazel smiled.\n \"Been me pleasure, 'oney. I'm glad I could 'elp ya.\"\n\nHazel nodded, handing her suitcase to Summer who put it in the boat. Looking back at Heavenly Sky, she smiled and leaned up to hug the large blue Mry. Sky chuckled softly, hugging Hazel back and helping her step into the boat while Summer untied the ropes that held it moored to the pier.\n\nThey waved at each other a last time, then Summer took the oars and started rowing the boat out of the harbor. Hazel found herself a place to sit, looking around a bit at all the other ships and boats coming and going, and at the gold-colored Mry who calmly rowed the boat into open waters seemingly without very much effort.\n \"Is there anything I can do to help?\"\n \"No need, darlin'. Jus' sit back an' relax,\" Summer smiled. \"I 'ope ya brought somethin' to read with ya or somethin'? 'Cause we'll be in 'ere for a good while.\"\n \"I'll work on my notes,\" Hazel smiled. \"And I'll possibly ask you a bunch of questions, too.\"\n \"Ask me anythin' ya wanna know, darlin'. I'll be glad to answer yer questions.\"\n \"Thank you.\"\n\nHazel sat down on a large cushion in the back of the boat, a bit behind a small heightened platform that had a traditional ship's steering wheel on it. Taking her notepad and a pencil from her purse, she started checking through her notes, but not long after she stuck her pencil behind her ear and looked at Summer instead. The gold-colored Mry had rowed the boat far enough away from the harbor and started unfurling and raising the green sail, balancing perfectly with her four feral legs planted wide apart near both sides of the boat and her tail swaying and flicking while she pulled, tightened and knotted ropes with quick, routine motions.\n\nWith the sail fully raised and billowing as it caught the wind, the boat gradually picked up a bit of speed. Summer sat down on her haunches on the small platform, manipulating the ropes with her regular paws while she held her feral forepaws on the steering wheel. Hazel leaned back against the rail around the back of the boat a bit, looking at the gold-colored Mry with a smile. The way she stood there, feral hind feet planted firmly on the floor of the boat with hindlegs slightly spread, feral forepaws on the steering wheel which she turned this way and that in small motions every now and then, regular paws manipulating ropes to keep the sail at its best position, tail calmly swaying and hair fluttering in the breeze; it was a quite magnificent and impressive sight, if the short hamster was honest with herself.\n \"Have you been sailing much?\" she asked. \"You seem very good at it.\"\n \"Oh yeah,\" Summer nodded, looking over her shoulder for a moment to send Hazel a smile. \"Been doin' it all my life. Heaven's always been playin' with them autocarts, but I been more into boats myself.\"\n \"You're handling this one very well, that's for sure. And I have to say, you and your sister look remarkably alike, despite the different colors of your fur. Your markings are almost identical. Were you both born at the same time?\"\n \"No, I'm a bit younger. 'Bout four Seasons, that's 'bout a year in the way yer folk counts time.\"\n \"I guess you have a decent amount of experience with both your own culture as well as ours, with your sister living on the mainland? Are there very big differences?\"\n \"Some, yeah. For one, us Mry are much more, well, trustful o' one another, an' we keep strong social bonds with each other, even while we live in several separate settlements 'cross the island.\" A soft laugh rolled from Summer's lips. \"O'course, it 'elps there's only several thousand o' us alt'gether.\"\n \"I suppose that makes sense in a way,\" Hazel chortled. \"Is it true Mry evolved from a group of Flamelins who were marooned on the Nezinoma Salis island after a shipwreck?\"\n \"Who'll say?\" Summer chuckled. \"That's what they taught us in school, anyhow. Or well, they taught us our ancestors were from that group o' Flamelins. But if we evolved outta them? I dunno, there's still Flamelins livin' on the island nowadays. Them's without a doubt descendants o' them original Flamelins, an' they sure di'n't evolve into Mry.\"\n \"I see. Well, I suppose that will forever remain shrouded in mystery, then,\" Hazel said with a soft giggle. \"About those settlements though, right? Did you Mry build those yourselves? And was there any sort of reason to spread them out all over the island? I would think, if you keep such strong social bonds and all, it would make more sense if all of you lived in one big settlement rather than in a number of separate ones.\"\n \"That it does, darlin', indeed. See, thing is, them settlements was already there. Some kinda folk musta been livin' on the island an' built all them different towns an' whatnot. Only, there was none o' them left no more at the time Mry came to the island. Or evolved there, whatevers. But anyhow, as them first Flamelins an' Mry started explorin' the land, they found them towns an' whatnot, an' jus' took over what was already there.\" Summer giggled shortly. \"Or at least, that's what the 'istory books tell us.\"\n \"I see,\" Hazel nodded, scribbling furiously in her small notepad. \"Speaking of books, do you know if there are any books on Faekitties?\"\n \"There's one at least, I know for sure, 'cause I 'ave a copy. Ya can prob'ly pick one up in the book store in Oceanside.\"\n \"That's great! I will do that. Miss Sky said there's a store in that town that sells Faekitties too?\"\n \"True. They're often outta stock though. We'll swing by the store an' see when we get to Oceanside. If they's outta stock, I'll ask'em to let me know when they have'em in again.\"\n \"Do you have some sort of communication system on the island? Miss Sky said there's no telephones.\"\n There ain't, no. But we 'ave our ways an' means.\" Summer smiled at Hazel across her shoulder. \"See, us Mry, we also always kept very strong bonds with nature an' whatnot. Mos' o' us can understand the speak o' some o' the animals on the island. So if someone in, say, Mountain City 'as a message for someone in, say, Clear Lake Town, they'll give the message to a Flufftail or somethin'. Them Flufftails is quick little ones, they'll pass the message from one to another, all the way 'cross the island.\"\n \"That's amazing,\" Hazel said, sitting up a bit. \"Say, Summer? Is it okay if I ask you a rather personal question? I've been wondering about it since I first met your sister.\"\n \"Sure darlin', whatcha wanna know?\"\n \"Well... how come your sister has two pairs of breasts, and you have only one pair? One pair is... normal I suppose, since your upper bodies are similar to our bodies, but how come your sister has two pairs?\" Hazel looked down for a moment, twirling her pencil around and around between her fingers. \"You don't have to answer if you prefer not to. I was just wondering.\"\n \"Oh, it's fine, darlin'. Ya don't 'ave to be uptight 'bout that,\" Summer smiled. \"See, yer folk may do with all them clothes an' whatnot, an' be all embarrassed 'bout yer nude bodies, but us Mry is way more open 'bout all that. Our social bonds contain a high level o' free sexuality, ya know, 'cause for us that's perfectly normal. As for yer question, c'mere, undo this sheet for me, if ya will?\"\n\nShe nodded down at the swath of blue fabric tied around her anthro upper chest. Hazel blushed lightly and hesitated for a moment, then shook her head with a small smile and rose up, carefully making her way over to where Summer was standing behind the steering wheel of the boat. Leaning against the Mry's side and reaching up, she untied the knot in the fabric on Summer's back and carefully pulled the piece of fabric away, folding it up neatly. Summer smiled and tied off one of the ropes she was holding so she had her paw free to reach to her upper chest, sifting her fingers through the golden fur just below her quite small breasts to reveal a second pair of small hidden nipples.\n \"Look close, see there's a second set o' nips down there? Them's always 'idden, until a Mry gets pregnant. Durin' that time, a second pair o' breasts grows in there, while the original pair grows a bit in size, an' both of'em will produce milk for the kits.\"\n \"Oh... yes, I see,\" Hazel said slowly, glad she was holding the piece of fabric because she didn't quite know what to do with her paws. \"So, then... your sister has had children?\"\n \"Twice. A boy the firs' time, twin girls the second time. An' I 'aven't, that's why I don't 'ave the second pair o' breasts an' she does.\"\n \"Okay, yes, I understand. That makes sense,\" Hazel nodded, looking at the piece of fabric she was holding. \"Uh... should I put this back on you?\"\n \"Nah, leave it be. It's nice an' refreshin' an' whatnot. I only put it on 'cause I was gonna be visitin' the mainland to pick ya up, an' I know the folk there prefers a bit o' modesty an' whatnot.\"\n \"Oh, so... you don't usually wear any kind of clothing? Are all Mry like that?\" Hazel asked slowly.\n \"Not quite. We do 'ave clothin' for our upper bodies, an' mos' Mry wear somethin' or other usually when doin' their daily business. Least in the larger towns an' whatnot. But plenty of'em go 'round all day wearin' nothin', indeed. It's perfectly normal for us, ya know. Like, in the mornin', every mornin', we 'ave a communal bath all t'gether where we 'elp each other wash an' whatnot. Or at least in the smaller towns, I dunno 'ow they do it in the larger towns like Oceanside an' Mountain City.\"\n \"Oh,\" Hazel said. She made her way back to the cushion in the back of the boat, since even though the sailing was smooth, the motion of the boat caused her a bit of trouble with keeping her balance. \"Yes, your sister mentioned several things about how you all help each other out with a lot of things and all.\" She blushed for a moment, but decided to ask the question that was dancing around her mind. \"She also said Mry require help with... well, in matters of sexual intimacy, due to how your bodies are built. Is that... part of that social bond you mentioned as well?\"\n \"Sure is, darlin'. Free sexual intimacy is a very big part o' Mry culture. It's even used as, what yer folk would call, payment for like, services or items an' whatnot, whenever a Mry ain't got any items or anythin' else to trade with.\" Summer flashed a cheerful grin across her shoulder. \"That's why we 'ave such strong bonds with each other, an' why us Mry is way more open an' free an' whatnot 'bout sexual intimacy than yer folk is.\"\n \"That is... really nice, actually,\" Hazel said softly. She was still holding the folded piece of fabric, looking around for a spot to put it where it wouldn't blow away. \"Uh... those baths you mentioned. While I'm staying with you, am I... expected to join in those baths as well?\"\n \"Expected, nah. Yer a guest from the mainland, an' we know ya people look at things like that differently. It'd be appreciated, though, the Mry in Clear Lake Town would likely 'old ya in a bit 'igher regard for yer willingness to join our communal morning bath.\" Another small grin was flashed at the hamster. \"An' likely they'll like what they might see, too, darlin'. I for one think ya look mighty fine.\"\nHazel blushed, but smiled at the same time.\n \"Hee... thanks. I think you are a very pretty lady, too, if I'm honest.\" After the initial surprise about the gold-colored Mry's openness about intimate matters, her own free and open outlook on such things was already returning, causing her to let out a soft giggle. \"And, well, being so helpful in picking me up and letting me stay at your place and all, I suppose it's only fair if you get a sneak peek.\"\n\nFor a moment Summer looked over her shoulder with a hint of surprise, but the next moment her upper lips curled back into a smile when she saw Hazel undoing and taking off the sharkskin belt, followed by her dress and underwear. Once nude, the short hamster folded up her clothes and lay them aside with the belt and pouches on top of them, using the weight of the pouches full of coins to prevent the clothes from blowing away. She shivered once, as it was still rather chilly, but smiled and smoothed her fur down with one paw as she carefully stepped back over to where Summer was manipulating the steering wheel and the ropes of the sail.\n \"You're right, it is quite refreshing,\" she chortled softly, leaning one paw on Summer's feral lower back to keep her balance. \"A bit chilly, but refreshing.\"\n \"It'll get warmer in a bit, darlin',\" Summer smiled. \"Weather's always quite warm on the island, so it'll get warmer when we get closer.\" She tilted her head a bit. \"An' yeah, yer lookin' mighty fine indeed, yer a very pretty lady.\" A soft giggle escaped her as she nodded her head down at Hazel's chest. \"For such a short lady, ya also 'ave quite the chest, darlin'. They's bigger than mine.\" She laughed shortly. \"An' I always thought I was a lucky one 'cause mine's bigger than Heaven's.\"\n \"Yes, well... I've always been rather well-built, especially for someone my size,\" Hazel smiled, letting out a short laugh of her own. \"I'm not distracting you from operating the boat, am I?\"\n \"Jus' a tad, darlin', jus' a tad,\" Summer chuckled. \"Ain't complainin', though, it's a very pleasant distraction.\"\n \"I'm sure,\" Hazel giggled. \"Well, I'll still go and sit back over there. Wouldn't want you to sail us into a sandbank or something.\"\nSummer laughed.\n \"Ain't no danger o' that, darlin'. Over on the west side o' the island, that's where ya gotta watch out. There's the Shark's Tooth Reef an' the Cluster reef there, close t'gether, it's a mighty dangerous spot o' sea over there. Lotsa shipwrecks 'appened there, an' sometimes still 'appen there. But between Nezinoma an' Minnaluna, it's clear sailin', I can assure ya.\"\n \"I'll take your word for it,\" Hazel smiled, sitting back down on the cushion. \"I don't have very much experience with oceans, I used to live in the middle of the US before I came to Minnaluna, and Merian isn't exactly very near any large bodies of water either.\"\n \"Ya can swim though, right?\"\n \"Oh yes, I'm a pretty decent swimmer. But I still rather not test my skills by needing to swim all the way to Nezinoma Salis.\"\n \"Nah, yer right 'bout that,\" Summer chuckled. \"It takes long 'nough by boat as it is.\"\n\nHazel nodded with a soft giggle. She found a few smaller pillows and propped them up against the railing along the back of the boat, creating a sort of basic chair shape she could lean back on. As they sailed further and further west and the hours slowly passed by, the short-coupled hamster found that Summer had been right; even while the sun passed its highest point in the sky and gradually started sinking back down again, the temperature was slowly climbing. It actually became quite pleasant to lounge around on the boat in the nude, and as a couple more hours passed, the temperature had climbed so far lounging in the nude actually became more or less imperative to remain comfortable.\n\nHaving packed her raincoat and rain cap, and even her summer jacket in her small suitcase, Hazel just put on her summer hat against to shield her face and eyes from the sun as she leaned back against the pillows. It almost seemed as if she had drifted off into a doze, were it not for the fact that she every now and then asked Summer a question and jotted a few things down in her notepad. After a while, she sat up a little bit and pushed her hat back on her hat a little.\n \"Hey Summer? Do you mind if I'd ask you another personal question?\"\n \"Not at all, darlin', shoot.\"\n \"Thanks. Do you, uh... do you have someone special in your life?\"\n \"As like a partner, ya mean? Nah. Us Mry is mighty polyamorous, ya know, so we tend not to keep much o' steady relationships an' whatnot.\" Summer glanced across her shoulder with a smile. \"Do ya?\"\nHazel smiled. It was only fair such a personal question would be returned to her.\n \"Me neither. I'm very polyamorous myself as well. I have a lot of girlfriends and friends with benefits, as we call it, but no steady relationship.\"\n \"Any specific reason, 'cept for the polygamy?\"\n \"Mostly the fact that I'm a reporter. I'm on the move a lot and often away from home for extended periods of time when I'm on a specific assignment. Like this one for instance, it'll keep me from my house for at least a month, possibly longer.\" The hamster let out a soft giggle. \"And, well, to be quite honest, I just can't get enough of the ladies. I want to experience a whole lot of different ones.\"\n \"Darlin', yer gonna fit right in on our island,\" Summer grinned.\n\nUnable to stop herself, Hazel found her lips slowly curling into a cheerful grin as well. She gave her head a light shake and leaned back against the pillows again, pulling her hat down over her face a bit against the sun and crossing her arms behind her head, every now and then rolling her head a bit to look at the water streaming past the sides of the boat. Turning to her side a bit, Hazel stuck an arm through the rail and dipped her fingers in the water for a moment.\n \"Can you swim around here?\"\n \"Oh sure. Lotsa Mry do that. So long's ya stay in the shallow waters more directly 'round the island, it's perfectly safe to swim. An' o' course there's the lakes an' whatnot on the island ya could go for a swim in.\"\n \"Are those very cold?\"\n \"No, they're a quite pleasant temperature actually. Viola Town even 'as a 'eated lake.\"\n \"Really?\" Hazel said, pulling back her arm and rolling onto her back again. \"How's that possible?\"\n \"Viola Town's built in Viola Valley. There's mountains all 'round it 'cept for on the swamp side, an' the 'ighest mountain was a fire mountain. There's a stream well up near the crater that feeds the waterfall an' the lake in the valley, an' 'cause it wells up so close by the crater o' that fire mountain, the water's nice an' warm an' whatnot.\"\n \"Oh, a volcano,\" Hazel nodded after several moments of thinking what Summer had meant with 'fire mountain'. \"Yeah, that makes sense. And that's really nice, too. Any chance I'll be seeing this Viola Town?\"\n \"Sure, it's quite in the middle o' the island, not too long a trip to get there from Clear Lake Town. We can got there next Threeday, they'll 'ave their market.\"\n \"Sounds like fun, I like markets,\" Hazel smiled, sitting up fully straight as she saw the shoreline of Nezinoma Salis coming close enough to discern distinct details. \"I'm guessing it might be better if I put my dress back on?\"\n \"That would be advisable,\" Summer nodded with a soft giggle. \"Yer gonna be stared at 'nough as it is already, bein' a type o' folk no one on the island ever seen before an' whatnot.\"\n \"That makes a lot of sense,\" Hazel chortled softly.\n\nNot bothering with her underwear, which she merely stuffed into one of the sharkskin pouches - those were indeed already coming in handy - Hazel slipped her dress back on and buckled on the belt again. At an affirmative nod from Summer, the short hamster also took the swath of blue fabric and made her way over to the gold-furred Mry, reaching up to tie the fabric back around Summer's chest to cover her breasts. Making her way further to the front of the boat when she was done, Hazel leaned on the front railing and looked at the shoreline gradually coming closer with a smile.\n\nThere were more boats on the water as well, the closer they got to the island. Fishing boats mostly, the voices of both male and female Mry carrying clearly across the water as they hauled nets, shouting directions at each other and greetings at the Mry in the other boats. Before too long, Hazel also spotted long wood piers reaching out into the water from the harbor of what looked like a lively, thriving coastal town. Orange late-afternoon sunlight gleamed on the water and tinted the white walls of different types of buildings. Hazel sat up more and gazed out over the harbor attentively, meanwhile scribbling quick notes in her notepad on what she was seeing.\n\nLowering the sail eventually, Summer let the boat glide under its own momentum towards the harbor, raising a paw in greeting at a Mry in the standard colors and pattern of a leopard, dressed in a white and blue striped jersey and a sailor's cap, standing on one of the piers.\n \"Hoi Wavewatcher! Can I leave my boat 'ere at yer place for a while?\"\n \"Hoi Summer Sky! Of course! Your spot is free!\" the leopard Mry called back.\n \"Thanks!\"\nSummer took the oars to row the boat around the outer ends of the piers towards one of the shorter ones at the far right side of the harbor. The leopard Mry named Wavewatcher walked along on the quayside and down the pier, helping Summer moor and tie down the boat at the end of the short pier, glancing curiously at Hazel.\n \"You brought a friend along, Summer Sky? Quite an unusual one. She from the mainland?\"\n \"Indeed,\" Summer nodded, jumping onto the pier with a rope that was fastened to the other side of her boat, tying it around one of the poles to secure the boat in place. \"This is Hazel, she's from Minnaluna. She'll be stayin' 'ere for some time while she does 'er writin' an' whatnot.\"\n \"Oh, so you're a writer?\" Wavewatcher asked, looking at Hazel.\n \"I am,\" Hazel nodded, handing her suitcase to Summer, then taking the gold-furred Mry's paw as Summer helped her step out of the boat. \"I live in Merian, and I write for the local paper, the Merian Meridian.\"\n \"That's nice. That's nice, I like that,\" Wavewatcher smiled, shaking paws with Hazel. \"I hope you will have a good time here in Nezinoma Salis, dear. What will you be writing about?\"\n \"Initially, my boss sent me here to find out everything I can about Faekitties. But I will be writing about Mry history and culture and such as well.\"\n \"Nice, nice! I wish you good luck. Feel free to come by here any time and ask things, you'll fine everyone will be quite happy to help you.\"\n \"I noticed that already,\" Hazel nodded with a smile. \"And it's quite likely I will stop by sometime to talk with you.\"\n \"But for now, we're gonna 'ave to leave you, Wavewatcher,\" Summer chuckled. \"We still got a lot to do. I gotta borrow an autocart, an' we'll need to get a room in the 'otel for tonight an' whatnot. An' we'll need to get somethin' to eat, I'm 'bout ready to fall off my feet.\"\n \"Sure, of course. I'll take good care of your boat, Summer Sky.\"\n \"Thanks. See ya 'round, Wavewatcher. C'mon Hazel, gimme that, I'll carry that for ya.\"\n\nSummer took Hazel's suitcase and put it on her feral back, then she took Hazel by a paw and started calmly walking away from the pier and through the harbor. Hazel hooked her arm around Summer's arm so she could stay close and be guided, as well as have both her paws free to hold her notepad and pencil so she could take quick notes on everything she saw.\n\nThe buildings, built of stone and wood, looked like some kind of mix between Victorian era buildings and alpine style buildings, the walls covered in smooth paste that was either weathered white, or subtle shades of blues or greens, and wood plankwork and trellises painted dark brown. The streets were paved in grey stone - it was all too clear where that had come from, as Hazel could clearly see the huge gap hacked out of the mountains that dropped down into sheer cliffs at the south-western side of the island, starting right behind the town.\n\nShe noticed the cars too, parked along the sides of the streets or calmly putt-putting through the streets at a slow pace. For a moment she quirked an eyebrow when she saw every last car was the same model, looking exactly like 1940 Chevrolets Master with four doors, but no badges anywhere. They also all were painted in varying shades of blue or green, though here and there a white or yellow-ish one was seen. Following Summer through the street, Hazel found herself being led to a large building that had several large glass windows on one side and a row of all the same cars standing on a fenced-off strip of dirt in front of it. It was not hard to guess that building was the car dealership.\n\nYet, the cars parked in front of the building all looked used - small dings and scratches all over, especially on the front and the lower part of the sides, and a film of fine dirt dulling the paint colors.\n \"Hey, Summer? Do they sell used cars here?\"\n \"No, they only sell new ones. Those out front, they're the ones any Mry can borrow when they need one.\"\n \"Ohh, okay,\" Hazel nodded in understanding.\n\nShe kept close to Summer as they walked up to the building and entered through a large door standing open invitingly. Hazel looked around her inside the building, again taking notes. The floor was covered in large flat flagstones of a grey-ish brown color, on one side were small groups of large flat cushions around low tables. On the other side was a large sort of counter sectioning off a large corner, with a corridor leading into the part of the building with the large glass windows in front of it, and a corridor leading towards the back of the building on the side.\n\nBehind the counter was a large male black Mry with short black hair, dressed in what looked like some sort of blue dustcoat. He looked up and blinked in surprise at the sight of Hazel, but he made no remark, instead turning to Summer.\n \"What can I do for you, miss?\"\n \"I need to borrow an autocart, please,\" Summer said. \"I live in Clear Lake Town, I 'ad to sail to the mainland t'day to pick up my friend 'ere, and with the wind 'ow it is, we can't sail back all the way there.\"\n \"Of course,\" the black male nodded. He turned to take a key from a rack, which he handed to Summer. \"You can take the first one in the row out front.\"\n \"Thank you. Also, my friend Hazel here would like to buy an autocart.\"\n \"Yes please,\" Hazel nodded. \"And I will need to have some modifications done to it.\"\n \"Of course,\" the black male Mry said again. \"We can do that. If you'll follow me, you can come pick out one you like.\"\n\nHe stepped out from behind the counter and led the way through the short corridor into the windowed part of the building. Hazel and Summer followed him, calmly walking between the number of cars parked in the large room. Aside from the differences in color, they were all exactly the same. It did not take too long for Hazel to make her decision; she stepped over to one of the cars sporting a gleaming coat of paint in a soft cornflower blue color.\n \"I like this one, it's a very fresh, summery color,\" she smiled. \"I'd like to buy this one.\"\n \"That will be no problem,\" the black male Mry said. \"What are the modifications you need to be done to it?\"\n \"Well, I will need some kind of chair to sit in, that will be high enough for me to see over the steering wheel and the dashboard, and I need the pedals to be made longer and higher so I can reach them with my feet from the chair.\"\nThe male black Mry nodded slowly, running a paw over his whiskers.\n \"I think we can do that. We will need to take a few measurements. If you'll excuse me for a moment?\"\n\nBoth Hazel and Summer nodded, looking after the male black Mry as he stepped to a large door in the rear wall of the windowed room and leaned through it to call out to someone. A few moments later a second male Mry stepped into the room, a red tabby one dressed in the top half of a mechanic's overall. Both of them walked back to the blue car Hazel had selected and started pushing it out of the room through the large door, with Hazel and Summer following them at a gesture of the black Mry.\n\nThe large door led into a very large garage-like room where several more cars were parked either along the sides or in the middle in the case of the few that were worked on by more Mry, both males and females, dressed in the top part of mechanic's overalls. The black one and the red tabby one pushed the blue car over to a work bench on one side of the room, after which the black Mry quickly walked through another door, returning a few moments later with his arms full of smaller pillows. Removing the large rectangular cushion that was in the place of the driver's seat, the black male Mry stacked a number of the smaller pillows in its place and let Hazel sit on top of them a couple of times, adding a pillow every time until she was high enough up to comfortably and safely look over the dashboard and steering wheel through the two-part windshield.\n\nWhen they had found the proper height, the red tabby Mry took a folding rule from a chest pocket of his overalls and took several measurements to get the proper height and width, as well as the extra length that would be needed for the pedals. Hazel tilted her head a bit at the strange symbols the male red tabby Mry used to scribble the numbers down on a scrap of paper, but she didn't comment on it, merely sliding off the pillows with the help of the black male Mry. He took Hazel and Summer back to the main room with the large counter in it through another door and got back behind the counter, pulling out some papers from a shelf under the counter.\n \"Alright then, miss Hazel,\" he said after he had found the proper paper. \"The price of the autocart is twenty gold, and it will be... let's see...\" He did some counting under his breath. \"It will be one gold and seven silver for the additional work.\"\nHazel nodded, reaching into one of the leather pouches on her belt and pulling out a paw full of gold coins.\n \"That is more than reasonable.\" She counted out twenty-two of the gold coins and lay them on the counter. \"Here you are. You can keep the rest, that is for the good service and all the help.\"\n \"Thank you very much, that is very nice of you,\" the black Mry smiled, scooping up the coins and putting them in a small metal box under the counter. \"The work on your new autocart should be finished by the end of the morrow.\"\n \"That works out, we 'ave to stay overnight anyways, an' we can stick 'round the whole day an' I can show 'er 'round town while we wait for the work to be done,\" Summer smiled. \"We'll stop by 'round the end o' the day, yeah?\"\n \"That sounds good to me,\" the black male Mry nodded. \"Have a pleasant day, ladies.\"\n \"Thanks an' likewise an' whatnot,\" Summer smiled.\n\nShe and Hazel calmly walked out of the building and up to the row of cars parked on the strip of dirt in front of the building, making their way over to the turquoise-colored car that was at the front of the row. Somewhat to Hazel's surprise, the doors of the car were not locked. She climbed into the car at the passenger's side, making herself as comfortable as she could on one of the thick flat cushion that were in place of the seats. Looking aside at Summer getting in behind the wheel, Hazel paid close attention to how the gold-furred Mry was going to start the car so she would know how it was done once her own was ready to pick up.\n\nIt was indeed different from how the hamster was used to starting a car. The key was only used to switch on the electrics, after which Summer fiddled with two very large knobs on either side of the very simple dashboard and pressed a starter button to bring the engine to life. For the rest it was pretty much the same; a three-speed manual gearshift on the steering column - which Summer didn't even use save for putting the car into first gear - and pressing down on the accelerator to make the car move forwards. The only other thing Hazel could see she would probably need to get used to was the enormous hoop of a steering wheel.\n\nSummer calmly drove the car through the streets in first gear, putt-putting along with the rest of the traffic of cars and Mry walking around. It gave Hazel more time to look around at the layout of the streets and the buildings, making more notes. Before too long Summer pulled onto a row of parking spaces by a large building of which the sign over the door read \"Traveler's Haven\". They got out of the car and walked into the building, stepping up to a counter on one side of a small entrance hall, manned by a female Mry with baby-pink fur covered in fuchsia-colored tiger-like stripes who was dressed in what looked like a white suit jacket over a blue blouse.\n \"Good evening, ladies,\" she said pleasantly, with only the slightest quirks of an eyebrow at catching sight of Hazel. \"How can I be of service?\"\n \"We need a room for the night,\" Summer smiled. \"An' a meal, please.\"\n \"That is no problem,\" the pink Mry smiled, turning to a rack behind the counter and taking a large old-fashioned key with a large tag on it which she handed to Summer. \"You can have room number 5, it's down the hall on the right, at the right side of the corridor. Do you need any help getting baggage to the room?\"\n \"Nah, that's fine, we only 'ave this 'ere,\" Summer motioned at Hazel's small suitcase.\n \"Alright, then I wish you a pleasant stay.\"\n \"Thanks. We can jus' go to the eatin' room once we put this in the room?\"\n \"Absolutely. Food will still be served for a few more hours.\"\n \"Thanks 'gain.\"\n \"Yes, thank you very much,\" Hazel nodded with a smile.\n\nWith a friendly wave they parted, the gold-colored Mry and the short hamster stepping through a large archway in the back wall into another somewhat larger lobby from which several corridors and archways were leading out. Finding the corridor the pink-furred Mry had mentioned, they walked into it and looked at the doors which all had large brass numbers on them. At the door with a number 5 on it, Summer unlocked the door with the large key and led the way into the room behind it.\n\nWhile she set Hazel's small suitcase down by a low table, Hazel looked around in the room with a smile. It was a quite cozy room, with a fireplace flanked by two windows in the outside wall and a thick rug in front of it, a large group of thick cushions and smaller pillows forming a sort of nest in the corner, and a door leading into a smaller room which had a smaller fireplace with a small cauldron on a kettle iron, a small washing basin with a hand pump and something that looked like a low, wide wood vat. Upon asking Summer, Hazel learned that the vat was in fact a bath, and the small cauldron was for heating water to fill the bath with.\n\nHaving freshened up a bit at the washing basin, both of them left the room and walked back down the corridor and through another archway, into what undoubtedly was the dining room. There were a bunch of low tables with groups of pillows around them, some of them occupied by various Mry having some food. Summer helped Hazel stacking up several of the pillows by one of the tables before settling down in one of the other sets of pillows. Before too long an apple-green Flamelin with thin white stripe markings along her back and greenish white face, throat, chest, belly and paws walked up to the table to ask what they wanted to eat. Hazel let Summer order for the both of them, as she wasn't familiar with what kinds of food there were available.\n\nThe food was very good. They had grilled fish, with a side of some kind of white root vegetable Hazel could not identify but which tasted slightly sweet-ish, and one very large baked potato which without a doubt was the best potato Hazel had ever tasted in her life. As Summer explained, that was because of the Nezinoma Salis soil, which was very rich in nutrients. Coupled with the slightly more tropical climate, it made crops and fruits grow abundantly and with a very rich taste to them.\n\nThey sat for a bit and had a drink after the meal, but not long after they went back to the room to get some sleep. It had been a very long day, after all - and the brisk ocean air helped quite a deal in making one feel drowsy and healthily tired. Hazel didn't even think about the fact there was no bed, just the nest of cushions and pillows for the two of them to sleep in. She merely took off her belt and dress again and folded it up to lay it on the low table her suitcase was standing next to, taking the piece of cloth Summer had untied from around her chest and folding it up as well to put it on the table too.\n\nSummer made herself comfortable on her side in the nest of pillows, letting out a soft purr when Hazel crawled into the heap of pillows as well and cuddled up against the large gold-furred Mry. After wishing each other goodnight, they both settled down and closed their eyes. Despite the excitement of the day, and the excitement of everything that was laying ahead for her, Hazel drifted off into sleep rather quickly, with a light smile on her face. Her time in Nezinoma Salis had now truly begun. It was bound to be very interesting.\n", "writing_bbcode_parsed": "The milky light of the morning attempted to lighten up the blanket of grey covering the sky. The weather had not improved compared with the day before - as a matter of fact, it had gotten a bit worse. Instead of a slow drizzle coating everything in a thin film of wetness, now a light rain was falling, rushing quietly in the foliage of the trees and pitter-pattering against the windows of the houses of Merian.

Though while the weather seemed to want to make sure the world and everything upon it was thoroughly damp, it did not dampen the mood of Hazel Krecek, the very short-coupled hamster woman who slipped out of her bed that morning and stretched with a squeaky yawn. She merely smiled at the grey sky and the rain rushing down as she looked out of her bedroom window before heading into the bathroom for her morning shower. The weather was not going to ruin this day for her - nothing could ruin this day for her. There was so much laying ahead for her this day.

She merrily sang Elton John's "Tiny dancer" while she took her shower, the singing dying down into a hum as she dried herself off and brushed her fur. A fresh dress, one coming down to her ankles and with long sleeves, was quickly selected and put on, and it only took her a moment to realize she couldn't find her good fur brush and her toothbrush because she had already packed those into her toiletries bag that was in the small suitcase sitting in the trunk of her car.

After a calm breakfast of cereal with slices of fruit and milk, a slice of toast with some of the homemade blueberry jam she had bought at the Spring Fair the week before and a cup of tea, Hazel glanced the clock and nodded to herself with a smile. It was time to go. She checked her purse for everything she would be needing to bring along with her, wrote a quick note for her neighbor across the street who would be minding her one and half story bungalow during her absence, put on a raincoat and a rain cap and stepped outside, carrying her summer coat and summer hat over one arm as well. She put those on the passenger's seat of her car after she had locked her front door, getting behind the wheel of her car and calmly driving off.

It was still early enough, allowing her to drive at a calm, almost leisurely pace as she made her way through town. Making a stop by the bank, the short hamster cashed the check her boss had written her the day before and carefully tucked the envelope with six one hundred dollar bills in her purse, next to a small brown envelope she had made very sure not to forget to bring along. Then she was on her way again, driving out of the city limits and taking one or two B-roads to make her way down to the coastal road that would lead her all the way into the coastal town of Fandago.

Even though she now entered the small town from a different road than the day before, Hazel quickly found the sort of ring road that encircled the town. She looked around her a bit as she drove down the ring road, one ear constantly flicking to the shuddering squeak of the windshield wipers brushing the light rain off the windshield in a rhythmical back and forth motion. Her smile was bright enough to burn through the gloomy grey of the rainy morning when she pulled onto the premises of the Heavenly Auto Repair garage and found the large blue Mry proprietor, Heavenly Sky, waiting there for her with paws on hips, dressed in the top part of a denim mechanic's overall and an old army jacket while an even older Panama hat perched atop her head.

Sky directed Hazel around the large main building to some parking spots at the back of it where the hamster could put her car for the time she would be staying in Nezinoma Salis. She also gave Hazel a card with the words "Customer vehicle. Do not touch" stamped on it to place behind the windshield. Having taken everything she needed from her car and having locked it carefully, Hazel followed Sky back around the main building. As they walked up to a large GMC Sierra pickup truck with Crew Cab, she couldn't help but ask.
   "How do you even drive?"
Sky chuckled softly.
   "I done some mods to me car too, 'oney. Watch."

To her surprise, Hazel noticed the door lock was on the small second door of the Crew Cab instead of on the driver's door. She stepped up closer curiously, letting out a soft squeak of understanding and, frankly, impression as she saw how Heavenly Sky's truck was modified even more cleverly than her own car. On the driver's side, the B-pillar had been removed and the small second door had been crafted onto the driver's door, creating one very large door and very large opening to get into the truck. The driver's seat and small backseat were removed as well and had been replaced with thick, flat pillows, only the single passenger's seat still being in place. It did indeed allow the large Mry to easily get into and drive the truck, while also still allowing for a bipedal passenger to ride along in relative comfort.

Stepping around the truck, Hazel noticed the doors on the passenger's side had been left as they were. Climbing onto the side-step, she managed to reach the door handle and open the passenger door, getting onto the passenger's seat with a decent amount of scrambling and climbing. Sky chuckled softly, leaning over to the side to help the short-coupled hamster get her luggage and herself into the truck.
   "Anythin' ya need to take care o' 'fore we get to the 'arbor, 'oney?" she asked as she started the truck.
   "No, I have everything I need with me," Hazel smiled. "I only need to convert the money I brought for Nezinoma money."
   "Right. We're off then."

Hazel nodded, but squeaked the next moment and grabbed a hold of her seatbelt with both paws when Sky shifted into reverse and mashed down the accelerator, making the truck squeal backwards and turn ninety degrees with a yank of the steering wheel. Shifting into forward then, the large Mry chuckled softly again as she drove off the garage lot and noticed Hazel's hard grip on the seatbelt and wide eyes.
   "Sorry, 'oney. Power o' 'abit."

She drove a lot calmer through the streets on the way to the harbor. Hazel relaxed again and shook her head with a small smile, looking aside with her head a bit tilted at a casual question from Heavenly Sky.
   "Wan' me to do som'thin' 'bout yer car while yer done, 'oney?"
   "Like what? As far as I know, there's nothing wrong with my car, except for those treated spots on the body."
   "Well, f'r one, tha' motor could do with a tune-up, 'oney. Sounds quite rough, it does. Gotta fan belt squeak too, so them belts are likely due f'r replacement."
   "Do you think so? I've always kept up with the regular maintenance pretty well, so it should be alright." A short laugh escaped Hazel's lips. "Of course, I'm no expert, you most likely know a whole lot more about it than I do. I'm one of those 'if it starts, runs and gets me where I need to go, it's good' types of car owner."
Sky chuckled softly.
   "Well, lemme tell ya, 'oney; some fresh fluids, sparks an' belts an' a bit o' tunin' up, an' she'll start, run an' get ya where ya need to be a lot better an' smoother. Probably usin' less gas in the process, too."
   "So it's true what they say, then?" Hazel giggled. "A car is like a woman; pamper her and treat her well and she'll treat you very well in return?"
   "Haha! Yeah, ya could say tha'," Sky laughed.
Hazel giggled again and nodded.
   "Well, I'm sure you'll know how to pamper my car just right, so, yes, if you don't mind having a look at it while I'm gone, then thanks, I'd appreciate it a lot."
   "Will do, 'oney," Sky nodded with a small wink.

She cut a hard right off the main road into the harbor, maneuvering the truck around and between a number of buildings and a bunch of vans and trucks in the cargo area. Eventually she pulled up to a number of parking spaces by a warehouse where she parked her truck and waited for Hazel to get out before locking the passenger door and getting out herself. Hazel shivered a bit and pulled up the collar of her coat - even though the rain had stopped, the wind was quite a bit chillier so close by the ocean. She let out another soft giggle though when Heavenly Sky stepped up beside her and acted as a windbreaker while leading the way through the tangle of cranes, shipping containers, warehouses and small stalls selling a variety of wares, and the many people milling about.

Before too long, Hazel found herself directed to a row of low buildings housing various offices, a bar, two restaurants, and one small nondescript office that only had a dog-eared paper in the window reading "Mry exchange". As Sky held the door open for her, Hazel stepped inside and looked around, finding nothing more than some pillows around a low table in the corner by the window, and a large counter spanning the entire width of the small room in the back.

Behind the counter was a somewhat scruffy, but friendly-looking tawny brown male Mry with a ragamuffin mop of ginger hair and a set of whiskers to rival those of a walrus. He looked up over a pair of small glasses and waved as Sky and Hazel stepped into the building.
   "Mornin', Sky."
   "Tha' was me mum," Sky chuckled.
The male Mry chuckled softly.
   "Joke's old, Sky. Who's your friend?"
   "Hazel Krecek, of the Merian Meridian," Hazel introduced herself, stepping up to the counter and offering a paw.
   "Pleased," the male Mry said, shaking paws with Hazel. "The name's Firepelt, but Fire will do. What can I do for you?"
   "Miss Sky told me I can exchange money here for the currency used on Nezinoma Salis. I'm going to be staying there for a while, so I have an amount of cash I would like to exchange."
   "Certainly, that's no problem," Firepelt nodded. "Are you going on a vacation? You don't see very many people from the mainland here traveling to our island."
   "Actually, it's for work," Hazel smiled while she rummaged through her purse. "The paper I work for was notified of the sightings of a winged female feline that sort of resembled a Faekitty. I have once written an article about those, so they sent me out to investigate this, and further research Faekitties as well. Miss Sky here has been an awesome help, she got in touch with her sister to bring me over and let me stay on Nezinoma for a while."
   "I see, I see," Firepelt nodded again. "That's very nice. I'm sure you will be able to find a good deal of information on our island. Now then, how much money would you like to convert?"
Hazel extricated the envelope with money from her purse and put it on the counter.
   "These six hundred dollars, please."
   "That's quite a lot," Firepelt remarked. "How would you like it? We have gold, silver and copper coins."
   "Yes, I'll be buying a car and having it modified, for one," Hazel nodded, twirling her right whiskers around a finger in thought. "Uhm... I suppose... four hundred in gold coins, one hundred fifty in silver and the rest in copper?"
   "I think I can do that. You'll need a pouch to carry all that though, possibly two."
   "I got some she c'n use," Sky said.

She dug deep into the pockets of her army jacket and pulled out two basic leather, closeable pouches meant for hanging from a Mry's waist-belt. Firepelt nodded and took both pouches, stepping through a door in the wall behind him. It took a few moments before he returned, laying both pouches on the counter with a heavy tinkling rattle.
   "Here you are, miss Hazel."
   "Thank you." Hazel picked up one of the pouches - and put it right back down on the counter. "Whoo! That's heavier than I thought. How should I carry them?"
   "Well, these type of pouches are designed to go on a waist-belt, like this," Firepelt said, motioning at the belt he was wearing around his own waist. "Do you have anything like that?"
   "Uh, no, I don't," Hazel said.
   "Ain't no problem," Sky said calmly, picking up the pouches and putting them in the deep pockets of her army jacket. "I'll carry'em f'r now, an' we'll stop by the bazaar an' pick up belt f'r ya."
Hazel pricked up her ears in interest.
   "Bazaar? Oh, that sounds like fun. I'd like to check that out."
   "Le's be off, then," Sky nodded, turning and shaking paws with the tawny Mry behind the counter. "Thanks f'r the service, Firepelt."
   "Yes, thank you," Hazel smiled.
   "My pleasure," Firepelt nodded. "Come back any time. And have a wonderful time on our island."
   "I'm sure I will! Thank you," Hazel smiled again.

With a cheery wave they parted company. Heavenly Sky led the way out of the small building and down the rest of the narrow road. All the way at the end was a quite large building with a large canopy over the entrance and colorful pennants flapping in the breeze. Just the sight of the building already put a smile on Hazel's face, and that smile widened even more when she followed Sky into the building.

The floor was carpeted wall to wall in artificial grass, and judging by the random stripes of faded white and yellow that could be seen here and there, it had been recycled from an old sports field. Along both side walls and the rear wall were walled-off rooms, some holding a small kitchen where various kinds of food were prepared for sale - a few of the rooms along the rear wall held restrooms, some were offices. The rest of the floor space was divided into several wide aisles by means of market stalls from which merchants were selling all kinds of goods.

A cheery hubbub filled the building. Hazel had to do her best not to be distracted by all the people and all the different kinds of wares they were peddling - but it was hard. She looked this way and that as she followed Heavenly Sky through the building, holding a paw over her mouth to hide a soft giggle when she spotted a large Flamelin with the fur colors and pattern of a tuxedo cat offering for sale very large-sized plush cat beds - the regular oval baskets of foam with a plush cover, sized to fit an adult Flamelin. It made sense of course when thinking about it, but it just looked very amusing to Hazel to see a large quadruped feline selling kitty beds.

Near the start of one of the aisles was a stall manned by a somewhat thin female Mry with slightly curly fur the darkblue hue of the night sky. It was that stall Heavenly Sky led the way to, greeting the Mry behind it with the same familiarity she had greeted Firepelt with earlier.
   "Hoi Nighttime."
   "As I live and breathe," the darkblue Mry said, looking up. "Heavenly Sky. What made you show your nose around these parts, darling?"
   "Jus' 'elpin' out a friend f'r a bit," Sky smiled, motioning Hazel to step closer. "Ya got any waist-belts that'll fit 'er?"
   "I think I might," the darkblue Mry nodded with her head a bit tilted. She motioned to the side of the stall. "Step over here please, miss, uh..."
   "Hazel."

She stepped to the side of the stall, while the darkblue Mry also stepped out from behind the stall, pulling a tape measure from around her neck and kneeling down on her feral forepaws. Whipping the tape measure around Hazel with a routine gesture, she took the size of the hamster's waist and nodded again.
   "Teenage size would do." She stepped back behind the stall and laid out several belts. "I have some here that would fit you well, miss Hazel, you can choose from these."
Hazel looked at the belts, giving an appreciative nod of her head. Even if they were quite simple in design, it was clear there was a lot of craftsmanship in them. One belt in particular drew the hamster's attention; a somewhat narrow one in a rather unusual, but very attractive grey-ish blue color with elegant stainless steel buckles and a number of fine but sturdy stainless steel rings.
   "This one is really beautiful," she said, tilting her head in surprise as she ran a finger over the belt's surface. "What's it made of?"
   "Ah, you have an eye for it," the darkblue Mry smiled. "That's shark hide. Very strong, very durable, and if need be you can sharpen a knife on it."
   "I don't think I'd have a need for that," Hazel giggled softly. "But I do like it, it looks really pretty. How much is it?"
   "Seven dollars and it's yours, darling."
   "Seriously? I'll have it, please!"
   "Ya 'appen to 'ave any pouches tha' go with it, Nighttime?" Sky asked.
   "I think I may." The darkblue Mry knelt down on her feral forepaws again and leaned over deeply to pull a box from under the stall. After rummaging through it for a moment or two, she rose back up and placed two pouches on the stall. They had an elegant clip on the front to close them, and two clips on the back to fasten them to the rings on the belt. "There we are. Five dollars apiece, but I'll let you have both and the belt for fifteen dollars altogether, miss Hazel."
   "Definitely sold," Hazel nodded. "Thank you so much."

She paid the curly-furred Mry and with Sky's help put on the belt over her dress. Sky clipped the extra pouches Hazel had bought on either side, and the leather pouches with the coins in them at the front. It felt a bit strange as they walked back through the bazaar, but Hazel soon enough got used to it.
   "The extra pouches look nice," she commented. "It's nice to have some that go with the belt. Do you think I'll be needing them, though?"
   "Af'er ya been goin' 'round Nezinoma f'r a while, definitely," Sky nodded with a soft chuckle. "It's 'ow we carry 'round mos' all our stuff, ya know. I reckon, a day or two, three, an' ya won' even be carryin' yer purse no more b'cause ya will be puttin' all ya need to bring with ya in them pouches."
   "I suppose that makes sense," Hazel giggled softly. "And speaking of things to bring with me..." Rummaging in her purse, Hazel found her car keys and handed them to Sky. "You're going to be needing these if you're going to work on my car while I'm gone." She closed her coat again when they stepped outside. "Where do we meet your sister?"
   "Round this way, she'll 'ave to moor at the marina f'r private craft," Sky pointed down the road.

Hazel nodded - that made perfect sense as well. Chatting calmly, they made their way through the hustle and bustle of the harbor, eventually walking onto the premises of a rather large marina with several long piers and docks that extended far into the water. Several boats were moored at the piers, from simple row boats to small sailboats to larger yachts, bobbing calmly on the small waves stirred up by the breeze.

Both of them walked back and forth a bit along the piers and docks, looking at the boats, looking out across the ocean and listening to the now more far-off hubbub of the main harbor area. After about half an hour they found a place to sit down somewhere since the wait was longer than they had expected. It took even another half hour before Heavenly Sky rose to her four feral feet and leaned up high with a paw shielding her eyes as she looked out over the ocean, then gave a short nod of her head and a short remark.
   "There she be."

Hazel followed the large blue Mry's gaze. From the south-west a sailboat approached, sporting a large clear green sail with a huge single flower painted in the middle of it. Maneuvering in a slight zig-zag motion, the boat made its way towards the harbor, the sail eventually being lowered by what was unmistakably a fairly large Mry with a deep, clear gold-colored fur and rather long, orange-ish hair, dressed in what seemed like nothing more than a strip of blue fabric tied around her anthro upper chest like a sort of tube top, and a belt around her waist with a few pouches and a sheathed dagger hanging from it.

The boat glided the last distance towards the outer pier where it was quickly moored. Shortly after, the gold-colored Mry easily hopped out of the boat and onto the pier, wiping her hair out of her face and looking around while walking up the pier. Sky calmly walking in the direction of the pier as well, and as soon as the gold-colored Mry spotted her, she broke into a trot, waving.

Hazel, walking a step or two behind, giggled softly behind a paw when the two Mry met at the start of the pier. They both reared up on their feral hindlegs and embraced each other with both their feral forepaws as well as their arms. That looked both very sweet, and quite amusing at the same time. Hazel could also see several similarities between Summer Sky and Heavenly Sky, despite the colors of their fur being so very different. Summer had the same kind of short, wavy stripe markings along the shoulders and upper parts of her feral forepaws and along the hips and upper thighs of her feral hindlegs, as well as all along the length of her tail and along the shoulders and upper arms of her anthro upper torso and in her face, though where the markings were darker blue and white on Heavenly Sky, they were a soft peach-like orange and a light pastel pink on Summer Sky. Summer's hair was long and straight as well, but shorter than Heavenly Sky's hair which hung down all the way past the shoulders of her feral forepaws, whereas on Summer it only reached to the point where the anthro upper torso met the feral lower body. And of course, Summer's hair was light orange in color, the same tint of orange as some of her markings. The other main differences, apart from their fur colors, were that Summer's eyes were a soft light green in color rather than silvergrey, her skin was a light tan color rather than Heavenly Sky's light blue skin, and Summer only had one pair of breasts on her upper torso instead of the double pair Heavenly Sky boasted.

Standing back on all fours after their double embrace, the two Mry smooched each other on the cheek, and then started playfully ribbing each other.
   "Well 'ey there, sunshine. Took ya long 'nough to get 'ere!"
   "Hoi bluebutt! Good to see ya 'gain! Heh, gimme a break, darlin', I had to pick up my boat at the dock in Arrow Reef Village, an' I had to sail all the way 'round the island an' the Shark's Tooth an' Cluster Reef, ya know! The wind's been weird this mornin'."
   "Fair 'nough, I s'pose," Heavenly Sky chuckled, folding an arm around the gold-colored Mry's shoulders and turning around to face Hazel. "Well then, 'oney, this 'ere be me sister Summer Sky."
   "Nice to meet you. My name is Hazel Krec-... eep!"
Hazel broke off with a sudden squeak when the gold-colored Mry bent through her feral forepaws and leaned over to take the short hamster into a big, friendly hug as well.
   "Pleasure's mine, Hazel! Ya can call me jus' Summer, that'll be easier. So! Yer the lady who's coming to check out our Faekitties an' whatnot, are ya?" There was an accent similar to that of Heavenly Sky in her voice, but somewhat less prominent.
   "Ah... yes, that's me," Hazel nodded, recollecting herself and smiling. "And I'd like to thank you very much for coming all this way to pick me up, and letting me stay with you while I do my research and my writing, miss Summer."
Summer Sky waved a paw.
   "Jus' Summer, darlin', jus' Summer will do jus' fine. Ya ready to go? Got everythin' ya need an' whatnot?"
   "Ah, yes, I have everything right here," Hazel nodded, lifting her small suitcase a bit. "Is there a hurry?"
   "Jus' a bit, darlin'. We can stick 'round 'ere for a while more if ya like, but it'll take the better part o' seven 'ours to sail back to the island, an' that's even takin' the shortest way there to Oceanside," Summer smiled. "An' seein' as 'ow it'll take a bunch o' 'ours to drive from there all the way 'cross the island to Clear Lake Town where I live, I figured we'd sail to Oceanside an' stay the night there, then drive to my place come the morrow."
   "That sounds fine to me," Hazel nodded with a smile. "It's even rather convenient. I need to buy a car, and miss Sky said there was a dealer in Oceanside?"
   "An autocart store? Yes, there is," Summer confirmed. "I'll take ya there, darlin', I'm gonna be needin' to borrow an autocart from there to drive us to my place anyhow."
   "Alright, good, thank you," Hazel smiled. "Well, I guess we're all ready to go then."
   "Right, off we trot!" Summer said with a light giggle, turning to Heavenly Sky. "Ya got any partin' words o' wisdom, bluebutt?"
   "Jus' this," Heavenly Sky chuckled, pushing a paper into Summer's paw while they walked back down the pier to Summer's boat. "A few things I'd like ya to get t'gether f'r me. 'Azel c'n bring'em 'long when she returns. An' o' course, be careful."
   "I said words o' wisdom, but I s'pose that'll do," Summer giggled. Having reached her boat at the end of the pier, she turned and hugged Heavenly Sky, smooching her on the side of the muzzle. "Sorry I can't stick 'round longer. When I bring Hazel back 'ere, I promise I'll 'ang 'round for a few days so we can catch up an' whatnot."
   "Soun's good, sunshine," Heavenly Sky smiled. "Y'all 'ave a safe trip now, an' good luck on yer writing an' all that, 'Azel. I 'ope ya will find lots o' inf'rmation an' all."
   "Thank you, and once again, thank you ever so much for all your help, miss Sky," Hazel smiled.
   "Been me pleasure, 'oney. I'm glad I could 'elp ya."

Hazel nodded, handing her suitcase to Summer who put it in the boat. Looking back at Heavenly Sky, she smiled and leaned up to hug the large blue Mry. Sky chuckled softly, hugging Hazel back and helping her step into the boat while Summer untied the ropes that held it moored to the pier.

They waved at each other a last time, then Summer took the oars and started rowing the boat out of the harbor. Hazel found herself a place to sit, looking around a bit at all the other ships and boats coming and going, and at the gold-colored Mry who calmly rowed the boat into open waters seemingly without very much effort.
   "Is there anything I can do to help?"
   "No need, darlin'. Jus' sit back an' relax," Summer smiled. "I 'ope ya brought somethin' to read with ya or somethin'? 'Cause we'll be in 'ere for a good while."
   "I'll work on my notes," Hazel smiled. "And I'll possibly ask you a bunch of questions, too."
   "Ask me anythin' ya wanna know, darlin'. I'll be glad to answer yer questions."
   "Thank you."

Hazel sat down on a large cushion in the back of the boat, a bit behind a small heightened platform that had a traditional ship's steering wheel on it. Taking her notepad and a pencil from her purse, she started checking through her notes, but not long after she stuck her pencil behind her ear and looked at Summer instead. The gold-colored Mry had rowed the boat far enough away from the harbor and started unfurling and raising the green sail, balancing perfectly with her four feral legs planted wide apart near both sides of the boat and her tail swaying and flicking while she pulled, tightened and knotted ropes with quick, routine motions.

With the sail fully raised and billowing as it caught the wind, the boat gradually picked up a bit of speed. Summer sat down on her haunches on the small platform, manipulating the ropes with her regular paws while she held her feral forepaws on the steering wheel. Hazel leaned back against the rail around the back of the boat a bit, looking at the gold-colored Mry with a smile. The way she stood there, feral hind feet planted firmly on the floor of the boat with hindlegs slightly spread, feral forepaws on the steering wheel which she turned this way and that in small motions every now and then, regular paws manipulating ropes to keep the sail at its best position, tail calmly swaying and hair fluttering in the breeze; it was a quite magnificent and impressive sight, if the short hamster was honest with herself.
   "Have you been sailing much?" she asked. "You seem very good at it."
   "Oh yeah," Summer nodded, looking over her shoulder for a moment to send Hazel a smile. "Been doin' it all my life. Heaven's always been playin' with them autocarts, but I been more into boats myself."
   "You're handling this one very well, that's for sure. And I have to say, you and your sister look remarkably alike, despite the different colors of your fur. Your markings are almost identical. Were you both born at the same time?"
   "No, I'm a bit younger. 'Bout four Seasons, that's 'bout a year in the way yer folk counts time."
   "I guess you have a decent amount of experience with both your own culture as well as ours, with your sister living on the mainland? Are there very big differences?"
   "Some, yeah. For one, us Mry are much more, well, trustful o' one another, an' we keep strong social bonds with each other, even while we live in several separate settlements 'cross the island." A soft laugh rolled from Summer's lips. "O'course, it 'elps there's only several thousand o' us alt'gether."
   "I suppose that makes sense in a way," Hazel chortled. "Is it true Mry evolved from a group of Flamelins who were marooned on the Nezinoma Salis island after a shipwreck?"
   "Who'll say?" Summer chuckled. "That's what they taught us in school, anyhow. Or well, they taught us our ancestors were from that group o' Flamelins. But if we evolved outta them? I dunno, there's still Flamelins livin' on the island nowadays. Them's without a doubt descendants o' them original Flamelins, an' they sure di'n't evolve into Mry."
   "I see. Well, I suppose that will forever remain shrouded in mystery, then," Hazel said with a soft giggle. "About those settlements though, right? Did you Mry build those yourselves? And was there any sort of reason to spread them out all over the island? I would think, if you keep such strong social bonds and all, it would make more sense if all of you lived in one big settlement rather than in a number of separate ones."
   "That it does, darlin', indeed. See, thing is, them settlements was already there. Some kinda folk musta been livin' on the island an' built all them different towns an' whatnot. Only, there was none o' them left no more at the time Mry came to the island. Or evolved there, whatevers. But anyhow, as them first Flamelins an' Mry started explorin' the land, they found them towns an' whatnot, an' jus' took over what was already there." Summer giggled shortly. "Or at least, that's what the 'istory books tell us."
   "I see," Hazel nodded, scribbling furiously in her small notepad. "Speaking of books, do you know if there are any books on Faekitties?"
   "There's one at least, I know for sure, 'cause I 'ave a copy. Ya can prob'ly pick one up in the book store in Oceanside."
   "That's great! I will do that. Miss Sky said there's a store in that town that sells Faekitties too?"
   "True. They're often outta stock though. We'll swing by the store an' see when we get to Oceanside. If they's outta stock, I'll ask'em to let me know when they have'em in again."
   "Do you have some sort of communication system on the island? Miss Sky said there's no telephones."
   There ain't, no. But we 'ave our ways an' means." Summer smiled at Hazel across her shoulder. "See, us Mry, we also always kept very strong bonds with nature an' whatnot. Mos' o' us can understand the speak o' some o' the animals on the island. So if someone in, say, Mountain City 'as a message for someone in, say, Clear Lake Town, they'll give the message to a Flufftail or somethin'. Them Flufftails is quick little ones, they'll pass the message from one to another, all the way 'cross the island."
   "That's amazing," Hazel said, sitting up a bit. "Say, Summer? Is it okay if I ask you a rather personal question? I've been wondering about it since I first met your sister."
   "Sure darlin', whatcha wanna know?"
   "Well... how come your sister has two pairs of breasts, and you have only one pair? One pair is... normal I suppose, since your upper bodies are similar to our bodies, but how come your sister has two pairs?" Hazel looked down for a moment, twirling her pencil around and around between her fingers. "You don't have to answer if you prefer not to. I was just wondering."
   "Oh, it's fine, darlin'. Ya don't 'ave to be uptight 'bout that," Summer smiled. "See, yer folk may do with all them clothes an' whatnot, an' be all embarrassed 'bout yer nude bodies, but us Mry is way more open 'bout all that. Our social bonds contain a high level o' free sexuality, ya know, 'cause for us that's perfectly normal. As for yer question, c'mere, undo this sheet for me, if ya will?"

She nodded down at the swath of blue fabric tied around her anthro upper chest. Hazel blushed lightly and hesitated for a moment, then shook her head with a small smile and rose up, carefully making her way over to where Summer was standing behind the steering wheel of the boat. Leaning against the Mry's side and reaching up, she untied the knot in the fabric on Summer's back and carefully pulled the piece of fabric away, folding it up neatly. Summer smiled and tied off one of the ropes she was holding so she had her paw free to reach to her upper chest, sifting her fingers through the golden fur just below her quite small breasts to reveal a second pair of small hidden nipples.
   "Look close, see there's a second set o' nips down there? Them's always 'idden, until a Mry gets pregnant. Durin' that time, a second pair o' breasts grows in there, while the original pair grows a bit in size, an' both of'em will produce milk for the kits."
   "Oh... yes, I see," Hazel said slowly, glad she was holding the piece of fabric because she didn't quite know what to do with her paws. "So, then... your sister has had children?"
   "Twice. A boy the firs' time, twin girls the second time. An' I 'aven't, that's why I don't  'ave the second pair o' breasts an' she does."
   "Okay, yes, I understand. That makes sense," Hazel nodded, looking at the piece of fabric she was holding. "Uh... should I put this back on you?"
   "Nah, leave it be. It's nice an' refreshin' an' whatnot. I only put it on 'cause I was gonna be visitin' the mainland to pick ya up, an' I know the folk there prefers a bit o' modesty an' whatnot."
   "Oh, so... you don't usually wear any kind of clothing? Are all Mry like that?" Hazel asked slowly.
   "Not quite. We do 'ave clothin' for our upper bodies, an' mos' Mry wear somethin' or other usually when doin' their daily business. Least in the larger towns an' whatnot. But plenty of'em go 'round all day wearin' nothin', indeed. It's perfectly normal for us, ya know. Like, in the mornin', every mornin', we 'ave a communal bath all t'gether where we 'elp each other wash an' whatnot. Or at least in the smaller towns, I dunno 'ow they do it in the larger towns like Oceanside an' Mountain City."
   "Oh," Hazel said. She made her way back to the cushion in the back of the boat, since even though the sailing was smooth, the motion of the boat caused her a bit of trouble with keeping her balance. "Yes, your sister mentioned several things about how you all help each other out with a lot of things and all." She blushed for a moment, but decided to ask the question that was dancing around her mind. "She also said Mry require help with... well, in matters of sexual intimacy, due to how your bodies are built. Is that... part of that social bond you mentioned as well?"
   "Sure is, darlin'. Free sexual intimacy is a very big part o' Mry culture. It's even used as, what yer folk would call, payment for like, services or items an' whatnot, whenever a Mry ain't got any items or anythin' else to trade with." Summer flashed a cheerful grin across her shoulder. "That's why we 'ave such strong bonds with each other, an' why us Mry is way more open an' free an' whatnot 'bout sexual intimacy than yer folk is."
   "That is... really nice, actually," Hazel said softly. She was still holding the folded piece of fabric, looking around for a spot to put it where it wouldn't blow away. "Uh... those baths you mentioned. While I'm staying with you, am I... expected to join in those baths as well?"
   "Expected, nah. Yer a guest from the mainland, an' we know ya people look at things like that differently. It'd be appreciated, though, the Mry in Clear Lake Town would likely 'old ya in a bit 'igher regard for yer willingness to join our communal morning bath." Another small grin was flashed at the hamster. "An' likely they'll like what they might see, too, darlin'. I for one think ya look mighty fine."
Hazel blushed, but smiled at the same time.
   "Hee... thanks. I think you are a very pretty lady, too, if I'm honest." After the initial surprise about the gold-colored Mry's openness about intimate matters, her own free and open outlook on such things was already returning, causing her to let out a soft giggle. "And, well, being so helpful in picking me up and letting me stay at your place and all, I suppose it's only fair if you get a sneak peek."

For a moment Summer looked over her shoulder with a hint of surprise, but the next moment her upper lips curled back into a smile when she saw Hazel undoing and taking off the sharkskin belt, followed by her dress and underwear. Once nude, the short hamster folded up her clothes and lay them aside with the belt and pouches on top of them, using the weight of the pouches full of coins to prevent the clothes from blowing away. She shivered once, as it was still rather chilly, but smiled and smoothed her fur down with one paw as she carefully stepped back over to where Summer was manipulating the steering wheel and the ropes of the sail.
   "You're right, it is quite refreshing," she chortled softly, leaning one paw on Summer's feral lower back to keep her balance. "A bit chilly, but refreshing."
   "It'll get warmer in a bit, darlin'," Summer smiled. "Weather's always quite warm on the island, so it'll get warmer when we get closer." She tilted her head a bit. "An' yeah, yer lookin' mighty fine indeed, yer a very pretty lady." A soft giggle escaped her as she nodded her head down at Hazel's chest. "For such a short lady, ya also 'ave quite the chest, darlin'. They's bigger than mine." She laughed shortly. "An' I always thought I was a lucky one 'cause mine's bigger than Heaven's."
   "Yes, well... I've always been rather well-built, especially for someone my size," Hazel smiled, letting out a short laugh of her own. "I'm not distracting you from operating the boat, am I?"
   "Jus' a tad, darlin', jus' a tad," Summer chuckled. "Ain't complainin', though, it's a very pleasant distraction."
   "I'm sure," Hazel giggled. "Well, I'll still go and sit back over there. Wouldn't want you to sail us into a sandbank or something."
Summer laughed.
   "Ain't no danger o' that, darlin'. Over on the west side o' the island, that's where ya gotta watch out. There's the Shark's Tooth Reef an' the Cluster reef there, close t'gether, it's a mighty dangerous spot o' sea over there. Lotsa shipwrecks 'appened there, an' sometimes still 'appen there. But between Nezinoma an' Minnaluna, it's clear sailin', I can assure ya."
   "I'll take your word for it," Hazel smiled, sitting back down on the cushion. "I don't have very much experience with oceans, I used to live in the middle of the US before I came to Minnaluna, and Merian isn't exactly very near any large bodies of water either."
   "Ya can swim though, right?"
   "Oh yes, I'm a pretty decent swimmer. But I still rather not test my skills by needing to swim all the way to Nezinoma Salis."
   "Nah, yer right 'bout that," Summer chuckled. "It takes long 'nough by boat as it is."

Hazel nodded with a soft giggle. She found a few smaller pillows and propped them up against the railing along the back of the boat, creating a sort of basic chair shape she could lean back on. As they sailed further and further west and the hours slowly passed by, the short-coupled hamster found that Summer had been right; even while the sun passed its highest point in the sky and gradually started sinking back down again, the temperature was slowly climbing. It actually became quite pleasant to lounge around on the boat in the nude, and as a couple more hours passed, the temperature had climbed so far lounging in the nude actually became more or less imperative to remain comfortable.

Having packed her raincoat and rain cap, and even her summer jacket in her small suitcase, Hazel just put on her summer hat against to shield her face and eyes from the sun as she leaned back against the pillows. It almost seemed as if she had drifted off into a doze, were it not for the fact that she every now and then asked Summer a question and jotted a few things down in her notepad. After a while, she sat up a little bit and pushed her hat back on her hat a little.
   "Hey Summer? Do you mind if I'd ask you another personal question?"
   "Not at all, darlin', shoot."
   "Thanks. Do you, uh... do you have someone special in your life?"
   "As like a partner, ya mean? Nah. Us Mry is mighty polyamorous, ya know, so we tend not to keep much o' steady relationships an' whatnot." Summer glanced across her shoulder with a smile. "Do ya?"
Hazel smiled. It was only fair such a personal question would be returned to her.
   "Me neither. I'm very polyamorous myself as well. I have a lot of girlfriends and friends with benefits, as we call it, but no steady relationship."
   "Any specific reason, 'cept for the polygamy?"
   "Mostly the fact that I'm a reporter. I'm on the move a lot and often away from home for extended periods of time when I'm on a specific assignment. Like this one for instance, it'll keep me from my house for at least a month, possibly longer." The hamster let out a soft giggle. "And, well, to be quite honest, I just can't get enough of the ladies. I want to experience a whole lot of different ones."
   "Darlin', yer gonna fit right in on our island," Summer grinned.

Unable to stop herself, Hazel found her lips slowly curling into a cheerful grin as well. She gave her head a light shake and leaned back against the pillows again, pulling her hat down over her face a bit against the sun and crossing her arms behind her head, every now and then rolling her head a bit to look at the water streaming past the sides of the boat. Turning to her side a bit, Hazel stuck an arm through the rail and dipped her fingers in the water for a moment.
   "Can you swim around here?"
   "Oh sure. Lotsa Mry do that. So long's ya stay in the shallow waters more directly 'round the island, it's perfectly safe to swim. An' o' course there's the lakes an' whatnot on the island ya could go for a swim in."
   "Are those very cold?"
   "No, they're a quite pleasant temperature actually. Viola Town even 'as a 'eated lake."
   "Really?" Hazel said, pulling back her arm and rolling onto her back again. "How's that possible?"
   "Viola Town's built in Viola Valley. There's mountains all 'round it 'cept for on the swamp side, an' the 'ighest mountain was a fire mountain. There's a stream well up near the crater that feeds the waterfall an' the lake in the valley, an' 'cause it wells up so close by the crater o' that fire mountain, the water's nice an' warm an' whatnot."
   "Oh, a volcano," Hazel nodded after several moments of thinking what Summer had meant with 'fire mountain'. "Yeah, that makes sense. And that's really nice, too. Any chance I'll be seeing this Viola Town?"
   "Sure, it's quite in the middle o' the island, not too long a trip to get there from Clear Lake Town. We can got there next Threeday, they'll 'ave their market."
   "Sounds like fun, I like markets," Hazel smiled, sitting up fully straight as she saw the shoreline of Nezinoma Salis coming close enough to discern distinct details. "I'm guessing it might be better if I put my dress back on?"
   "That would be advisable," Summer nodded with a soft giggle. "Yer gonna be stared at 'nough as it is already, bein' a type o' folk no one on the island ever seen before an' whatnot."
   "That makes a lot of sense," Hazel chortled softly.

Not bothering with her underwear, which she merely stuffed into one of the sharkskin pouches - those were indeed already coming in handy - Hazel slipped her dress back on and buckled on the belt again. At an affirmative nod from Summer, the short hamster also took the swath of blue fabric and made her way over to the gold-furred Mry, reaching up to tie the fabric back around Summer's chest to cover her breasts. Making her way further to the front of the boat when she was done, Hazel leaned on the front railing and looked at the shoreline gradually coming closer with a smile.

There were more boats on the water as well, the closer they got to the island. Fishing boats mostly, the voices of both male and female Mry carrying clearly across the water as they hauled nets, shouting directions at each other and greetings at the Mry in the other boats. Before too long, Hazel also spotted long wood piers reaching out into the water from the harbor of what looked like a lively, thriving coastal town. Orange late-afternoon sunlight gleamed on the water and tinted the white walls of different types of buildings. Hazel sat up more and gazed out over the harbor attentively, meanwhile scribbling quick notes in her notepad on what she was seeing.

Lowering the sail eventually, Summer let the boat glide under its own momentum towards the harbor, raising a paw in greeting at a Mry in the standard colors and pattern of a leopard, dressed in a white and blue striped jersey and a sailor's cap, standing on one of the piers.
   "Hoi Wavewatcher! Can I leave my boat 'ere at yer place for a while?"
   "Hoi Summer Sky! Of course! Your spot is free!" the leopard Mry called back.
   "Thanks!"
Summer took the oars to row the boat around the outer ends of the piers towards one of the shorter ones at the far right side of the harbor. The leopard Mry named Wavewatcher walked along on the quayside and down the pier, helping Summer moor and tie down the boat at the end of the short pier, glancing curiously at Hazel.
   "You brought a friend along, Summer Sky? Quite an unusual one. She from the mainland?"
   "Indeed," Summer nodded, jumping onto the pier with a rope that was fastened to the other side of her boat, tying it around one of the poles to secure the boat in place. "This is Hazel, she's from Minnaluna. She'll be stayin' 'ere for some time while she does 'er writin' an' whatnot."
   "Oh, so you're a writer?" Wavewatcher asked, looking at Hazel.
   "I am," Hazel nodded, handing her suitcase to Summer, then taking the gold-furred Mry's paw as Summer helped her step out of the boat. "I live in Merian, and I write for the local paper, the Merian Meridian."
   "That's nice. That's nice, I like that," Wavewatcher smiled, shaking paws with Hazel. "I hope you will have a good time here in Nezinoma Salis, dear. What will you be writing about?"
   "Initially, my boss sent me here to find out everything I can about Faekitties. But I will be writing about Mry history and culture and such as well."
   "Nice, nice! I wish you good luck. Feel free to come by here any time and ask things, you'll fine everyone will be quite happy to help you."
   "I noticed that already," Hazel nodded with a smile. "And it's quite likely I will stop by sometime to talk with you."
   "But for now, we're gonna 'ave to leave you, Wavewatcher," Summer chuckled. "We still got a lot to do. I gotta borrow an autocart, an' we'll need to get a room in the 'otel for tonight an' whatnot. An' we'll need to get somethin' to eat, I'm 'bout ready to fall off my feet."
   "Sure, of course. I'll take good care of your boat, Summer Sky."
   "Thanks. See ya 'round, Wavewatcher. C'mon Hazel, gimme that, I'll carry that for ya."

Summer took Hazel's suitcase and put it on her feral back, then she took Hazel by a paw and started calmly walking away from the pier and through the harbor. Hazel hooked her arm around Summer's arm so she could stay close and be guided, as well as have both her paws free to hold her notepad and pencil so she could take quick notes on everything she saw.

The buildings, built of stone and wood, looked like some kind of mix between Victorian era buildings and alpine style buildings, the walls covered in smooth paste that was either weathered white, or subtle shades of blues or greens, and wood plankwork and trellises painted dark brown. The streets were paved in grey stone - it was all too clear where that had come from, as Hazel could clearly see the huge gap hacked out of the mountains that dropped down into sheer cliffs at the south-western side of the island, starting right behind the town.

She noticed the cars too, parked along the sides of the streets or calmly putt-putting through the streets at a slow pace. For a moment she quirked an eyebrow when she saw every last car was the same model, looking exactly like 1940 Chevrolets Master with four doors, but no badges anywhere. They also all were painted in varying shades of blue or green, though here and there a white or yellow-ish one was seen. Following Summer through the street, Hazel found herself being led to a large building that had several large glass windows on one side and a row of all the same cars standing on a fenced-off strip of dirt in front of it. It was not hard to guess that building was the car dealership.

Yet, the cars parked in front of the building all looked used - small dings and scratches all over, especially on the front and the lower part of the sides, and a film of fine dirt dulling the paint colors.
   "Hey, Summer? Do they sell used cars here?"
   "No, they only sell new ones. Those out front, they're the ones any Mry can borrow when they need one."
   "Ohh, okay," Hazel nodded in understanding.

She kept close to Summer as they walked up to the building and entered through a large door standing open invitingly. Hazel looked around her inside the building, again taking notes. The floor was covered in large flat flagstones of a grey-ish brown color, on one side were small groups of large flat cushions around low tables. On the other side was a large sort of counter sectioning off a large corner, with a corridor leading into the part of the building with the large glass windows in front of it, and a corridor leading towards the back of the building on the side.

Behind the counter was a large male black Mry with short black hair, dressed in what looked like some sort of blue dustcoat. He looked up and blinked in surprise at the sight of Hazel, but he made no remark, instead turning to Summer.
   "What can I do for you, miss?"
   "I need to borrow an autocart, please," Summer said. "I live in Clear Lake Town, I 'ad to sail to the mainland t'day to pick up my friend 'ere, and with the wind 'ow it is, we can't sail back all the way there."
   "Of course," the black male nodded. He turned to take a key from a rack, which he handed to Summer. "You can take the first one in the row out front."
   "Thank you. Also, my friend Hazel here would like to buy an autocart."
   "Yes please," Hazel nodded. "And I will need to have some modifications done to it."
   "Of course," the black male Mry said again. "We can do that. If you'll follow me, you can come pick out one you like."

He stepped out from behind the counter and led the way through the short corridor into the windowed part of the building. Hazel and Summer followed him, calmly walking between the number of cars parked in the large room. Aside from the differences in color, they were all exactly the same. It did not take too long for Hazel to make her decision; she stepped over to one of the cars sporting a gleaming coat of paint in a soft cornflower blue color.
   "I like this one, it's a very fresh, summery color," she smiled. "I'd like to buy this one."
   "That will be no problem," the black male Mry said. "What are the modifications you need to be done to it?"
   "Well, I will need some kind of chair to sit in, that will be high enough for me to see over the steering wheel and the dashboard, and I need the pedals to be made longer and higher so I can reach them with my feet from the chair."
The male black Mry nodded slowly, running a paw over his whiskers.
   "I think we can do that. We will need to take a few measurements. If you'll excuse me for a moment?"

Both Hazel and Summer nodded, looking after the male black Mry as he stepped to a large door in the rear wall of the windowed room and leaned through it to call out to someone. A few moments later a second male Mry stepped into the room, a red tabby one dressed in the top half of a mechanic's overall. Both of them walked back to the blue car Hazel had selected and started pushing it out of the room through the large door, with Hazel and Summer following them at a gesture of the black Mry.

The large door led into a very large garage-like room where several more cars were parked either along the sides or in the middle in the case of the few that were worked on by more Mry, both males and females, dressed in the top part of mechanic's overalls. The black one and the red tabby one pushed the blue car over to a work bench on one side of the room, after which the black Mry quickly walked through another door, returning a few moments later with his arms full of smaller pillows. Removing the large rectangular cushion that was in the place of the driver's seat, the black male Mry stacked a number of the smaller pillows in its place and let Hazel sit on top of them a couple of times, adding a pillow every time until she was high enough up to comfortably and safely look over the dashboard and steering wheel through the two-part windshield.

When they had found the proper height, the red tabby Mry took a folding rule from a chest pocket of his overalls and took several measurements to get the proper height and width, as well as the extra length that would be needed for the pedals. Hazel tilted her head a bit at the strange symbols the male red tabby Mry used to scribble the numbers down on a scrap of paper, but she didn't comment on it, merely sliding off the pillows with the help of the black male Mry. He took Hazel and Summer back to the main room with the large counter in it through another door and got back behind the counter, pulling out some papers from a shelf under the counter.
   "Alright then, miss Hazel," he said after he had found the proper paper. "The price of the autocart is twenty gold, and it will be... let's see..." He did some counting under his breath. "It will be one gold and seven silver for the additional work."
Hazel nodded, reaching into one of the leather pouches on her belt and pulling out a paw full of gold coins.
   "That is more than reasonable." She counted out twenty-two of the gold coins and lay them on the counter. "Here you are. You can keep the rest, that is for the good service and all the help."
   "Thank you very much, that is very nice of you," the black Mry smiled, scooping up the coins and putting them in a small metal box under the counter. "The work on your new autocart should be finished by the end of the morrow."
   "That works out, we 'ave to stay overnight anyways, an' we can stick 'round the whole day an' I can show 'er 'round town while we wait for the work to be done," Summer smiled. "We'll stop by 'round the end o' the day, yeah?"
   "That sounds good to me," the black male Mry nodded. "Have a pleasant day, ladies."
   "Thanks an' likewise an' whatnot," Summer smiled.

She and Hazel calmly walked out of the building and up to the row of cars parked on the strip of dirt in front of the building, making their way over to the turquoise-colored car that was at the front of the row. Somewhat to Hazel's surprise, the doors of the car were not locked. She climbed into the car at the passenger's side, making herself as comfortable as she could on one of the thick flat cushion that were in place of the seats. Looking aside at Summer getting in behind the wheel, Hazel paid close attention to how the gold-furred Mry was going to start the car so she would know how it was done once her own was ready to pick up.

It was indeed different from how the hamster was used to starting a car. The key was only used to switch on the electrics, after which Summer fiddled with two very large knobs on either side of the very simple dashboard and pressed a starter button to bring the engine to life. For the rest it was pretty much the same; a three-speed manual gearshift on the steering column - which Summer didn't even use save for putting the car into first gear - and pressing down on the accelerator to make the car move forwards. The only other thing Hazel could see she would probably need to get used to was the enormous hoop of a steering wheel.

Summer calmly drove the car through the streets in first gear, putt-putting along with the rest of the traffic of cars and Mry walking around. It gave Hazel more time to look around at the layout of the streets and the buildings, making more notes. Before too long Summer pulled onto a row of parking spaces by a large building of which the sign over the door read "Traveler's Haven". They got out of the car and walked into the building, stepping up to a counter on one side of a small entrance hall, manned by a female Mry with baby-pink fur covered in fuchsia-colored tiger-like stripes who was dressed in what looked like a white suit jacket over a blue blouse.
   "Good evening, ladies," she said pleasantly, with only the slightest quirks of an eyebrow at catching sight of Hazel. "How can I be of service?"
   "We need a room for the night," Summer smiled. "An' a meal, please."
   "That is no problem," the pink Mry smiled, turning to a rack behind the counter and taking a large old-fashioned key with a large tag on it which she handed to Summer. "You can have room number 5, it's down the hall on the right, at the right side of the corridor. Do you need any help getting baggage to the room?"
   "Nah, that's fine, we only 'ave this 'ere," Summer motioned at Hazel's small suitcase.
   "Alright, then I wish you a pleasant stay."
   "Thanks. We can jus' go to the eatin' room once we put this in the room?"
   "Absolutely. Food will still be served for a few more hours."
   "Thanks 'gain."
   "Yes, thank you very much," Hazel nodded with a smile.

With a friendly wave they parted, the gold-colored Mry and the short hamster stepping through a large archway in the back wall into another somewhat larger lobby from which several corridors and archways were leading out. Finding the corridor the pink-furred Mry had mentioned, they walked into it and looked at the doors which all had large brass numbers on them. At the door with a number 5 on it, Summer unlocked the door with the large key and led the way into the room behind it.

While she set Hazel's small suitcase down by a low table, Hazel looked around in the room with a smile. It was a quite cozy room, with a fireplace flanked by two windows in the outside wall and a thick rug in front of it, a large group of thick cushions and smaller pillows forming a sort of nest in the corner, and a door leading into a smaller room which had a smaller fireplace with a small cauldron on a kettle iron, a small washing basin with a hand pump and something that looked like a low, wide wood vat. Upon asking Summer, Hazel learned that the vat was in fact a bath, and the small cauldron was for heating water to fill the bath with.

Having freshened up a bit at the washing basin, both of them left the room and walked back down the corridor and through another archway, into what undoubtedly was the dining room. There were a bunch of low tables with groups of pillows around them, some of them occupied by various Mry having some food. Summer helped Hazel stacking up several of the pillows by one of the tables before settling down in one of the other sets of pillows. Before too long an apple-green Flamelin with thin white stripe markings along her back and greenish white face, throat, chest, belly and paws walked up to the table to ask what they wanted to eat. Hazel let Summer order for the both of them, as she wasn't familiar with what kinds of food there were available.

The food was very good. They had grilled fish, with a side of some kind of white root vegetable Hazel could not identify but which tasted slightly sweet-ish, and one very large baked potato which without a doubt was the best potato Hazel had ever tasted in her life. As Summer explained, that was because of the Nezinoma Salis soil, which was very rich in nutrients. Coupled with the slightly more tropical climate, it made crops and fruits grow abundantly and with a very rich taste to them.

They sat for a bit and had a drink after the meal, but not long after they went back to the room to get some sleep. It had been a very long day, after all - and the brisk ocean air helped quite a deal in making one feel drowsy and healthily tired. Hazel didn't even think about the fact there was no bed, just the nest of cushions and pillows for the two of them to sleep in. She merely took off her belt and dress again and folded it up to lay it on the low table her suitcase was standing next to, taking the piece of cloth Summer had untied from around her chest and folding it up as well to put it on the table too.

Summer made herself comfortable on her side in the nest of pillows, letting out a soft purr when Hazel crawled into the heap of pillows as well and cuddled up against the large gold-furred Mry. After wishing each other goodnight, they both settled down and closed their eyes. Despite the excitement of the day, and the excitement of everything that was laying ahead for her, Hazel drifted off into sleep rather quickly, with a light smile on her face. Her time in Nezinoma Salis had now truly begun. It was bound to be very interesting.
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