"Hello everyone, and welcome to the newest episode of Animalia Ambassadoria." Began Abby, starting the podcast.
"We're in cropped tops and short shorts because we're here to answer questions about the physical activeness of Animalians, especially Project Phoenix volunteers." Said Sarah.
"We're also looking at a few relationships that develop between converted and uplifted Animalians. Mine not included." Said Malice, slightly holding onto Simon.
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"For Project Phoenix volunteers who choose frogs and toads as their animal," began Sophie opening a door onto a gymnasium with several different species of frogs, "Acclimation classes include spending time at the aptly named Croakers' College, learning how to use their new jumping skills."
"You were thinking about our first week back at school weren't you?" Asked Jessica, giggling slightly.
"Yeah, it was also Malice's first day at school." Said Abby, whickering slightly as well.
"Trying to show off with a slam dunk in gym should be done with your eyes open." Said Malice, barking out a laugh.
"I'm just glad that poor backboard got fixed without too much problem, or capital." Said Sarah, trying, and failing, to stifle a giggle.
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"For those who become birds, or bats," said Jessica, as they moved on after history had somehow repeated itself, "there are classes to help with learning how to use their new wings."
"There are actually three separate paths for learning to fly," said Sophie, opening the door to something that could be described as an aerobics classroom.
"Oh, hello ladies." Said a female golden eagle turning toward the interruption.
"Oops, sorry Goldie, for interrupting your class." Said Abby, startling back somewhat.
"That's okay, girls." Said Goldie, "we were actually going to start our wing exercises." Then, turning to the rest of the class, she continued, "Now remember, we are not songbirds or hummingbirds. We don't need to flap our wings continuously. We use big sweeping circles for our flight motions, with pauses in between. Now let us begin, class." At that, each student layed down on a narrow platform 4.5 feet off the ground and narrow enough to support the whole body, but keeping the arms and wings free to move. Goldie continued, "Now remember to move only your wings, and to move them down, backward, then up. Those of you who have this down will be able to move on to my mate, Noble's flying lessons."
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"Those Animalians who show enhanced swimming capabilities often take swimming lessons." Said Simon, opening a door onto a smaller pool where a group of otters doing group swimming. Two of them spotted Abby and Co. and swam over to them, and they turned out to be Mike and Mary.
"So how are you two doing?" Asked Sophie.
"Swimming as an otter is a lot more different than swimming as a human." Began Mike, "Learning how to use my new tail as a rudder took some getting used to. Not using my arms to move me forward was new. And then there are my new aquatic senses."
"Ah, you'll get used to it." Said Mary, "After free swim is over, we'll be working on ring catching."
"Got any plans for that?" Asked Malice.
"It's practice for catching fish without rod or reel. We otters are really good at it." Replied Mary.
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"In many cases," said Abby, leading her group into the weight room, "becoming an Animalian often leads to greatly increased strength and/or endurance. So this is the best way to find that upper limit."
"And Surpass it?" Asked Sarah, just as a large, coal-black stallion and a pale-brown-with-darker-brown spots mare came up behind them.
"Oh, hello mom, dad." Said Abby, tiredly.
"I'm sorry we didn't tell you about our joining Animalia," said the male.
"I'm okay with that, dad." Said Abby, still tiredly, "I just wish you told me and Samson about it."
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"Hey Anton," said Sophie later, after a brief Brown Family squabble that wasn't recorded, "how goes the egg watch?"
"They're actually doing quite well." Said Anton, "They seem to be developing in the eggs at the same developmental rate as normal human fetuses, but at a faster rate than normal human fetuses."
"That's good to hear." Said Abby.
"We've also learned that the tadpole Animalians have developed a hybrid style of amphibian metamorphosis and human infant development." Said Anton, remembering something that was said by the scientists/doctors at the maternity ward during his last checkup on his and Marlysa's eggs.
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"Here at the Golden Mountain Dojo- oh hello Yumi and Michiko." Said Jessica, accidentally bumping into the two during their brief tour of the new Dojo. "What are you doing here?"
"We're actually putting something on display something that has been in our family for a long time." Said Michiko, indicating the full set of samurai great armor in the glass armor. At this there was a flood of responses, most on how cool it was.
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"For those who want to take tameshiwari to the limit," said Malice, "there is crashing straight through a brick wall, as Dean and Zynga-"
"It Nzinga, not Zynga." said the female elephant Animalian from the Civil Rights episode from the other side of the special room for such activities.
"Right, sorry." Apologized Malice, sheepishly, "As Dean and Nzinga are demonstrating now." It was then that Dean took a running start and smashed headlong into a brick wall."
"Great job." Complemented Simon.
"It wasn't that great." Said Dean coming over to them, "The wall was made with lime mortar, so it was more flexible. I've still got a ways to go before I can do full cement mortar walls."
"That doesn't matter." Said Nzinga, coming over to Dean and embracing him warmly, "You still have strength of spirit, and that's enough for me."
"I take it you two are bondmates? Asked Sarah.
"Yeah," said Dean, somewhat embarrassed, "I was at the Zoo during the outbreak there for a summer homework project, and Nzinga seemed to be the only girl who saw me for more than just my letterman jacket."
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"To wrap up our show- oops!" Said Abby, coming into the hot spring room and finding two turtles in there, a male and a female, and their shells off to the side, indicating that at least the female was topless. At least nothing was "showing", so to speak.
"Don't worry," said the male, "Mara and I will be done shortly."
"Wait," said Sarah, recognizing the male's voice, "Peter?"
"That's Peter?!" Exclaimed Jessica pointing at him, "That geek with the severe asthma and severe vision issues?!"
"The very same." Said the now-identified male as he sat up more in the hot spring, showing off his sculpted musculature, but not exposing himself.
"Well, you've become quite the jock, I must say." Said Sophie, remembering how bullies used to play keep away with his glasses until he had an asthma attack from fatigue.
"I'm sure the intimacy he has been having with me and my three sisters on a regular basis has nothing to do with the martial arts training we've all been having." Said Mara coquettishly, kicking off a firestorm of comments, ranging from "T.M.I." To "Casanova!".
"Can we try to keep it PG-Rated?" Said Abby, somewhat embarrassedly.
"Sorry." Said Peter, trying to change the subject, "Mara and her three sisters were uplifted at the pet store where Sammy-1's girlfriend Sammy-2 came from. I'm just glad my lungs and eyes are doing better than they were before."
"I'm sure our group therapy was-" began Mara.
"And that's all the time we have for today." Said Sarah, hastily, "See you all next time in the wilds of Animalia."