January is usually considered the coldest month of the year. While December is the start of winter and when the nights are the longest, January was the real heart of winter. Snow was much more likely to fall then, usually a good time after Christmas to the annoyance of many. This was when people really needed to bundle up.
Unless you have a nice full coat of winter fur. Many Animalians had grown a thick coat in preparation of winter. For some, it was a bit of a wonder to be seeing winter like this, namely because they had been hibernating animals for the virus got loose and their human-augmented biology didn't require them to sleep and save energy until spring came. The cold wasn't as big a bother to fur-bearing Animalians, but they still found that wearing coats and jackets made them feel even warmer.
For instance, Mike and Mary were walking up a large hill, wearing new coats they had gotten for Christmas. They were carrying sleds so they could do some sliding on the snow. Mundane otters are quite adept at sliding across ice and snow. While Mike would have been tempted to slide on his belly, he hadn't gotten accustomed enough to his new form and the cold. Perhaps later he'd able to do it.
It was certainly fun to be doing it with Mary. Mike had become very fond of Mary over the last few weeks. She had a great sense of fun and humor, especially for someone who had spent a large part of her life as a common animal. Not to mention she was incredibly sexy and had a genuine interest in Mike. However, his parents had been very firm that Mike got to know Mary a lot more before he could even think about getting too close to her. While sexuality was a more open thing in Animalia, Mike's parents felt that Mike's relationship should be based off of a lot more than physical attraction.
That certainly wasn't a problem for Mike. It was a little hard to measure Mary's exact age, but she was currently in high school like him and there were a lot of freshman who were more mature than they would be if they were still human. Mike couldn't have asked for a better way to spend his high school years.
"So, are we far up enough yet?" asked Mary.
"Almost," said Mike, "We need to get to the top."
"There has to be a faster way to do this," grumbled Mary.
"Trust me, the ride down will be worth it," said Mike.
Quite soon, the two otters has made it to the top. Mike set his sled down in the snow and asked, "You ready?"
"After this hike, I better be," said Mary as she got on her sled.
"Ok, go," said Mike before they started sliding down the hill. The two of them quickly picked up speed over the snow. The two of them laughed as they sped down the hill. They soon got to the bottom in a spray of snow.
"Ok, that was fun," said Mary, "I could do that for hours."
"Yeah, this fur will keep us warm for quite a long time," said Mike.
"Maybe we should be sliding in just our furs," said Mary suggestively. Mike gaped at her only for Mary to laugh and said, "I'm just messing with you. These sleds are more fun."
Mike just grinned. That's what he liked about Mary. She was just so much fun to be around.
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However, there were some Animalians who didn't appreciate winter very much. That was mainly Animalians who are from more tropic climates where snow didn't fall. And a very large majority would be the reptiles and amphibians. While they weren't as cold-blooded as they were before, the winter freeze still made them uncomfortable. That's why several reptilian Animalians spend their time at the Brumation House. It was a recently-constructed building, designed to maintain a balmy temperature inside even if it was freezing outside. The inside mostly resembled a cafe, though one the size of school cafeteria. There were six fireplaces that kept the room nice and warm for the exothermic patrons and plenty of hot beverages were served, namely coffee.
If that wasn't quite enough to keep the chill out of their scales, there were saunas, steam rooms, and hot tubs in the back. It was a rather odd combination, but this was a very popular spot for people who hated getting cold. It probably wouldn't be as busy during the summer months, but it was certainly very active during the winter.
The Brumation House was where Sylvia Rattlerton was heading today. Not for the first time, she wondered if perhaps she should have waited until spring before joining Project Phoenix. Then again, Horizon Lab was now overflowing with people who want Animalia's miracle cure for practically all diseases and ailments. Going there any later would have probably mean that Sylvia would have to wait weeks before she could get her transformation.
Still, Sylvia felt very little regret. Her apartment was warm enough to keep her rattlesnake body from becoming too sluggish. She had not heard anything from her parents since she had sent them her message. They were probably furious that Sylvia turned herself into a snake instead of something that could get her figure-skating career back on track. But they might be even more furious that she wasn't planning on ever going back. They'd probably would have sent several messages if she hadn't changed her cellphone and email address. But life in Animalia was good and her online education was helping a lot towards her goal of becoming an attorney. But right now, all that mattered was keeping warm.
Of course, Sylvia didn't just slither her way to the Brumation House. Snakes hate slithering across cold surfaces. But there was a trolley service that made regular rounds in Animalia. The serpents used it frequently to get to where they needed to go without having to slide their scutes across the ice and snow. For instance, there was currently a spectacled cobra, an emerald tree snake, and an anaconda sharing the trolley with her this time. Sylvia was hardly the only rattlesnake in Animalia, but she was too focused on her studies to think much on interaction.
As soon as they reached the Brumation House, Sylvia headed inside and went straight for the hot tub rooms. Her apartment was spacious, but it was hard taking a long soak in the tub when you have so much body length. The women's hot tub room was currently unoccupied, which was a small relief to Sylvia. She was still not used to the relaxed level of modesty Animalians typically had.
She undressed herself as she got ready to get into the hot tub. She couldn't deny feeling some pride in her larger breasts, far bigger than she what she used to have as a human. Her figure had been willowy, perfect for an athlete, but it made her feel inadequate. She slid into the water and allowed herself to relax. She reached up and stared meticulously unbraiding her blonde hair. Hair among reptilian Animalians was a rarity, namely because only ones who were humans before had hair like that. There was some cases where humans seemed to lose their hair after their conversion, though that mostly happened among men. It was a bit hard to keep track of who had hair before. For instance, Anton Williams didn't sport any hair, but Sylvia didn't know if he had a crewcut before he became an iguana. In any case, Sylvia took very good care of her hair. It was all that remained on her body and she wasn't sure if it would grow back if it wasn't kept healthy.
Just then, Sylvia heard someone come in. She looked up and was a little surprised to see Mrs. Williams enter the hot tub room. "Oh, excuse me," said Marlysa, "I hope you don't mind a little company."
"Not really," said Sylvia, moving aside to make room.
Marlysa unwrapped the towel she was wearing and eased herself into the hot water with a sigh. Sylvia averted her eyes a bit until Marlysa had her breasts under the water. Marlysa turned to Sylvia, "I'm sorry, do I know you?"
"Not personally," said Sylvia, "But I saw your wedding on TV. It was really nice."
"Oh, thank you," said Marlysa, "I was worried it was a little too flashy." Sylvia kept back her remark that it kinda was. Sure, the first Animalian wedding was bound to get a lot of attention, but it was a little overdone in her opinion. "I love your hair, by the way," said Marlysa, "I wish I had hair like that." It was pretty common for uplifted female animals to be envious about women's hair.
"I've been taking good care of it," said Sylvia, "I'm worried it might fall out when I shed my skin."
"If you didn't lose it with your transformation, you'll probably still keep it," said Marlysa as she watched Sylvia comb her hair, "You want some help with that?"
"Well, yes, but please be careful," said Sylvia, handing Marlysa the comb. Marlysa slowly stroked the comb through Sylvia's golden hair. After a few seconds, Sylvia began to relax. Marlysa was surprisingly good at this. It made Sylvia feel a little bit like a mermaid getting her hair combed. Though mermaids typically had fish tails instead of snake tails.
"Pardon me, but aren't you the one-legged ice-skater who wanted to be a snake?" asked Marlysa.
"That's me," said Sylvia, "I'm working on getting a law degree so I can become an attorney."
"Oh, why an attorney?" asked Marlysa.
"Well, it's mostly about the money and the independence from my parents. But I used to watch this legal drama series a few years ago. A lawyer's work sounds so fascinating but I doubt it'll be as exciting as it will be in Animalia," said Sylvia.
"You never know," said Marlysa.
"Well, it's just that Animalia is so crime-free. I mean, the worst people do around here is go over the speed limit," said Sylvia, "I guess the crooks are too scared of being arrested by a wolf."
"Well, you could still be an important contribution to Animalia," said Marlysa, "Clara's legal team could probably use you, especially if somebody wants to sue us for a stupid reason."
"There is that," said Sylvia, thinking about the frivolous lawsuits that people get into these days. And there would certainly be plenty of closed-minded people who'd be spiteful enough against Animalians to find any reason to take them to court. They'd need lawyers who would be able to see both sides of the argument and be able to defend Animalia. I mean, it's not like some Texas oil tycoon would come specifically to Animalia to hire Sylvia Rattlerton, despite what her fantasies have been.
"Even if the lawyer thing doesn't work out, I'm sure you'll be able to make your own way here," said Marlysa, "So, what do you want me to do with your hair."
"Uh, I'll just braid it myself," said Sylvia, moving a little away from Marlysa, "I appreciate the combing, but I'm not sure you know enough about hairstyling to braid it without tying it in a knot."
"Isn't that what braiding is?" asked Marlysa.
"No, it's not. And that's why I should do this myself," said Sylvia as she braided her hair, "No offense."
"None taken. I really do like your hair. You should take good care of it," said Marlysa a little wistfully.