Miles was really hoping he wouldn't be too late. He would have thought becoming a jackrabbit would be easily done. He wouldn't have thought there hadn't been any jackrabbits in the area when the Outbreak happened. He could have gone with another kind of rabbit, but the black-tailed jackrabbit was such a cool-looking form of rabbit and he had be influenced by Jessica Marina's appearances on Animalia Ambassadoria. He later learned that jackrabbits are actually hares, a closely-related but separate species from rabbit. Which didn't affect Miles's decision at all.
It took longer to get a DNA sample of a jackrabbit than he thought, mostly because it involved live-trapping one. He was glad his parents got to become the Animalians they wanted to be, even if they were separate species. But it wasn't likely he would be getting any siblings. Miles was old enough to know what his parents would be doing after their conversion and he seriously didn't want to think about it. But fortunately, he received news of the DNA sample coming in and he quickly hurried to Horizon Labs.
==========
Miles stepped out of the door, feeling the wind on his new larger ears for the first time. A hare is a noticeably larger mammal than a rabbit, with larger ears as well. Miles had found his legs had gotten a little longer than he expected, even if he wasn't walking digigrade like many Animalians he's seen. As such, his ears actually brushed the top of the doorway as he walked out. He'll have to work on lowering his ears when going through doors from now on. But that was for later. Right now, he had an audition to get to.
Miles decided to run to WSA to test his new legs. He was pretty shocked with how fast he could run now. His long legs definitely weren't for show and he was in pretty good shape even if he was only a single-dose. He heard somewhere that humans were the best-built for long-distance running. Apparently the Animalia virus incorporates that along with whatever animal is spliced with it to produce an ideal body. Miles was pretty sure that he was probably still slower than a cheetah Animalian and such, but he could easily outstrip a human.
In practically no time, he was WSA. It took a bit of wandering around before he could find the principal's office. Thankfully, the principal informed him that he wasn't too late to sign up, though the auditions would be later. "I take it you're a big fan?" she asked.
"Who wouldn't be?" asked Miles, "I mean, I didn't make myself a jackrabbit for nothing."
"I hope you didn't decide to convert just so you'll get a spot on the show," said Eliza.
"Well, you are going to need new Animalian members, right?" asked Miles.
"We also need a few new human members," said Eliza, "Some of them, like Courtney and Katherine, were seniors last year and have graduated. And we're extending an invitation to convert for the members who are still enrolled. So being an Animalian doesn't increase your chances."
Miles's ears lowered at that, "Oh..."
"We're more concerned with talent and dedication," said Eliza, "Apparently, some people auditioned more out of gaining interest from the opposite sex than any involvement with journalism."
Miles could understand where some teens would get that idea. After all, Animalians tended to have the sexually ideal body and Abby's group of friends were certainly considered very sexy, especially during their swimsuit episodes. "Well, I do want to participate," said Miles, "I mean, Animalia Ambassadoria gets to travel to so many places so they report on things."
"This show isn't meant to be a travel agency," said Eliza, "This about covering news and showing how Animalians aren't as different from humans."
"Well, traveling's just a perk," said Miles, "I'm not trying to take advantage of it."
"And I'm not trying to be too critical," said Eliza, "I'm not the one who ultimately decides this, but I've seen more than a few applicants who weren't taking this seriously. At least you show some promise."
"You think so?" asked Miles.
"You're dedicated as far as I can tell," said Eliza, "But whether you have any talent for journalism has yet to be seen. I suggest you practice as much as you can before the auditions."
Miles gave a sigh of relief and said, "Thank you. I hope I live up to your expectations."
"And I hope you became a rabbit for the right reasons," said Eliza.
"Jackrabbit," corrected Miles, "I'm actually a hare."
"Ah, haven't seen many of those," said Eliza.
"Hopefully I'll start a new trend," said Miles.