With Leon having left to play his role in the first act of the play, Hakuren and Leila both headed forwards across the street, towards the first house.
It was neither grand, nor glorious. The wood, from which the walls were made of, had several patches of mold, which bore bizarre colours, such as pink, ginger and blue, and holes both big and small, in some of which a cork could be seen. The chimney was nothing more than a few pipes suck together and had tilted rather dangerously to the side, yet the residents had not removed it, either because they were too preoccupied or because it posed no threat to them. Sounds of footsteps and loud mumbling could be heard from inside, the voices rather unclear and harsh. 
The young man in the midnight green coat gave the girl behind him one final glance over his shoulder, before he pulled out the black notebook from the inside pocket of his upper cloth and opened it. Within was the lace, the bookmark, which instantly slid towards his fingertips and formed a black pencil in his hand. Wearing a friendly smile on his face, the youngster politely knocked on the door once. There was no answer. Whatever was stirring from inside became quiet and not a single sound was let out, until the human knocked once more, adding a "Hello? Is anyone home?"

[b]"Waddaya vant?"[/b] came a reply as soon as the dver was opened. 

The one who came to answer his call was quite the figure to behold. It was a chameleon standing on two legs, dressed in a red and white striped shirt and military pants. Eyes huge and staring in different directions, what was most peculiar about this creature was the fact that at the end of its long tail was a lamp quite literally glued to it. Judging by the Nowherian's voice, it was a man and was certainly disturbed by this sudden visit.

[b]"Good morning. We-"[/b] the lad began, but was cut off quickly.
[b]"Bah, vhat's so good about it? Nothin'. Nothin' at all. Naw hurry it up, yall. I don't vant to vaste this stupid life on yous."[/b] the villager told him with a rugged, irritated tone.
[b]"We're here by orders of the Queen of Nowhere to do a survey regarding living conditions in Yonder."[/b] Hakuren explained, unfazed by the other's harshness.
[b]"A servey. Vat vill you do? Serve me some grub? I'm a picky eater, ya know. Mostly flies and them multileggid critters are my thang, but no sawse and them fatty stuffings and such. Can't disappoint the Missis, ya know."[/b]
[b]"No, this survey involves us asking questions about your life and how you feel like when living here."[/b]
[b]"Bah! Petty talk! Git outa 'ere, ya fish. I vant no part'a' dis nonesenshialaticallness or vatever them fancy-pants merinjays call it!"[/b]
With that the door was banged shut right in front of them, a cloud of dust being blown in the two's faces. For some reason, Hakuren was still smiling, although now it was more like one of those annoyed "I'm going to get you for this" side grins. Several moments of silence passed on that porch and, just when the duo was about to pack up and leave, a loud monstrous roar was heard from within the house. It was as if a tremendous beast had just been woken from its slumber, its eyes bloody from lack of rest and fangs shining in the light like the fine surface of a new blade. Something was broken and something fell, accompanied by pleas, apologies and screams of terror only a little girl could make. This was so sudden that the humans stayed pinned on their positions, as if lightning had struck them in place. Only a heartbeat later, the door opened once more and someone far different appeared before them.
A crocodile taller than the door itself, also standing on its hind legs, wearing a pink dress and slippers, was smiling with a mouth with a full set of razor-sharp teeth, hands clasped together in front of it. 
[b]"Palease excusé my husband's awfully rude behavior. The poor thing's exhausted from all the hard work at the light house during tha nighté. The time's are thought 'n' all. Now dearies, don't be shy~ Come right in~"[/b] It spoke with a womanly meow in its voice, hinting that it was female.
[b]"Much obliged, ma'am."[/b]

---

The time spent at the Anaisiuol family's home was a delight compared to walking down the empty streets. Mrs Anaisiuol treated her guests kindly with herbal tea, which Hakuren found oddly similar to the lake water he had tasted when he had gone 'swimming' the other day, and biscuits of various flavor, most of which were either different kinds of meat or 'fruit'. The crocodile chatted endlessly about her family life, so much it felt as though the humans were not there to do a survey, but her autobiography. From the time of her great great great uncle Loui to the present day, she knew all the gossip and all the murmurings, all the affairs and all the filth of the locals. She didn't hesitate one bit in the never-ending chain of words, not even when mentioning past humans, whom she only described through the rumors and fantasies Yonderers had created and the preposterous conclusions they had made of them and their world all on their very own, without ever coming into true contact with those outer-worldly beings. Her blabbering made the entire structure that was their unstable house shake as if there was an earthquake and it was a miracle that Mr. Anaisiuol continued sleeping, most likely due to the fact he had gotten used to it after living for years with his big-jawed wife. Hakuren only fueled this bubbling machine by asking her questions and faking astonishment and curiosity. It would be untrue to state that he was not interested in hearing the story of the town, but the many side-notes and additional information the crock packed into this giant sandwich was too big of a bite to swallow with a straight face. Still, he continued forwards. This woman was far too easy to get talking and only needed a few hints before steering into the right direction. Once they somehow came on the topic concerning the caves, she mentioned that old folk used to hold a festival there or nearby in their day, but the tradition had been long forgotten, along with all the reasons why it was created in the first place. In addition, she told them about uncleanly whisperings of who did who when at the caves and who was the result of that happening, as well as how they lived and got to face the truth and all the little dramas of those stories. At one point, the young man actually thought this would be the best TV program for elderly people. "Teatime with the crocodile. You'll never guess what's below the water". If she was in their world, she might as well become famous. 

The true phenomenon occurred when the Mrs actually allowed them to leave. They had to stop several times along the way. Once at the door of the living room, twice in the hallway, once in front of the shoes and at the front door. By the time they were finished, the young man could hear the sound of a television, which had lost contact, in his head. 
[b]"You darlings watch out now~! Don't wana get into Mr. Esel's way~! Remember, don't try Mrs. Hwyaden's cooking! Don't believe Mrs. llwynog! The old fox is always drunk! Oh, and don't forget to stop by Mr. Doberman! He's a good man, he doesn't bite!"[/b] Mrs. Anaisiuol said at the door, along with a couple of more wishes about staying warm and closed the door. 
[b]"And this is why I rarely visit my grandmother."[/b] Hakuren sighed with a smile. [b]"Well, after hearing all about the "Great adventures of Chad Eboric Anaisiuol" and Mrs. Ilwynog's cooking, I think we learned quite a few tasty things."[/b]
Of course, he didn't mean all of that nonsensical chatter. Between her long soapy tales about her ancestors and other villagers of the past, the gator had truly given them valuable information. She had mentioned the past batches, only clearly remembering the members of the last, yet only by gender and appearance. The caves were surrounded by mystery and myth, but among the many rumors there was bound to be a grain of truth. Regarding the siren, the crocodile had not spoken in great detail, mainly because she herself had not participated in the act that was the witch hunt, yet her mouth seeped story after story as to why the drowned woman was considered a witch. She had put a spell on the man she loved. She had poisoned a rival. She had killed by simply speaking. She had turned into a hotdog. Sang strange songs. Talked to thin air. Ran off on her own. Slept with shadows. Chanted in an incoherent language. Almost all of them had no evidence to back them up except the mass belief of the townsfolk. At her only venom was spit, but the Mrs also hissed from time to time at the Mayor's address, concerning his egoistic corrupt nature. Interestingly enough, individuals she was fond of speaking of were Brandy, Two Thirds and Songbird. Once she learned they were with the humans, she quickly wrote down on a sheet of moss a list of items she wished to order. Apparently, she was a great admirer of all three, especially of Two Thirds, in whose shop she had dreamed of entering ever since she was a wee lass, yet had never had the opportunity to do so. Other important information she had provided regarded some areas in Nowhere, as well as some important figures within them.

Having written down notes in his notebook, Hakuren now quickly shut and placed it back in the inside pocket of his coat. Strolling down the street without an exact destination in mind, he listened carefully for any sound that might give away Leon and Mado's location.
[b]"I found the sweets far better than the tea. And you?"[/b] the youngster attempted to initiate a conversation with his partner in crime, who was currently following him.