Finding Heracles wasn't that hard. As he was one of the newer Animalians to join and was among those that was uplifted from a mundane animal, that had created a fairly predictable set of patterns as to where they could be found. They would either be in the process of setting up new homes, which now as Animalia had begun to reach a point where some Animalians had actually been able to move OUT of Animalia to other places, often to either other colonies, but would also go to areas and states that had proven to be Animalian friendly. This had meant that "old" homes opened up to "new" residents.
For Jennifer Jenkins, or "Jen-Jen" as some of Animalia Ambassadoria's commenters had taken to calling her in the comment section, that had been a good place to start. Julie had told her that she'd noted that that also applied to some, like Jill who had moved to Louisiana after her wedding to Beauregard or Spotted Tail to Montana to be with Abby's Uncle after their wedding, but in the end that served the same purpose and wasn't quite worth debating. For the moment, though, that hadn't had been where Heracles was. The building he'd gotten to live in was nice, but he wasn't "home" when Jennifer and Pauline made their attempt to find him after school. That then left one of the other areas that Animalians from Lyre or Animalia frequented, either one of the parks for outdoor exercise or the gyms that were part of the complex for the Claw Coliseum for indoor exercise. And with northwestern Nevada still in the grip of winter in January, being outside wasn't super likely, particularly as according the group that had bread Heracles, the tigress that was Heracles' mother (a liger is a male lion and female tiger... a male tiger with a female lion would be a tion… though the resulting hybrid is still the same) was supposedly a Bengal Tiger rather than a Siberian.
"So he came in to the gym?" Pauline asked to the desk manager that was presently on duty.
"With some of your classmates in tow," the clerk commented, mostly to Jennifer, and largely in reference to the fact that many Animalians seemed to attract a certain following, particularly in relation to those that had some interest that ultimately became "sexual" related.
And that was something that went for nearly everyone. Jennifer could of course see the reason for the start of it. Even Animalians that were based on smaller animals were well built with regard their curves or muscle, which would in turn lead to various sexual sorts of fantasies. Heracles was probably no exception to that sort of thing. The problem was that this sort of thing didn't just blow over, and that could be a problem as well.
"I'm sure it'll pass in time," Jennifer answered, "and thank you."
With that, Jennifer and Pauline made their way toward the attached gym, where true to the clerk's word they not only found Heracles going through a fairly standard workout for him, but also a modest crowd of teenage girls and young women marveling at the Liger Animalian as he went about his workout routine. The two of them made their way through the crowd and Jennifer heard a couple comments on being jealous at getting to do the interview with Heracles, which Jennifer could understand the reasoning for the jealousy, but also knew that jealousy was probably the reason some of the people that had auditioned to join Animalia Ambassadoria were rejected. Animalia had managed to attain some base level of tolerance that no one was facing army out to kill them, but it was also growing and having to confront many other issues that came as both positive and negative consequences of Animalia's success. In this, the biggest task Animalia Ambassadoria had at present was not to show the "plusses" of Animalia, but to show how Animalia could cooperate with the world around it and address issues that might be seen as "negative." In this, it was business before pleasure, as it were, and those who wanted to become Animalians or simply wanted some action with said Animalian, even if they didn't plan to convert couldn't be part of the program.
"Hello, Heracles?" Jennifer spoke as she came forward with Pauline following.
He looked up to them from the specialized set of barbells that had been made for larger Animalians. It was something that was first devised for Animalians based on modern megafauna and then drastically had to be upgraded for the first Dinotopians. Jeremy, Rex, Andrew, and Luke often had their own work projects during the day, but they did come to the gym from time to time and set records for Animalians in general, obviously based on their larger sizes. Heracles wasn't using one of the sets for the Dinotopians, but it was a bit larger than what the Lion and Tiger Animalians normally used. Though, Jennifer could also tell by the twitch of his nose and movement of his eyes that the Liger Animalian was most interested in the Dinotopian that had come with her and was carrying the small camera that Animalia Ambassadoria used to record things like interviews for their show.
"You're with Animalia Ambassadoria?" Heracles asked, giving a grimace to test the air and finding that one was clearly human and the other was remarkably bird like, but didn't quite smell like any bird he knew.
"Yes, I'm Jennifer Jenkins and this is Pauline..." Jennifer began and glanced to Pauline. She knew the female Microraptor Dinotopian was JC's bond-mate, but she also knew that they hadn't had a formal wedding. That left her wondering as to whether or not Pauline had taken a family name. Many uplifted Animalians didn't, and most of those that did often just took the family name of their owners.
"It'll be Albers when JC and I get married," Pauline answered for Jennifer, sensing that her partner for the interview was puzzled at the moment.
Jennifer nodded and then continued, "and we are from Animalia Ambassadoria... mostly to provide both some updates on how you're adjusting as the first "hybrid" Animalian... well... unless you're counting Heather and Jeremy and the other Syntixisaurus Rexes or the fish Animalians that at least have some lungfish DNA spliced in so that they can breathe air as well as water..."
"Well it is interesting," Heracles commented, "though the Horizon people told me that when they ran all their tests and found everything works... that I'm not sterile... they figured that I'd actually classify as a new species."
"They've technically done the same with regard to Tyra Wrex, and Jeremy and Heather Green," Pauline commented, "Syntixisaurus Rex is a new "hybrid" species of dinosaur, but based on DNA studies... would now classify as a subspecies of Tyrannosaurus Rex... though, I because of how the species was created... its name probably won't change even with the classification."
"And you?" Heracles wondered as he watched Pauline holding the camera, and noting that Pauline stood far enough back so that both him and Jennifer were in the shot, "are you a hybrid?"
"No," Pauline answered, "I'm actually a Microraptor Dinotopian. It is a Dinosaur from China, and one that has apparently helped scientists further draw connections between Dinosaurs and Birds."
"Interesting," Heracles said slowly and then watched as Jennifer gave a standard introduction for the interview and then waited for the first question.
"Okay... I have to start with this...how do you feel on being Animalian that would come from an Animal that is a hybrid?" Jennifer asked, "Especially when one of Animalia's Edicts would include forbidding Animalians of clearly different species from breeding?"
"Well," Heracles lowered one ear for a moment and then raised it again, "I'm not responsible for the breeding processes that created Ligers, and I'm not sure I should be punished for someone else's decisions. And with tests that Horizon has done, it has been determined that I am no longer sterile. Thus, I suppose you could say I am the start of a new species... though... when it comes to breeding... I'd think that might be saved for love. It's actually something in human society that is quite attractive... that a man and woman... or two men or two women... can find love and companionship that goes beyond just bodily needs. That's something worth valuing."
They were forced to pause when some of the group of "fans" that had been watching Heracles work out audibly swooned and what the Liger Animalian had just said. It was touching, but Jennifer sighed a bit that so many people who were used to Animalians and had lived alongside Animalians for more than two years now swoon like school girls after some kind of pop star.
"That's very touching, and hopefully someday you find someone who can love you for WHO YOU ARE," Jennifer commented, increasing her volume at the end in the hopes that the people watching could hear, "rather than because of how big your muscles are."
"That part isn't too bad," Heracles said with a weak chuckle, "the embarrassing thing though is that no one's really come forward to ask anything."
"I see," Jennifer glanced between Heracles and Pauline and then continued, "and I see you've set up here in the gym... are you planning in joining in some of the future body building competitions?"
"The sport where people show how well built they are?" Heracles queried.
"That would be one way to put it," Jennifer nodded.
"No," Heracles then answered firmly, "a lot of this is to help keep healthy, and when I'm not here... I do a fair amount of stretching and jogging on the treadmills. Even some yoga. It's all a point of being healthy, and that's the thing that everyone should have. I've had the benefit that the zoo I was in was respectable in their breeding practices, so that I haven't had the health issues that some Ligers have had... but still, being healthy is more than just genetics. And everyone deserves to be healthy, especially if they so choose."
"Animalia has lots of gym managers and health experts," Jennifer commented, "and some of Horizon's employees have done some research into health studies with regard to food and nutrients."
"Yes," Heracles nodded, "I've met some of them... and that had me thinking studying up to help with that sort of thing with the specialized classes that Horizon and Animalia have offered. Essentially to let me catch up on things and understand them thoroughly so that I may hold a... a GED."
"So... you'd plan to a health instructor and a gym manager?" Jennifer asked.
"If only to help people," Heracles commented, "it might ultimately mean moving somewhere where the demand for an instructor would be higher... but that isn't too bad, I suppose. So long as I can help people... maybe even make friends."
Even Jennifer couldn't help but nod at that. Heracles seemed fairly optimistic on things and seemed pretty relaxed. She hoped that the others with Animalia Ambassadoria were doing well with their new member interviews and research updates.