"Well the tournament went well," Sophie commented as made their way through the Claw Coliseum.
The group of friends that had been serving as Animalia's ambassadors could hear the sounds of some of the conversations and comments rising from the main arena area. At present they were gathered into one of the television studios for the arena. When the UFC provided their input when the Claw Coliseum was built, they included the needs for studio areas for the major networks that covered sports and particularly those that covered various combat sports, which was surprisingly larger than what had been originally thought. The result was that when the Claw Coliseum was built, there was a level in the viewing area that was set up as a typical booth for sports commentators to cover sporting events for television.
There were rows of computer panels and television screens in the back rows that were likely there for the production crews to coordinate the cameras that were in the arena's ceiling to cover those events, which had managed to cover a couple of the of the UFC-A matches that had been held, along with the wrestling and boxing matches that had also been held. To a degree, these successes helped pay for the Claw Coliseum, but for the moment that wasn't a major issue. With a fair amount of the outside rather soggy and the knights and historians bringing in extra dirt and sand so that the reenactors for the Medieval Tournament could safely display their horsemanship and the historian with them could explain the history of Medieval cavalry warfare and so on without risking any of the horses sinking too deeply into the mud and that no one was thrown in the course of the tournament, much of the functions of the internal cameras was presently more for security than anything else.
However, the booth did allow for a quiet area where Animalia Ambassadoria could make some good shots to show the renaissance fair that was set up in the arena. It's large and clear windows allowed for easy viewing and as they made their way in, they could see many of the Humans from Lyre and many Animalians touring the various booths and aisles that had been set up.
"Yeah... but with everything related to the weather, that might be best covered in a quick shot and we summarize it," Abby said with a sigh as came up beside Sophie, who was looking out over the fair through the windows with Roland, "After all... this is just a summary of the Spring Fair, right?"
With that Abby turned her head to the one who had lead them there, Animalia's Mayor, Clara. They were just getting ready to leave the area where the jousting reenactment had held when Clara approached them and made mention of wanting to do a quick and special "Animalia Ambassadoria" to honor not only the change in season but to give everyone freedom to enjoy the Easter weekend without too much to worry about with regard to the main media outlet, the internet, that Animalia used to explain its positions and show that many of the things that people held as "different" was really only in appearances and that in the end, where it counted, Animalians and Humans were pretty much one and the same.
"Yes," Clara nodded, "Let people know how long the Spring Fair will be running and wish everyone a "Happy Easter" as well. That sort of thing."
"Well... I don't think that'd be too hard," Roger commented, "We could do a wide angle shot from the booth here and show everyone enjoying the fair..."
"Maybe for an introduction," Sarah commented, "We're kinda isolated up here... and I don't think we want to pull anyone away."
"We could get a few passing walk through and ask people their opinion on the fair," Malice commented, "You know... what they think."
She then pointed toward the people walking among the array of booths and displays that had been brought inside. The others followed her outstretched finger and nodded at the idea.
"We can then compile them and get them online by Saturday," Roland commented, "Since the Spring Fair will go past the Easter Break..."
"Many of those from outside Lyre and Animalia will likely go home for Easter," Clara commented.
"But they would be scheduled to come back, right?" Travis wondered.
To that, Clara nodded, "Yes. Today is their last day before Easter and they'd start again on the Tuesday after Easter to allow for travel."
Again the group nodded and presented Sophie with the camera they most frequently used. She then moved to where she could view both the others and the fair going on in the arena. While she and Jessica weren't too different when it came to weight issues, it was pretty clear that she and Roland were shorter than the others. And while she and Roland would get the chance to convert come the summer, Pterodactylus was smaller than humans, and had a foot structure that wasn't likely to increase hers or Roland's height the way Jessica, Sarah, and Abby had all gotten taller when they became Animalians. This meant that she and Roland would probably remain on the short side, though flight would be a good trade off, and Sophie was more than willing to be in the first row for that purpose.
Her plan was to set the recording and show her and then pan over to the others, introducing them as she went. They'd then handle the introduction by saying where they were and what they were there cover. From there, she would turn to show the inside of the arena and all the grandeur that it contained that related to the fair. This included the booths and people in costume that went beyond more than just the historians and those manning the booths. She thought she saw a familiar pair of Syntixisaurus Rexes walking up one of the aisles being led by a younger Polar Bear Animalian, even if Polly was taller than what she should be, though Sophie did find it fairly cute on Polly's love of the movie "Frozen."
They filmed their introductions for the episode quickly and made it through one broad view of the arena before the camera was turned off and they prepared to move their operation to the arena itself. They slowly walked with each looking rather pleased with the take, probably because it didn't take a lot of re-shots. As there were the occasions where someone said the wrong thing, forgot a line, or simply giggled uncontrollably. It was something that they'd gotten used to in the course of doing Animalia Ambassadoria.
"That went great!" Malice cheered almost prancing forward and holding onto Simon's hand, "we didn't have to do anything over..."
"Which would be especially big given how impromptu this episode is," Simon chuckled as they made their way out of the booth for the television production area and into the hallways that were part of the Claw Coliseum's upper levels.
"And it'll be a classic one, too," Sarah commented glancing to Sophie and Roland as they made up the rear of the group on their way out, "Summer vacation isn't that far off... a little over two months. By then, Sophie will get her wings and will be able to fly."
Sophie slowly nodded, thinking on her conversion that she knew was coming and had to wait for. Her parents and Roland's parents had agreed to it, but only after they completed the school year. The reasoning was that she and Roland would then have the summer to learn to fly like Pterosaurs. Norrie had also volunteered to help teach them with some information that taking off for them would be different from the various Bird Animalians. Norrie had said they could take off from the ground, but it wasn't a leap from the legs that was the means of take off. Regardless, Sophie was counting down the days.
"I want the first ride!" Malice declared.
"Pterodactylus actually wasn't that big," Sophie corrected, "I probably won't be any bigger than some of the larger Hawk, Owl, or Eagle Animalians, which means I probably wouldn't be able to carry much weight beyond my own into the air."
Malice let out a protesting whine and lowered her ears. There was a fair deal of recognition that Sophie would get to join Animalia, and among her closest friends, who had either gotten caught in the initial outbreaks or had been allowed to change early it carried a great deal of excitement. There were some times where even Sophie couldn't fully hide her own, but she did her best to control herself. Partially because she wasn't fully sure on what got her parents and Roland's parents to change their minds. They'd been pretty firm on "wait until your eighteen" thing for the longest time, and in theory they'd had fairly good reasons for it. In that, the decision came off as sudden and surprising. Regardless, though, Sophie wasn't going to do anything that would risk coming off as irresponsible or that her reason for becoming Animalian was in any way "sexual." That might get her parents to change their mind right back.
"But we are looking forward to our conversion though," Roland spoke up and wrapped one arm around Sophie's shoulders.
"Wasn't there something else...?" Samson wondered after a moment or two.
"There's also seeing if JC can be uplifted into a Dinotopian too," Sophie answered, "but right now Jeremy and Rex are busy with seeing how well that can go..."
"Seems that the start of summer will be very exciting for you," Abby gave a chuckle.
"Roland and I will only be single dosers, like Jessica and Roger," Sophie answered, "JC... that'll be up to him."
They made their way through the hallways quietly from there. There was some underlying excitement at Sophie and Roland's joining Animalia coming up in the near future, almost as though the group of friends were a complete set, but for the most part they had gone over everything they needed to go over in that regard for the moment and there was no need to take the conversation into the point of being repetitive. There was also the fact that as they made their way through the arena to get to the specific areas where people entering the arena as part of the Spring Fair were they would be interacting with more people. And while Animalians were generally speaking rather polite and so forth, Sophie and Roland's transformation was something that was personal for them and even Malice knew not to blab it to just anyone.
They eventually made their way down the stairs and into the open area of the arena. There was a lot of noise as people were talking and sharing information. A couple of the booths were also set up to sell things, which included one with potted plants. Abby was drawn to them for a moment as she thought they looked like they were selling tulips in ceramic pots. She was about to wander over that way when she could here the ad lib resumption of their Animalia Ambassadoria episode and soon followed by Malice saying hello to someone in her usual energetic and friendly way.
"We're here on the ground floor of the Claw Coliseum's arena where most of the booths and "events" for the Renaissance fair have been set up," Sarah was heard to say, "normally this sort of thing would all be outdoors, but between longer than expected winter weather and even some damp spring weather... it was thought wiser to bring this inside. The only event that is being held outside is the set for Medieval jousting, which was quite fun to see and also quite informative. The rest of the fair is dedicated to many other things Medieval and in the expectation of spring and summer, which isn't too far away now..."
"Hello!" Malice cried out, making Abby turn to see the female Siberian Husky make her way up to a small group of five Animalians who were talking with Robbie. Malice walked up to a semi-startled female Snow Leopard and was soon eagerly shaking her hand, "You're new, right?"
"Yes," the Snow Leopard Animalian managed with a look back to her escort, a Giant Panda Animalian, and her compatriots, a female Tiger, a Red Panda, a Water Buffalo, and a Chinese Green Tree Viper.
"Well, I'm pleased to meet you!" Malice said happily, "My full name is Mary Alice, but you can call me Malice because it's shorter. This is my mate, Simon, my sister Sarah, her mate Travis, and our friends, Sophie, Roland, Abby, Samson, Jessica, and Roger. Welcome to Animalia Ambassadoria and what do you think of the Spring Fair?"
Malice made her rounds of shaking hands with all of them, including the Giant Panda who seemed to be holding back an amused chuckle. The Five Elements slowly shook hands with Malice and looked to Ping and Robbie for guidance.
"These five... they are the five rescued from that slaver's camp of cultists?" Travis asked to Robbie who nodded.
"Animalia Ambassadoria reports on various events that Animalia holds and tries to put us in the best possible light," Robbie said to Ping, who then translated for the elements.
"Right now we're getting in some footage to cover the fair while everyone gets ready for Easter Weekend," Abby spoke as she shook the Water Buffalo's hand.
"These are Huoxing, Tuxing, Jinxing, Shuixing, and Muxing," Ping spoke, "and yes, they were the five I helped rescue from the cultists. You may call me: Ping."
"It is great to meet you all, I trust you're all okay now?" Samson asked hopefully.
"We are doing quite well, thank you," Tuxing spoke for her sisters with what little English she could manage, "Your fair is rather interesting for new things..."
"Most of us are hoping for it to bring about the arrival of spring," Jessica commented, "We have Easter coming up... it'd be kinda bad if Easter has to be done indoors because of a blizzard."
"And we'll have the spraying that'll need to be done with the apple trees," Samson commented, more to Abby than anything else, "as the spraying must be done and absorbed BEFORE the tree's flower's bloom. If that happens the poison will go into the fruit and no one can eat the apples..."
Abby nodded as they soon got into a description of the Brown Farm and its operations in Animalia, along with some description of what "Easter" was. The elements paid fairly close attention, though Shuixing seemed most curious about the farm.
"You farm the land?" Shuixing asked to Abby and Samson, "but so much of this state seemed dry and rocky when we flew in..."
"Lyre and Animalia are in a better part for that," Abby smiled, "and even still, it takes a lot of irrigation and work to make sure we can get apples and oats and wheat grown..."
"And I think some of the other homes in Animalia also tap into the irrigation lines for private gardens, you know for lettuce and carrots and so on," Jessica said to Abby who nodded in response.
"Which means that everyone is waiting for and hoping for spring," Samson spoke.
"I would help, if I may be allowed," Shuixing offered, "I am strong now and can do a lot."
"I'll talk with my folks," Abby spoke, "see if they'd be okay with you helping out on the main part of the farm."
While she had some disappointment that she and Samson would be relegated to more of a judge's and referee's role with regard to the Mister and Miss Farmhand Competition, Abby didn't think that throwing someone who'd been abused for as long as she was into a competition was a smart thing to do. And many of the Brown's former cattle did work as hands as well on the farm, so she figured that Shuixing might make some friends with them as well.
"Where have you been staying?" Abby then asked.
The answer soon lead into another back and forth discussion with Ping playing the role of interpreter. It included some discussion of martial arts and Roger bringing up his former owner being a life long "Power Rangers" fan and all the assorted things that went along with that. There was also some questions on how they were liking Lyre and Animalia, and thankfully while Muxing seemed to be the most alert, almost as if expecting the cultists to come back and being ready to strike at them, the over all responses was that both Lyre and Animalia had been nice and polite to them and they looked forward to a long and prosperous future. In that, Abby ultimately figured they'd have plenty of footage to show how well Animalia and humanity could get along, and made the meeting go fairly well.