New Year's Eve and New Year's Day in Animalia was only different from the rest of the world in the amount of alcohol consumed. Many Animalians either didn't like the taste of alcohol, or converted to escape alcohol's noose. However, there were many tourists in Animalia who had no qualms about alcohol, especially the Prohibition era alcohol that had been found underneath what was now Animalia School of Modeling. Said alcohol was now more potent due to decades of aging, at least according to out of town alcohol connoisseurs. Unfortunately, alcohol and lust tended to make idiots out of ordinary people, but fortunately new technology designed to alert the APD to "unwanted attention" made confrontations a lot less violent, but no less amusing. It involved a beacon that could be easily hidden in plain sight on a keychain. By pressing on it, it sent an alert to APD and activated a GPS system that showed where the activated beacon was in real time.
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Irena was just heading home after her most recent acclimation class, and having placed a request for having several heirlooms transported from her estate to Animalia for replication/restoration. Because they were mostly family dresses dating as far back as the High Medieval Era, there were many museums in Europe interested in those dresses. One of those dresses was actually being considered as one of Spain's national treasures because it dated back to Christopher Columbus' day.
Her new high, both from her restored youth, health, and new money in her pocket (so to speak) didn't last when another of the "pickled nincompoops", as they were known started coming on to her. She didn't need to be near him to smell the cheap alcohol scent on him. Seemingly no matter what she did to try to tell him to leave her alone, he seemed more and more attracted to her. Eventually, after triggering the concealed "pervert beacon" that were created for female Animalians, he led him toward the Meat Market.
"Now if you'll just wait out here," she said, leaving the lout at the entrance, "I've got some work to do."
"Work. Right." said the lout, slurring slightly, "The 'house of ill repute' you 'work' at, as they say in your old country."
Irene looked back at him with an unreadable (to him) expression on her face before heading inside. Inside, she seethed with rage at his behavior toward her, now knowing how Anne felt when she had to deal with a similar lout.
"Do I get a discount for buying in bulk?" the lout asked the current bouncer before Irene returned with a paper often used in perfume ads in magazines, which were imbued with the scent of the perfume being advertised.
"I'd like you to do a quality test." said Irene holding the paper close to his nose. But before she could ask the question about the scent, the perfume scent seemed to accelerate the effect of the alcohol in his bloodstream.
"Whoops, there it goes." he said, "Yep, my brain stopped." And with that he passed out. As the APD hauled him off, it was decided to call the new scent "Numbskull Knockout".
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Fortunately that was the worst of the incidents. Some of the more amusing ones included another drunk flirting with an antique cigar store indian that was due to be appraised recently.
Another thing that was part of the New Year Festivities was the reenactment of the signing of the Treaty of Versailles that ended WWI. This also made it into the Absolut Vodka commercial, especially since the only reparation required was the payment of the dry cleaning bills of the two assassination victims.
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The great hall had a social event as the major highlights of the ACE were played back before the official countdown to the start of 2018. There were several news agencies doing interviews with members of Project Mesozoic, Project Cenozoic. Fortunately, these weren't the celebrity newsmongers or trashy gossip magazines that were more interested in scandal than actual facts, thanks to Animalia's new Media Public Relations Department (or PR-MD) that allowed Clara and Rick more freedom to be with their cubs.
"So Marjorie, what inspired you to be part of Project Mesozoic?" asked one reporter, trying to focus on one new Diplodocus Dinotopian's head and not on her O-cup bosom.
"I was one of those people who was big all their life and had an easy time gaining weight, but a hard time losing it." said Marjorie, "It seemed that no matter how much diet and exercise I did I would slowly but surely get confined to a mobility car. With New Year's being about new resolutions, I decided to kick the mobility car 'habit' before it put me into a permanent dirt nap, and after I converted, I chucked my old mobility car fifty feet into the dumpster. Got it in on the first try."
"So why did you choose a Diplodocus?" asked the reporter.
"It was my 7th grade science fair." Said Marjorie, reminiscently, "I did a display on how a diplodocus skeleton was similar to a suspension bridge. I would have won first place if it wasn't for a kid with some red ant farm." It was then that she recognized the name Gillian Anderson on the reporter's nametag. "Hey, I think that was you, Gilly!"
"Yes, that was me." answered the reporter, "And actually, they were Argentinian Black Ants. I learned early on that it's the insects that catch the most attention, and it's foreign insects that win the big prizes.
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"So Courtney, what inspired you to join Project Mesozoic?" asked a different reporter of another recent volunteer that had become a Pachycephalosaurus Dinotopian.
"I always had an interest in health and fitness, as well as female action heroes like Wonder Woman." Said Courtney, ignoring the lecherous-yet-wary gazes cast in her direction. "I managed to get my college degree in sports medicine. The problem was that not many men want to be the lover of someone who looks like they might knock them out if they answer the infamous 'do I look fat in this?' question wrong.
I also have a habit of being drawn to strong, confident males. But the problem with that is that most of those that I was able to find falls into an acronym I call EFG. The E's would be so self-absorbed in their workouts that they wouldn't pay me any attention; the F's just want me without any strings attached, like some of the louts here are sometimes; and the G's, well, I'm female, and simply not their type."
"That's actually quite common in the professional circuits." said Anton, who was passing by, "And don't worry too much about that, many male converted Animalian Bodybuilders that were originally G's find themselves becoming B's slowly but surely. Right now I've got some numbers to call for Project Phoenix."
"Why would that be?" asked the reporter, making a note to interview Anton later.
"I just got word that one of my old friends/rivals from my competition days just died from a fungal infection due to a compromised immune system that resulted from 'juicing' as it's now known." replied Anton, sadly, "I'm getting a new part of Project Phoenix set up to 'rescue' those bodybuilders who have used steroids from future health problems. I'm going to call it Project White Lily, because lilies are my favorite flower, and symbolize purity."
"Anyway," continued Courtney after Anton left, "My new bondmate, who happens to share many of my outlooks, is a retired boxing instructor from Italy named Mario. He knows that the secret to getting champion boxers is that the more you insult them, the harder they punch; but take it too far and they start directing those punches at their trainer's heads. It really helps out at the Octagon at Claw Coliseum where we now work.
"So are you two now...?" asked the Reporter, seeing an engagement ring on her right hand.
"Dinotopian marriages aren't officially taking place until Project Dinotopia is unveiled next summer. But until then, Mario and I are officially friends with benefits."
"So why a Pachycephalosaurus?" asked the reporter, after a somewhat awkward pause.
"It was one of the ones they still didn't have data on, but would like data on." answered Courtney, simply.