I felt like this was an important piece for Marle, storywise. It definitely occurs in the later part of the book series, probably in book 5 - so if you don't want any potential spoilers, stop reading now. Just enjoy the great art and cool abs she's got! Oh, and the cute, new penguin plushy she made! She's getting better at making them!
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How long had she been waiting here at this bus stop in the pouring rain? With only a metal and glass roofing to protect her from the elements, Marle was quite exposed out here in a country full of nothing but reptiles. She knew she was disliked and hated for what she was born as, but it didn't make much difference to her. She was used to this sort of thing, especially having been born with a small neck and ridiculed and abandoned for it by her own parents. However, this time, the ostracization was different. Most reptiles left her well enough alone considering her size. She towered over many of them by several feet, so few rarely bucked up the courage to antagonize her. Still, it was not an easy thing being one of the few mammals left in the capital of Al-Talkar - given mercy and grace under the new leadership after the war for their efforts in helping win it. Something about their new routine of life seemed off and she did not care for it. She had Max to comfort her during the warm nights on the mesa, but when she was out during the day doing her job - the only one that would have her - it was lonely and cold. Was this all there was to her life? Could she not be anything more than what she was because she was a mammal? She did not like being conquered.
