Just as with the case with many Animalian colonies, Horizon was often quick to follow in the "establishment" of that colony. A lot of this was done to make things easier to convert those in the local area that might want to convert rather than having people go all the way to Lyre, Nevada for that conversion or to prevent people from Lyre or one of the other colony cities having to go around the world for that conversion. This then meant that over the summer as Juliet's Chateaux and Vineyard area were set up to be France's Animalian colony, this meant that a part of the Chateaux was to be set aside as a makeshift hospital and conversion area. It took up a few rooms and included one bathroom that was then made "separate" from many of the other rooms, but it was something that ultimately worked well enough.
"You're certain this will all work?" Juliet asked to one of the scientists and doctors that had come along.
"Yes, and to a degree, necessary... at least in the short term," the doctor answered, "while Animalians have many Human features, they also, obviously, have many animal features and at times can be vulnerable to many of the things one would expect to find in veterinary medicine rather than just in Human medicine. It's thus a combination of medicines."
"And France's legal requirements?" Juliet asked.
"We're reading through them as best we can, and we thank you for your help in the translations," the doctor answered, "we can then amend our policies to work with French Law here just as we work to comply with US Law in Dinotopia Aquatica, Dino City, and Animalia. And in time, with our own training program and offers, we can then spread that expertise to local physicians here in France so that your Chateaux won't be the sole focus of all activities related to the colony. You'd thus be better integrated with the community."
Juliet slowly nodded at the time. She might have her own private worries, particularly given that the government had wanted something like the Meat Market constructed and she'd had to sacrifice one of her Vineyard's old wine cellars to that enterprise, but there were other things that were of concern and things that couldn't be avoided. So far, the people from Horizon had proven themselves respectful and trustworthy and for the moment, she had no reason not to trust the Horizon staff.
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By early fall, though, many aspects of of tailoring Horizon's policies to abide by French law were largely in place and a sort of learning program between the Horizon doctors/scientists and local French doctors and veterinarians were in place so that both could learn and see just how Animalian anatomy worked and compared to both Humans and the animals that the Animalian was based on. It wasn't likely to lead to a large number of new staff coming in at the moment, but it would provide some window so that Juliet's chateaux would never have any medical stresses beyond very simple check ups and physicals in order to save space for the schooling that Juliet conducted and provided for the mentally disabled who were in situations where France's public education system couldn't handle them and thus wouldn't take away from those who had already converted or from other members of Juliet's staff.
Though, even some of that came with surprises. While most of Juliet's normal cleaning and maintenance staff decided not to convert, several still lived in their own wing of the chateaux. And one of them that did live at the chateaux did do as some some of Joanne's staff had done after moving from New York City to continue their work for Joanne in Lyre/Animalia's "wealthy district," and converted. This employee of Juliet's was named Georgette and was more than happy to show Juliet the new her after her conversion.
"What do you think, Madame?" Georgette asked asked in French, "will this suffice?"
Juliet watched as the athletic Cat Animalian turned to show herself in her uniform, which largely fit, though Juliet noted that much of what she had for uniforms weren't going to fit her as well as would be proper. In this her enhanced chest, butt, and hips were only just contained within them. She also noted that Georgette also seemed to be especially attentive to that and made sure not as to get anything out of place or reveal something she shouldn't. It kept with Georgette's very attentive nature to keeping things clean and orderly, which Juliet had long accepted, often because between balancing seeing to the education of those in her care and seeing to the administration of the vineyard, she wasn't always involved in seeing to the cleanliness of the chateaux. A lot of that had often been delegated to Georgette who made sure things stayed clean.
"The uniform doesn't seem to fit your new curves... but that that's to be expected," Juliet managed, "many of my old clothes don't fit me as well anymore either. I can see to it that better fitting clothing can be procured and paid for."
"Thank you, Madame," Georgette, "but I was asking as to what you think of a Somali Cat Animalian. Some call it the "Fox Cat." That would work well with you, yes?"
Juliet noted the longer fur that Georgette had as an Animalian. In some ways it was longer than her own, with a largely tannish orange coloring, but it didn't hide the athletic frame that she'd also gained. She also noted the pleased smile on Georgette's rounded muzzle and thus was reasonably glad for her.
"I would be fine with whatever kind of Animalian you chose to be, Georgette," Juliet answered, "none of the girls chose to be foxes. And I have no desire to say what you can or cannot be."
"But Juan is here... and he is a fox," Georgette spoke, "though he has a tendency to occasionally bump something with his tail and forcing someone to have to straighten it... the object, not his tail."
"Yes, but he is a Golden Island Fox... a hybrid two specific color phases of Red and Arctic Foxes being crossbred, and are really only present in the pet trade as they're not genetically viable in the wild if they occur," Juliet explained, "and as for bumping into things... keep in mind that he's never been in a place like this before as a Human, let alone as an Animalian."
Georgette nodded in agreement and acceptance.
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Others didn't gain entirely the same pleasant reaction from Juliet, as would be found out with Miss Mallow, but the arrival and conversion of the romance novelist, with a reputation for writing more erotic love stories than anything else, did come and convert, ultimately with the sponsorship of the adult stars who would be running the night club/casino Belles Bętes. Juliet ultimately accepted it on that basis and reached an agreement that any "library" work that was done for the chateaux and the community around it was not to include promotions for any erotic fantasies. Those would have to be handled at Belles Bętes at a stand there. Ms. Mallow also agreed to that, though it wasn't as though she didn't win any interest as she had one run in on a weekend with Gigi.
"So... they say you write stories?" Gigi asked as she found Miss Mallow seated at a small table near the kitchen while nibbling on a piece of jerky.
"Among other things," Ms. Mallow answered as she looked up to the Black Furred French Poodle Animalian, "though a lot of what I'll be doing here will be running the library... and it will open up to people from the village and surrounding area and people will be free to read here and if they "borrow" it, there would of course be fines for anything returned late or damaged. Just like a public library. And your Madame Renard-Argenté has a good collection, which may well attract plenty of people from the community when they have spare time."
"Georgette won't like it if they're messy," Gigi commented off hand.
"Ah but some times the best things are "messy," don't you think?" Miss Mallow replied with a smile.
Gigi had some idea what the Red Fox Animalian meant, though she noted that while Juliet was a Silver Phase Red Fox, Miss Mallow was a Red Phase Red Fox, "In a way... though I didn't get that chance when I converted. I got a glass of milk and that was it."
"And you're now wanting some fun," Miss Mallow smiled, "well... hopefully you find a nice boy that you can love and will love you back. For there's also something to note... while there are a lot of my stories that are rather erotic, you might say, the partners do love each other in the story. It's not just "I'm horny, let's have sex." For I think real love would actually make the sex better."
"And what of the stories you write that aren't erotic?" Gigi wondered.
"Those I'd be able to sell from the library," Miss Mallow smiled, "and it'd be a special event."
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Moving closer to before those update that Animalia Ambassadoria did on the build up to Halloween, another of Juliet's employees converted. Though, unlike Georgette, Violet's change was more for health reasons than anything else. Violet was normally a rather jolly and friendly woman who had often served as Juliet's "lady in waiting" for social functions and helping manage some of the estate's other business affairs when Juliet was otherwise occupied. But Violet at times often had some issues with allergies, particularly when she had to go out and discuss on things directly related to the vineyard for Juliet, which at times lead to some chronic and very irritable cases of Eczema, or Atopic Dermatitis.
Violet had often tried all sorts of treatments to relieve the itching and redness in her skin, particularly as she also privately feared that Juliet might let her go for fear of passing it on to her students, even though she knew it wasn't contagious. She tried soaps and creams and at times just wore extra clothing that would hide it. Eventually while the new colony got started, Violet had finally had enough and tried something a bit more extreme and this had lead her awaking to a shock and her screaming to find that her skin and hair had all turned purple. It brought Juliet and all the girls down to the door, and Juliet found herself assuring them that "Miss Violet would be fine," as they'd found Juliet's "Lady in Waiting" to be friendly and emphatic, and they remembered liking her even before their conversions. They ultimately found Violet sitting in her bed crying with purple skin and hair. Medically it didn't actually cure her of the Eczema that had caused her so much embarrassment but more hid it in a way that people wouldn't notice it, though that could be more that she'd essentially managed to permanently dye herself purple.
From there, Violet found some friendship and support from Juliet and the others, and seeing if conversion to an Animalian would cure her of the results of her latest attempt to handle her condition. Violet was even more surprised when there was almost an argument over how to pay for it and who would pay for it. It was a point of friendship that Violet never expected. She then accepted the deal and became a Raccoon Animalian, which while it wasn't a European Animal, Violet at the time mentioned it to be something in the spirit of the upcoming Halloween season as the animal that always wore a mask, and might make for a good showing for a masquerade ball. The conversion worked in letting Violet become an Animalian, though it turned out that the Animalia Virus didn't cure her color, and instead of the largely gray and brown fur with the black mask around the eyes that the raccoon normally had, Violet's fur all came in in various shades of purple, but the others voiced their support, and ultimately the Animalia Virus DID cure the allergies that had caused her Eczema.
That left her happy and did the most to restore her peppy self. It also left her a bit more open offering some fun at other things a purple raccoon might find.
"Have fun with the American Halloween!" Violet called to the group that headed to Animalia for "Spookyville" and then waved goodbye, "I'll send you photos when I find a unicorn!"