There were many things that came along with Senior Year in High School that were always good and looked forward to. Many upper classman perks were always there, though WSA tended to hold to a closed campus, mostly for security reasons. It wasn't that they feared issues related bullying or things within the campus, partially because Animalians didn't seem to have those sorts of issues or drives, or at least not to the same extent that Humans had seemed to have. The predominant theory was that because so many Animalians seemed to fit the "perfect build" that they didn't feel the need to be concerned about those things. There might be some issues when it came to mating season and those looking for bond-mates, but it wasn't the sort of "click building" that at times happened elsewhere.
However, Senior year in High School meant other things that were often big as well and that was preparing for things after high school, namely college. And with Halloween coming up, there were some distractions, but Abby also knew that there were deadlines to meet that went beyond just homework and the farm work. For Abby with some of the ideas that she'd invested in with her parents with regard to expanding the farm and finding ways to make things work with regard to the apple orchards that had been planted, that had meant looking to several of the state schools that had some of those leanings. Some places like Cal, Oregon State, and others ultimately reached the top of the list that Abby had narrowed down.
"A lot of these might mean we'd split up from the others," Samson stated as he and Abby sat around filing out the paperwork on one weekend evening.
"They might," Abby admitted with a slow nod, and a part of her was nervous on that. She'd known Sarah, Jessica, and Sophie since they were little and had done a lot of stuff together as friends, and that didn't go away with the outbreak and Malice joined the group and all of them but Sophie, at that time, became Animalians. After that, there were times where Abby even saw her friends and their respective bond-mates as part of the same herd with her, Samson, her parents, and some of the other Horse Animalians that were closely associated with the Browns.
"But you can't expect everything to stay the same forever," Josephine Brown commented from her spot in the kitchen where she was working on the night's salad, "four years ago... your father and I would have thought that our deal with the government and Horizon would help with a way to improve meat yields without some of the negatives from other "hormone therapy" that many ranches have used. Then the outbreak occurred... Samson was uplifted and you became an Animalian... It's something that shows just how much things can change."
Abby nodded at that. Things always changed, and with regard to Animalia, that included her and her friends. Even Sophie and Roland became Animalians eventually.
"I'm sure they'll stay friends," Abby assured Samson, "it might mean more long distance calls... but we'd all stay friends, even if we aren't in the same college."
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The Wesley house was a bit noisier as Sarah and Malice went about filling out their own applications. Much of this came from Belle and Bash toddling about the living room with their chew toys as they went. Both smiled to their younger siblings and even offered a friendly paw when they came close.
"So... have you figured out what you're going to college for?" Malice asked Sarah, "I mean... Samson and Abby are likely going for farming studies... Sophie would strike me more as the investigative journalist or public servant... I'm not sure what Jessica would want to study."
Sarah looked down to the paperwork with UNLV written at the top of the paper and gave a bit of a sigh, "Jessica and me are sorta in the same boat there. I'm not really sure on what I'd want to do..."
"You could be a doctor," Malice commented, "we'd then cover all the emergency services. Simon and me with the police. Travis with the fire department and you the doctor."
Sarah shook her head a bit as this was something of an old discussion between them. Malice had had her interest in the police since Malice got her second dose and Sarah was accidentally converted and leading to meeting the wolves that were running the Animalia Police Department. That interest remained and grew firmer after meeting Simon, and Sarah knew that Malice had done well enough in school to follow that idea if she wished, and while there were some times where her sister wouldn't match the stereotypical image of a policeman, Malice did know right from wrong and was more than willing to focus on things when it mattered. Though after some specialized strings being pulled in relation to Simon being able to go through the Nevada Police Academy and then be held in a training pattern, Malice had agreed to go through and get her college degree and thus meet the Police Academy's age requirement for application. Sarah, meanwhile, wasn't quite sure on what to do.
She'd liked the things that they'd done on Animalia Ambassadoria, and wished she could have gotten more money from it directly rather than the "college savings" plan that their parents had arranged for those payments, but a lot of that was mostly due to the fact that much of what went on in Animalia remained positive. Much of the rest of the news media, even limited to local news broadcasts for northern Nevada, southern Oregon, and northeastern California often had its fair share of "negative" stories. Things where there were scandals or fires or other things, and that part didn't seem like too much fun.
"I'm not really sure," Sarah commented, "I know I should... but... I really don't know right now. There are variety of things that could be interesting... I just don't know yet."
Malice tilted her head and lowered her left ear for a moment. Sarah noticed this and looked over to see where Belle and Bash where. The two Husky puppy Animalians were now seated fore a soft chair that was nearby and were playing tug of war with one of their chew toys, which each pup giving a sort of "rrr" type noise as they tried to pull the other over. That made her smile a bit as their incense there and that was something that Sarah did smile at. Belle and Bash weren't newborns anymore, but they still were at an age where they had a lot less to worry about then their older siblings, and a part of Sarah felt a bit jealous.
"Maybe... I could grow up and be a mom..." Sarah commented.
"You might still need more than that, dear," Thomas Wesley commented as he came into the room, crossed in front of Sarah and Malice and then scooped up Belle and Bash who happily began yipping at their father picking them up, "As you'll have to pay for things when you grow up... and when you and Travis get married and have pups... you'll need to pay for things to take care of them... Though... some people make their careers in providing some of that service..."
"Having babies?" Sarah wondered.
"No... things like running day cares and that sort of thing," Thomas answered, "You'd still be looking after children and giving their parents the time to work or go to school and so on. Sort of a more formal version of baby sitting. Some may require a specialized license in order to run..."
"And they'd make kids happy?" Sarah asked.
"I suppose so," Thomas answered, "though... your mother and I would still want you to go to college, even if running a daycare somewhere is the job you want to take."
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Meanwhile, Jessica was enjoying her dinner and was glad to have Roger over for dinner as well. She was happy to have him over, which often came on nights when the Lightfoots had something meatier for dinner. Of course, Roger noted that Jessica's parents also were eating meat, but then the Mariana parents as Humans were omnivores while he and Jessica as Rabbit Animalians were herbivores. The two of them happily sat next to each other eating lettuce, green beans, some mixed nuts, and even some carrots as well, even if carrots weren't something that rabbits normally ate.
"Heh..." Mr. Mariana laughed after a moment, "you know... if I'd known you'd become a Rabbit Animalian... I might have gone for this when you were little. You're finally eating and enjoying your veggies."
"Ha-ha," Jessica answered, "that joke still isn't funny, dad."
She rolled her eyes as that was something of an old joke. As many little kids were never keen on vegetables and would have preferred candy, and growing up she'd been no exception. However, after becoming an Animalian, she'd found her whole diet digestive system had changed. The part of her mind that remembered things that tasted good when she was human did occasionally let her salivate at backyard grills and so on, but as a rabbit, she really couldn't digest meat. When her father caught on to that, he started making the jokes.
"So... how goes all your college search?" Mrs. Mariana asked to Roger, "I couldn't help but overhear you and Jessica talking about that in the living room... I trust you did okay?"
"Yes," Roger nodded, "the ACT and SAT tests during the summer were hard... but both Codey and I passed. Though our parents helped with all the applications... and well... some of the boxes to fill out for the colleges don't have the room to put in that I'm an uplifted rabbit."
"I'd imagine that most of those forms were made before Animalia came about," Mr. Mariana commented, "and you've seen smart and responsible... so I'd think you'll do fine. Our hope is that you'll keep Jessica out of trouble."
"Dad... I wouldn't get in trouble," Jessica answered with a groan, though she also had some sense on where her father was going.
For she could feel some of those pulls and desires even more. They'd always been there, particularly after she met Roger. But now that her eighteenth birthday was around seven to eight months away, it was becoming far more obvious that she wasn't a little girl anymore. She remembered when she first met Judy and got her dose of the Animalia Virus from her milk. Judy had practically towered over her before her conversion and even after Jessica became a Rabbit Animalian, Judy was taller and more voluptuous than her. Now, however, Jessica figured that she was now about the same height as Judy was and was about as curvy as Judy was. And with the process of growing up, and seeing Roger grow into the athletic looking male Rabbit Animalian that sat beside her, a good part of Jessica wanted to take the next step...
But there, Jessica knew she had her parents to deal with. Her parents cared and put up with a fair number of things, but she was fairly certain that they caught her and Roger having sex, she'd be in trouble. They'd accepted some of that for Sarah and Abby, but they'd been double dosed at the start of the outbreak and thus became physical adults as a result of their exposure. Jessica didn't get that "excuse" and despite the desires for it, she knew that her parents wouldn't just let it happen. And some of her father's line was likely a warning for what would come when they went off to college. Jessica and Roger had both applied to UNLV and would likely go with Sarah, Travis, and Malice, but by that time, they would be adults and away from "home." Thus her father wanted some kind of statement intended to keep Roger honest.
"I love her... sir," Roger answered a bit nervously, "I will always treat her right."
"Good man," Mr. Mariana answered, "uhh... Rabbit."
"What do you plan to study?" Mrs. Mariana asked.
"I was actually thinking about Education... teach PE," Roger spoke, "it might mean we'd move out to another town after college... since WSA's staff is all pretty young... being Animalians and all... but I think I'd like the idea of that sort of thing. Teach people on athletics and staying in shape. It'd be fun."
"And you'll keep him on the straight and narrow?" Mr. Mariana asked to Jessica.
"Of course," Jessica answered and kissed Roger's cheek.
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"And you're sure you want to go here?" Mrs. Albers asked, "I mean... with the money we've put aside from Animalia Ambassadoria we wouldn't as heavily dependent on scholarships… but both SMU and TCU are a long way from here..."
"Yes... but comparatively not to far from Dino City," Sophie commented, "Roland and I already talked it over... and it might be a good idea to help spread the word on Animalia's benefits... that we aren't what some groups say we are."
Mrs. Albers sighed as she stood slightly behind her daughter as she sat at her bedroom desk while filling out the last of the paperwork regarding applications to Southern Methodist University in Dallas, Texas and Texas Christian University in Forth Worth. The Albers and Luwries had even managed a tour of the two campuses over the summer after their tour of Dino City, mostly on the basis of curiosity that Sophie had gotten during the visit to Dino City. She didn't expect Sophie to seriously apply to a school in Texas.
"Doesn't Animalia Ambassadoria already do that?" Mrs. Albers wondered.
"It helps in its own way," Sophie answered, "but while the Animalians that live outside the colony cities and Animalia/Lyre are few and far between... the real contact that is there will be limited and will let some people be mislead. And besides... much of Animalia Ambassadoria is focused on events in Lyre/Animalia anyway. There is no college here, which means when Roland, JC, Pauline, and I graduate in May... we'll have to go somewhere else for college and will mean we'd end up out of the loop with regard to Animalia Ambassadoria."
"I know that... but... Texas?" Mrs. Albers asked.
"The people there were friendly when we visited... and Dino City is getting started now," Sophie answered, "Roland and I figured that we'd join in and take part in that once we get out of college. Help bridge the gap between so many Humans' who's only knowledge of Animalia is Animalia Ambassadoria and what's been reported on the news and Animalians on the whole. SMU even has an associated law school. It'd be something that ultimately moves everything forward... and we'd still come back home for Christmas and the summer."
Mrs. Albers only leaned down and hugged her daughter to her from behind. Sophie paused in her answers to look to her mother's arms going around her back and above her clavicle to then pull Sophie backward in the chair, toward Mrs. Albers. She glanced up and could see the worry in her mother's eyes. She opened and closed her beak for a moment and got the sense of where her mother was coming from. A part of her felt the same way, as while JC and Pauline had agreed to go with her to college and had filled out similar applications to the same schools as her, Sophie also knew that JC and Pauline had both voiced a preference for Vilcabamba's more arboreal settings. Sophie didn't want to loose JC and always wanted him and Pauline close, but a part of her also knew that by allowing him to be uplifted, he'd have the right to choose his own life.
"Everything will be fine, mom," Sophie promised, "Roland and I will be safe and no one will get hurt... and remember that's still almost a year away before it happens, assuming I'm accepted into the school. Right now... we only have Halloween coming up in a few days."
"You're all growing up so fast..." Mrs. Albers managed a weak smile as Sophie turned her head and nuzzled her crest against Mrs. Albers' cheek.