While many Animalians were looking forward to winter, there were also many heading to the colonies for warmer climates. Most of those leave were of the cold-blooded variety. But there were also warm-blooded Animalians who hated the cold as well. The best example of that would be Venus and Xochitl. Considering they were hairless breeds of cats and dogs respectively, they would have to bundle as much as humans to avoid getting chilly. And after just getting magnificent Animalian bodies, they didn't want to cover them up so soon. And they didn't really like winter before they were uplifted.
As wintertime was approaching, the two of them were looking to move to warmer climates. It didn't take long for New Zerzura to capture their interest. For Venus, she wanted to visit a land were cats were revered and possibly look at her namesake in Giza. And while Xochitl's breed originated in the new world, there was an uncanny likeness between the Xolo dogs and the Saluki depicted in Ancient Egyptian art. More pertinent to Xochitl was that her uplifted form was a near dead-ringer for female depictions of Anubis that were so common on the internet these days.
The hairless models had been planning to go to New Zerzura together. But word had managed to spread through the Animalia School of Modeling and Maggie decided to plan a trip to New Zerzura with several students for an Egyptian-style photo-shoot. Not every student was going, Karen preferring to stay in colder Animalia than have her snow leopard fur suffocate her in the desert. And most of the students would be returned to Lyre in time for the Winter Festival. Still, Venus and Xochi felt a little put-upon for having their colleagues crash their vacation.
"Ok, everyone, I do have some announcements to make," said Maggie to the other Animalians on the plane as they were getting closer to their destination, "First of all, I don't anyone forgetting their sunscreen or moisturizer. I know plenty of you don't have trouble with sunburns, but there are some unprotected areas you'll want to cover. And the desert heat will sap the moisture from your bodies so keeping hydrated and moisturized is important.
"Also, keep in mind that, as with all colonies, New Zerzura obeys the customs and traditions of the country it inhabits. And while Egypt is a lot more tolerant and lenient than other Islamic states, we are still expected to dress more conservatively here." There were a few groans of protest. "Now, now, we're not expecting you to completely cover up. But we can't be showing too much skin here. We'll have to get by with light shirts and pants here."
Zoe raised a hand and asked, "If there's a limit to how sexy we can dress, how are we supposed to do a photo-shoot?"
"Good question," said Maggie, "But we have an answer for that. The taboo is against provocative clothing in public places. We'll have a studio where we'll be able to do our business without offending anyone. If we can, we'll reserve places in parts of New Zerzura for a more on-scene photo-shoot."
In the back, Sylvia raised her hand. "Um, excuse me, I'm not part of the modeling school, but does the limits of conservative dress applies to me?" she asked.
"It applies to all Animalians," said Maggie, "We have to respect local customs. But you're free to join us at the studio if you want."
"Well, I don't want to be a model," said Sylvia, "I'm planning on being an attorney and I need to keep a professional air. I'm just heading to New Zerzura for the warmth." She was also interested in meeting the desert snake Animalians who lived there, but that seemed immodest for her to say.
"You don't have your photos published," said Gwen, "You just pose for pictures for the fun of it and keep the photos for yourself. Would make a nice memento."
"I might give it a thought," said Sylvia.
"We need to respect Sylvia's wishes and not try to force her choices," said Maggie, "Likewise, we need to respect the local's religious beliefs. I don't want anyone starting any fights. We have no quarrel with Egyptians and not every Muslim is an extremist. So I expect everyone to behave here."
Before long, they were landing at New Zerzura. It wasn't what some people would choose to spend the Christmas season at, but the warmth would suit the visitors who would be staying for most of the winter. And there was a lot to see here as well.