Some things went on as they always did and the Meat Market's "bare as you dare" competition was one of those things. With the present year being an IAC year and more people coming to Lyre/Animalia, the club looked to handle more business. Normally this related those who came to see the club's dancers strip and dance on stage. Some occasionally came to hear some of the music played in the background while people danced and stripped. And the Meat Market held firm to its policies, despite some of the reputation that the club had earned. There were some people on the Left who sent in their letters of protest that claimed that the club was abusing the women dancers and forcing them into sexual servitude toward men. People on the Right then sent in their complaints about "sin" and so on. Most of those letters ended up filed under "G" for garbage and the Meat Market's business went on.
And that included the "Bare as You Dare" competition. It remained more of an informal event that was aimed at fun to let people play to Animalia's higher degree of tolerance for certain things given the higher libido and hormone levels that Animalians had, and unlike many of the sporting events in the IAC, Bare as You Dare was open to anyone and everyone over the age of eighteen and one's size or measurements wasn't exactly taken into account with regard to who "won." The fact that it's rules also stated that there was to be no full nudity in the competition was enough to keep plenty of other events active and present. That was something that allowed those that didn't want to bear all to at least bear some and have some fun, and a fair number of people indulged in the contest, and only those who had to sign a contract that included some form of "morality" clause to it.
But college students and some of those who were double dosed and young again were often eager to try, especially since the Meat Market also double checked its security tapes during the tournament and maintained a no cellphones policy during the "Bare As You Dare" tournament. Some people grumbled, but it was to make sure that what happened in the Meat Market STAYED in the Meat Market. This also made it attractive to some of the people that came for the IAC. For the IAC drew more people in than other attractions did in Lyre and Animalia because of so "big" the IAC was an athletic event. A good many came to the Meat Market during the first IAC, which the club had responded to by seeing to it that the IAC coverage was, which was part of an Animalia/Lyre public access channel that Horizon had invested in to let some of the sporting events get coverage. Some of it was taken from Animalia Ambassadoria's coverage from the various colonies before they returned for school or college, and some of it was other live footage from Animalia and Horizon PR crews that were there or had set up a robot-cam to catch the action, as it were.
It created a sort of sports bar atmosphere that was soon mixed in with the Meat Market's normal attractions as people paused to watch the sports and then moving on to the other attractions. It made some of the management of the Bare as You Dare competition a little bit different.
"Man... it's like I'm only getting half the attention I expected," a college woman wearing a bikini and flip flops commented as she sat down at the bar, "Is it like this every year?"
"Not every year," Shyra said from her present post while working the bar, "I don't think they had "Bare as You Dare" during Animalia's first year when the first IAC was held. But that IAC did attract a lot of attention and people came to see the sporting events."
"Even that seems smaller though," the woman commented, "fewer people..."
"Probably because the IAC is spread out a bit more this year," Shyra gave a shrug, "Heiya Island, Maelewano, Mieni, Skull Island/Dinotopia Aquatica, and Dino City all had parts of the contest this year. Everything wasn't centered in one place. I think it was an idea to spread some of the attraction out. Since a lot of people came the first time around and general attraction for the second online didn't diminish... they figured it'd be a way to get practically everyone in on the action as it were."
"But your adds said all this was fun," the woman sighed and then gestured to her bikini, "that this whole contest was to bare as much as possible without actually showing the "naughty bits" as it were."
"And you look good," Shyra complemented her.
"Yeah... but I thought I'd get a bit more attention," the woman commented, "shoot... some of the Animalians that are participating aren't getting the attention at times. Everyone seems more interested in the sports."
A cheer of "whooo" rose up from somewhere else along the bar followed by the sound of two glasses clicking together. Shyra followed and noticed a pair that were watching one of the track and field matches at the Claw Coliseum. She'd also noted the stage that was set up for the Bare as You Dare competition, presently with an Animalian there before the judges. Shyra noted that there was some attention on new contestant, but some of the eyes that were hoped to be on that contest were looking back over their shoulders from the tables they were at to the televisions over the bar. That was probably just a consequence of the fact that there were so many IAC events going on. A fair number came to the Bare as You Dare competition for fun, which did mean more business for the meat market, but with it being an IAC year, they had a bit more competition than normal.
"I'm afraid that's probably just going to be a consequence of the IAC," Shyra told her, "it's still attractive to people and they'll want to see what goes on. If you stay sober... some things with Bare as You Dare may pick up a little bit once we get into the evening and there are fewer events on. Some of them might even be at events in person right now and will come here after... Some for Bare as You Dare and some for other things..."
The woman only gave a frustrated sigh at that.