"Hey, everyone, Miles here, miles away from home. I'm not sure what timezone you're watching this from, but it's 10 in the morning in the Northern Territory of Australia. If you don't believe I'm really here, then take a look at this." The camera turned around, revealing mostly dry brushland and a town. But in the visible distance was an unmistakable red sandstone formation.
"Yep, that over there is Uluru, though most people outside of Australia call it Ayers Rock. And this town isn't exactly the Animalian colony set up here. Just as Animalia is a neighboring city/extension to Lyre, so is the Uluru Colony a neighbor/extension to Yulara. It's a pretty small town, less than a thousand people living here. This place mostly existed as a place for tourists to stay when they come to see Uluru. Of course, since no one is allowed to climb on Uluru anymore, tourism has dropped. But now that it has Animalian neighbors and the pandemic is under control here, tourism may start thriving again," said Miles.
"While I'm meeting some of the local characters, I'm reintroducing some as well." The camera turned to show Khan and Marla. "So, how's it feel to be back in Australia? Not too hot?"
"Well, it's only fall right now, so it's not too bad," said Khan.
"Our sanctuary was a greener place, but I can't really complain," said Marla.
"Think you might settle here?" asked Miles.
"Well, we need to see the local mob," said Khan, "Can't just jump in on another roo's territory."
"And there's always that other spot up northeast we could go," said Marla.
"Indeed, like I said in my previous video, Australia's Animalian colony is split between two locations. We have the desert colony of Uluru and the more humid colony of Northland in Queensland," said Miles, "It might not be an actual rainforest, but it does receive a lot more precipitation than this area. And I've already found some locals who are willing to show me around Northland. So allow me to introduce the Four Thumbs Gaming Club."
The screen split at that, showing four other Animalians who were apparently at their webcams. One was a koala, one was a saltwater crocodile, and the last two were black and white house cats. One of the cats was the only female and was apparently the only uplifted Animalian considering her lack of human hair."G'day, mate," said the koala, "Name's Reginald."
"I'm Noah and this is my former pet and current mate, Sidney," said the male tuxedo cat.
"And I'm Thomas, but everyone calls me Tik-Tok," said the saltwater crocodile, "And before you ask, it was long before Tiktok became a thing."
"Ok, so, first off, I have to ask, why 'Four Thumbs'? Because there are four of you?" asked Miles.
"Not just that, mate. What's got four thumbs and is the best gamer in Australia?" asked Reginald before pointing his thumbs at himself, "This guy." And it was quite clear that he literally had four thumbs, two on each hand. He had three other fingers on each hand, so apparently his index fingers became extra thumbs after his conversion.
"Huh, I guess that would give you a big edge in gaming," said Miles.
"Yeah, though I'm not allowed in official tournaments since I have an unfair advantage," said Reginald, "But that's fine, those tournaments were getting too easy for me. Now I make a livin' streamin' the really hard games cause everyone wants to see if four thumbs makes it easier." There was an undeniable smugness in Reginald's tone, which was a bit at odds with the laid-back personality one would expect from a koala.
"I was diagnosed with feline leukemia, so Noah brought me in for uplifting," said Sidney.
"I was surprised she was interested in me, but I had such a close bond with her and I was single," said Noah, "It improved my health a lot too."
"And does Sidney have trouble keeping up with the other gamers?" asked Miles.
"Actually, she's been watching me play video games for years. I guess she picked up a lot more than I thought," said Noah.
"I'm a fast learner too," said Sidney proudly.
"And Tik-Tok, I assume there's a good reason behind your nickname and some connection to your Animalian form," said Miles.
"Yeah, I have really good metronomic timing. And yeah, it kinda led to my conversion. A bunch of my friends knew I was interested in Animalia and they said they would pay for my conversion plus extra if I become a saltwater croc and swallow an alarm clock," said Tik-Tok.
"You converted over a bar bet?" asked Miles in disbelief.
"It wasn't a bar bet. Well, ok, we did have a few beers before that, but I wanted to be an Animalia before that. And I don't mind being a crocodile. The size and tail took adjustment, of course," said Tik-Tok.
"But did you swallow that alarm clock?" asked Miles.
"It was an old windup alarm clock. I'm not stupid enough to swallow something with a battery," said Tik-Tok, "And I'll have you know that crocodiles and alligators have the strongest stomach acid of any vertebrate. We can even digest fishing hooks and iron nails."
"Ok, but did that alarm clock get completely digested?" asked Miles.
"Er...mostly," said Tik-Tok, "You really don't want to hear all about it."
"I'll take your word for it," said Miles, "But you four have a strong gaming club, right?"
"Yeah, when Reginald's not showing off," said Noah.
"I can play with just two thumbs," said Reginald, "But most people don't want me holding back."
"Until they're playing against you," said Sidney.
"So, I'll be seeing you guys later on in Northland?" asked Miles.
"You'll have fun up here," said Tik-Tok, "And I don't think most people will care you're a rabbit."
"I'm a jackrabbit," said Miles with a bit of annoyance before saying, "Well, keep an eye out as I explore more of Australia with my new friends. Until then, see you in the wilds of Animalia."