A lot of expansion has happened in Animalia in preparation of the IAC. Not only were there new hotels and campgrounds, but apartment buildings have also been expanded to allow new residents to move in. And in some cases, it was a chance for current residents to move up.
Probably the most notable example was what happened with the apartment complex called the Reptile House. A few extra floors were added to it, including a two-floor penthouse suite. Nutra Pharma apparently felt their new mascot deserved better and had an upscale suite on top of the Reptile House. The contrast between it and the floors below was very noticeable. For one thing, there was a ramp connecting the two floors instead of stairs to accommodate them, almost everything was of the larger Megafauna scale for them, and there were two extra bedrooms for their potential lovers/mates. It was almost like stepping into a completely different house from the floors below.
Personally, Iphis and Ianthe thought their sponsor had done a little too much. They were still a modest pair, unused to such luxury. And they didn't feel they needed to be elevated above their neighbors, figuratively or literally. So everyone below them along with some of their friends were invited to the housewarming party for 'Python Penthouse'. The name wasn't accurate since Iphis and Ianthe were an anaconda, but it had an alliterative ring and it was worth noting that 'Python' was a legendary serpent in Greek mythology.
Their guests were pretty impressed with their new apartment and they brought several foods over. Though there was a mild problem in that most of them were carnivores while there were a herbivores that came, but they brought their own salads.
"So, how are you able to build up your muscles if you can't eat meat?" asked Ianthe to the Williams.
"Well, iguanas can eat some meat, but we prefer vegetables," said Marlysa, "I find eggs have enough protean for me."
"Besides, we're not purely iguanas," said Anton, "We still have enough human biology so that we can process some nutrients that wild animals can't normally ingest. Besides, there are plenty of vegetables that have muscle-building nutrients in them."
Iphis was able to carry on a conversation with Sabine and Bazooka. "So, how's the modeling gig treating you?" asked Iphis.
"It took a bit of getting used to, but not nearly as much as this body," said Bazooka, "They're having me model for this men's body wash that really brings a sheen to my scales."
"And with our combined paychecks, we'll be able to take care of our children," said Sabine, "I just know we're gonna have a happy family."
Just then, there was a doorbell sound. "Oh, that must be our main guests," said Ianthe.
"Could someone get the door?" asked Iphis.
Presently, two humans were escorted in. Iphis and Ianthe recognized them from their livechat sessions. They've only seen Typhoon and Waterlily from the chest up from until now and they didn't have much of an idea what the rest of their body was like. Typhoon was a pretty big guy, definitely the type of person you found by the docks. He had his own sailboat, but it was small compared to what most people had these days. Still, he was able to make money by taking people out on short cruises and the muscles in his body showed how much exercise he got from it. Waterlily worked at a bakery and was a little on the dumpling side from sampling their wares. She was also much shorter than Typhoon but it made her look cuter.
Iphis and Ianthe slithered towards them. "Typhoon, Waterlily, welcome to our humble home," said Ianthe.
"Well, not so humble, but we're getting used to it," said Iphis.
Waterlily was looking around in amazement. "Like, far out, man," she said, "All these scalies are, like, really here."
"Don't mind her," said Typhoon, "She got stoked up during the drive."
"I hope she's not gonna stay like this during the whole thing," said Iphis.
"It's cool, man. I just gotta, like, take the edge off," said Waterlily.
"Well, let us show you around," said Ianthe. They showed the two of them around their suite, introducing them to their guests. The guests were polite, not commenting on Waterlily's unusual scent.
Eventually, Typhoon said, "You know, there's something that's been puzzling me. How do you two work? I mean, internally and stuff."
"That's a very good question," said Iphis as they headed over to their Smart TV.
"And we'll be answering it at our presentation," said Ianthe as she clicked it on and opened a file. The other guests watched with interest as the TV went on.
The TV showed a CGI version Iphis and Ianthe with their arms held out in the classic Vitruvian Man pose, though obviously without the legs. As they watched, the model faded to a view of the skeleton, showing their forked spines and duplicated neck bones. Iphis and Ianthe explained how their bones were adapted from their original mundane form. Then the view switched to their muscular system. This time, Iphis and Ianthe talked about how their tail muscles allowed them to slither for the benefit of viewers who wouldn't know. Then it showed their cardiovascular system and their two hearts which were required to fuel their two brains, then their nervous system to show how their brains interacted with their body and each other. Then they showed their respiratory and digestive systems, which weren't much different from a usual snake Animalians aside from having an extra set of pipes for the two heads and their internal organs being larger to supply their bigger body and two brains.
Before the next part could begin, a warning was flashed on the screen that the following presentation was not suitable for children. Then the model focused on their reproductive system. Iphis and Ianthe explained how they had the internalized reproductive organs that other snake Animalians had, including the ovaries, womb, prostate, and testicles. The organs were highlighted as they were named and described. The external organs, namely the hemipenis and vagina, were also described and briefly shown, though as chicken-wire 3D models. There was also a brief examination of how their mammary glands were as functional as any reptilian's, even if they were a bit of an odd feature. They also explained the proper pronouns to use with them. Plural pronouns were acceptable, but when referring to a single one of them, the right pronouns to use were 'shi', 'hir', 'hirself', and so forth.
When the presentation was over, their guests politely applauded their informative lecture. Then the anaconda twins went over to their human guests. "Well, you've seen everything except for our bare body," said Iphis.
"It doesn't disturb you, does it?" asked Ianthe.
"I've just one question," said Waterlily, "If you change us, would we merge into a two-headed snake too?"
Iphis and Ianthe gave her an odd look. "Uh, no, that shouldn't be possible," said Ianthe.
"I suppose it MIGHT be technically possible for you each to grow a second head, but I don't think you would want that," said Iphis.
"I think just one head on my shoulders will be enough," said Typhoon.
"But it would be trippy," said Waterlily in a dreamy voice.
Typhoon sighed and said, "You'll find her a lot easier to understand when she comes down."
"I'm sure she is," said Iphis.
"We're not trying to rush this or anything," said Ianthe.
"Yeah, get to know each other, let our vibes harmonize," said Waterlily.
"She'll probably lose her addiction when she changes," said Ianthe.
"But would I lose my studs and tats?" asked Typhoon.
"You might have to get repierced, you certainly wouldn't have your earlobes anymore," said Iphis, "I don't really know what happens with tattoos. The worst case scenario would be you have a blank canvas to restart on."
"Oh, I can think of some psychedelic stuff you can put on your skin," said Waterlily.
"You don't mind losing your addiction? Is it actually something you want?" asked Ianthe.
"I just go with the flow, man. I'm kinda curious about what it'd be like to be part man," said Waterlily.
"Let's save it for when we're comfortable enough with each other," said Typhoon.
"There's something to agree on," said Iphis.