The saltwater of the ocean was a cooling embrace as Evan waded into the waves, the gentle surf lapping at his ankles. The sun-kissed sands of Port Zaftig grew distant behind him, his paw prints slowly being washed away by the persistent tide. He had always heard about the allure of the ocean, but never had he experienced its firsthand. Growing up in Bastion, the closest he ever got to large bodies of water were the murky lakes and streams surrounded by tall grasses and thick forests. The ocean was something else entirely. It was vast and powerful, a stark contrast to the confines of his rural upbringing.
As Evan made his way through the water, he noticed the stares from the other beachgoers. Most of them were furs of all shapes and sizes, but almost all of them bore the same trait: their bodies were bloated and bulging with fat. Even the teens and children looked as though they had been gorging on food for months without end. It was a sight that was both fascinating and slightly unnerving for Evan, who had always been naturally slim from a lifetime of manual labor and a modest diet.
Deciding to ignore the glances, he dove into a particularly large wave and let the cool water envelop him. The salt stung his eyes briefly, but the sensation was quickly replaced by the joy of floating in the vastness of the sea. When he resurfaced, he saw the young orange leopard with yellow spots staring at him from the shoreline. The cub looked to be about eight years old, his chubby cheeks red with sunburn. His belly, which was already much larger than any child his age should have, was covered in a thick layer of sand that stuck to the moist fur. His swimming trunks look painted on his blubbery legs. The leopard's eyes were wide with astonishment, his mouth agape as he took in the sight of the fit lion.
As Evan climbed out of the ocean, the leopard cub made his way over. "Why are you so... skinny? Did someone starve you? You're so thin!" the cub asked, his voice tinged with innocence. It was a simple question, but one that echoed the curiosity of many of the other locals he'd seen today.
Before Evan could formulate a response, a blur of bright orange and yellow spots barreled towards them. The cub's mother, a plump leopard with similar fur and spots to the pudgy cub, looked furious. "What did I tell you about asking such rude questions to strangers?" she panted, her fur sticking to her sweaty skin as she bent down to scold the child. She was quite fat herself, easily over 300 pounds, though she was smaller than most adult furs on the beach. Her thighs and rump looked like they could swallow Evan whole if she sat on him. Her blue bikini bottoms groaned as she knelt down to scold her son.
The cub looked up at his mother, his eyes wide with fear. "I'm sorry, ma'am," he mumbled.
"It's quite alright," Evan reassured her with a smile, his voice calm and friendly. "I'm just a new face around here."
The mother's expression softened immediately, the anger fading from her features to be replaced by a look of embarrassment. "Oh, I'm so sorry," she huffed, her chest heaving with the exertion of the sudden movement. "I'm Faye, and this here is my son, Dylan."
Evan nodded and offered his paw. "Evan. Just moved in yesterday."
Faye took his paw in her thickly padded mitt, giving it a firm shake. "Well, welcome to Port Zaftig, Evan. You're gonna love it here," she said with a warm smile, her voice now friendly and welcoming. She took in his lean form once again and her expression grew thoughtful. "You know, I can tell you're not from around here. You're so...trim. It's a bit of a rarity in these parts," she chuckled, patting her own ample backside. The leopard's gaze lingered on him for a moment longer before she brightened. "You know what? Why don't you come over for dinner tonight? I can whip up something special. You've got to try my bacon-wrapped meatloaf," she offered, her eyes twinkling with the excitement of sharing her culinary pride.
"I'd love that..."
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