"Mmmm... after all that... I'd actually start to wonder why we didn't become an Animalian of some kind sooner," Remington Albers said to Vera as he finished putting on the shirt that had been offered through the door.
The clothes weren't much more than a white tee shirt and a pair of jeans, but they fit and that was the most important thing for the moment. And the fold in the back did allow for the free movement of the long green tail behind him. In some ways, the look worked well in that it was tight enough on him to show off the muscles he'd gained in becoming a Mamenchisaurus Dinotopian and, to a degree, they were rather impressive. He'd often been kept busy enough that most of his "workouts" had often been limited to various yardwork and various bits of home repair over the years, and it kept him healthy, but not as muscular as the transformation had made him. Vera had a similar pair of pants and a shirt as well, and to a degree her new generous curves fit them very well and Remington had all he could do not to push for another round of sex with his wife.
"Yes... it was amazing," Vera nodded and turned her head to smile at him, "but the past is the past. And there will be plenty of time more later... as we'll have the weekend in Dino City and then shuffling Sophie and Roland, at least, back and forth between here and SMU in Dallas for their classes and the Year of the Dragon contest/competition."
"JC and Pauline will probably come too," Remington commented, "likely to give some of the commentary on what goes on in the contest... since the present Animalia Ambassadoria team doesn't have any Dinotopians on its roster."
Vera nodded, "that makes sense. In the meantime, we'll have other things to do. Starting with the vaccination to make sure we don't accidentally create a herd of Mamenchisaurus Dinotopians."
Remington was in full agreement on that and with that, they knocked on the door again, serving as a signal that they were ready to come out and that things were clear. From there the door did open and Jeremy came back in, holding both alcohol swabs and two more syringes that carried the vaccine for the Animalia Virus. Both Remington and Vera noted the change in perspective in looking down to him. Jeremy, meanwhile, looked calm and professional. The two Sauropod Dinotopians got down to one knee to give Jeremy better access to provide the vaccination, largely because they had the feeling that the bed provided for the conversion room would need real cleaning after their conversion.
"You don't have to worry," Jeremy spoke, "we have the same procedures here to clean the bedding after a conversion as is there in the main offices in Lyre."
"We don't want to risk anything," Vera told him, "Particularly as we have a lot to do... trading in vehicles, new clothes... Tyler and Persephone may have a harder time with that as Alamosaurus is bigger than Mamenchisaurus... and likely bigger than any other Dinotopian you presently have... All sorts of logistics type stuff to do before coming back for the opening ceremony for the Year of the Dragon."
"A lot to do to be ready and to cheer for Sophie and Roland," Remington added as Jeremy delivered the vaccination and then did the same for Vera, "what about you?"
"I'm on eggshells," Jeremy answered, "Heather and Tyra are both competing... and on one hand I want Heather to win, and on the other, I don't want her and her grandmother to get too competitive over the issue. And I'll then be babysitting the hatchlings as Rex is also in the competition."
Vera and Remington both nodded.
"And as for the logistics, don't worry too much," Jeremy gave a bit of a toothy grin, "the dealership in Glen Rose has worked out a lot of these sorts of deals with new Dinotopians. You walk down, pick out the Dinotopian sized super van and they'll send a tow truck here for the trade in."
"A lot of that we've been preparing for," Vera answered as she lowered the sleeve down over her shoulder and bicep.
"And some of the same things also go for the Luwries... to a degree, I think it's a bit surprising that there haven't been more Texans wanting to become Alamosaurus thinking that it was named for the Alamo Mission in San Antonio and not the rock formation in New Mexico where it was first found," Jeremy also chuckled, "so both the stores in Glen Rose and Dino City will have some attire that should work for them that was there mostly on expectations... which is what we were able to work with them as well."
Vera and Remington both nodded to that and then made their way out through the door and then let Jeremy lead them out through toward the main waiting room, where they were to meet up again with the Luwries. As they arrived there, they were rapidly greeted by two largely blue colored Sauropod Dinotopians. The female was more a dull and faded grayish blue, as if to blend in with the horizon of the sky on the other side of the horizon. The male was a bit brighter with a section of the upper portion of his head and running down to just above the last portion of his muzzle being a bright orange. There was also a spot on the male's cheek that also looked to be a bright orange while the underside of the jaw and neck was a light grayish-white color. Though, what told the Albers that these two Dinotopians were the Luwries was the fact that they were also wearing the same sort of "new cloths" that Horizon often provided uplifted animals when they became Animalians, or Humans who became Animalians that were too big for their normal Human clothing. Remington felt a small bit of jealousy as Tyler looked even buffer than he'd become, but then he had to remember that Alamosaurus was bigger than Mamenchisaurus, and thus the Luwries being bigger and more muscular was to be expected.
"You two are looking good," Persephone spoke as they got close, "Tyler and I have handled the payments for our conversions, so we should be good to go."
"You didn't have to pay for us," Remington commented.
"Don't worry, YOU'LL be paying for the wedding when Sophie and Roland tie the knot," Tyler smiled, "they finish this semester and then go through the next school year... and then we'll be in-laws as our son and your daughter will on cloud nine."
"Sometimes, I think they're already there," Vera answered, "which will make this better as we can then be there for advice, grandkids, and all without having to worry about some idiot coming after them."
"Right, we put our foot down regarding all the lunatics out there," Tyler gave a stomp of his foot, with didn't reverberate things as much as he thought they would, "so, what's next on the agenda?"
"Cars first, then clothes, then get cleaned up, and then go for the opening ceremony," Vera answered running the list down her fingers, pointing to each one as she did so.
The Luwries then nodded, and they made their way out to the cars that were parked there in the visitor lot there for the Horizon Labs entrance at Dino City. And it was here that the two sets of parents would get their first look at the sorts of things they'd been planning for when it came to their conversions. They needed to be able to collect their keys and ownership documents that would go with the cars they owned and take them all in on foot to the dealership that was catering to the new Dinotopians moving into to Dino City that would need new vehicles. Getting the doors open was rather easy, though a lot of that also came from leaving the cars unlocked in expectation of their new sizes not working well with key fabs designed for much smaller Human fingers.
From there, they were then able to gain access to other things that were in the car that would help. For the dexterity issue was something that had long been an issue with larger Animalians and very often hooved Animalians. Their size was such that small things might slip through their grasp or be crushed as a result of the way things were gripped. A lot of these things started with the Elephant, Rhinoceros, and Hippopotamus Animalians in Lyre/Animalia, but even the Horse and Cattle Animalians had some of these issues from time to time, so it would make sense that large Dinotopians, and particularly Sauropod Dinotopians would have these issues as well. To get around this, a manufacturing company came up with an "artificial hand" that would have a set of metal or plastic tines that could grip something with precision and would be connected to a handle that was scaled up to the Animalian in question and made it easier to grip certain things that couldn't be resized to fit the Animalian. It had been a brilliant idea, and both the Luwries and Albers had gotten Dinotopian sized "artificial hands" that helped them get all the appropriate paperwork from the glove boxes and then begin the walk to the dealers.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Getting to the dealership was relatively easy and both the Luwries and Albers waved to some of the people that were out on Saturday strolls in Glen Rose, though after having Dino City as their neighbor and sister city for a while by that February 10, some of the awe that might have been there once wasn't there. Vera waved to a couple of people while on the hike to the dealership, but there wasn't too much of a response. Vera was a bit unsure on how to respond to that. Had Dino City made Dinotopians so "normal" to Glen Rose that many of their Glen Rose neighbors didn't respond? Did those people Vera waved to actually not like the Dinotopians and weren't acknowledging them on purpose? There were just a lot of questions there that Vera had to admit that she'd probably never get the answer to. The big thing was getting to the dealership to handle the trade of cars that the Albers and Luwries were now too big to fit in, let alone drive.
There, they had some good luck. For the dealership seemed to have a healthy sales staff, that according to their reports online worked in a sort of rotating shift Monday through Saturday that kept the salesmen on a shit that had them working three days through the course of that week and each set would alternate with the others over that week as well. They'd also have to be responsible for their own garbage on Saturdays as well.
"Well... based on the paperwork, the cars you're both looking to trade in wouldn't normally be ones we'd deal in as they're from different companies than our own," the salesman commented, "but we do want to maintain a good showing with Dino City and its residents... or in your case with the Dinotopians. That is, after all, good business. And I suppose we could then sell them to dealerships that do sell the brands."
"Well... that... helps," Tyler said slowly.
"The exact value on the trade will then be determined when the tow trucks get back with the cars from Horizon," the dealer commented, "And your licenses check out and are valid, at least for the moment. Will you be staying in Dino City?"
"No, we came and converted as part of some deals that Horizon offered for the Year of the Dragon," Tyler answered, "and our kids... if you can call college juniors "kids," are in the contest. In a few days when that ends, we'll head back to Lyre/Animalia where we have homes lined up for our new size."
The dealer looked back to the paperwork that was there, and then nodded. Some of that then made sense, as there was no listed billing address in Dino City, but a PO Box in Lyre, Nevada. Though, from the dealer's point of view, he had to ask to make sure other things stayed in line. He also noted the photocopies of the driver's licenses that Remington, Vera, Tyler, and Persephone presented. They covered basic vehicles and up to large, non-trailer, trucks. And looking up to the two pairs of massive Sauropod Dinotopians, that larger class of vehicle would be a requirement, even if the vehicle would feel more like a "basic vehicle" to them. It's where scaling came into play and what had made a fair amount of business for the dealership once Dino City got started and began to get new residents.
"Well... that can all still work," the dealer spoke, "the ultimate value of the trade can be assessed once the tow trucks get back with them. Based on the reports provided, things should be in good order... so, that's all good news for you. In the meantime, why don't we take a look over the sort of vehicles you were looking for."
Remington and Vera stepped to one side of the desk while Tyler and Persephone stepped in the opposite direction as the dealer came around his desk that was in one section of the dealership's show room. He walked in the path between them and then motioned for them to follow. They did so with some care as they then moved into a back area of the dealership. They were technically at a point that counted for their ability sell and display the vehicles, but because these were ones that were scaled up for Dinotopians, and thus would have a rather limited clientele when compared to the rest that would come in to get a new car, and they would need the added space and room to maneuver the vehicles out. The area they moved to was spacious and there were a few vehicles that were there and on display.
"So... what were you specifically looking for?" the dealer asked, "we have trucks like this one... in fact a few of the Theropod Dinotopians own them for hunting... apparently the ranchers pay them to come and remove some excess wild hogs from their ranches."
"We aren't Theropods, though, we're Sauropods," Persephone spoke, "and my husband and I would go for a basic sedan... Something with decent leg room for all and can fit some amount of luggage in it."
"My wife and I were looking for a more of a van... something that could carry more than just four people," Remington added and he turned his head to look to two sets that were at the end of the line.
There was a row of vehicles that were all scaled up in size but had more standard looks to them. The truck that the dealer started with looked like a scaled-up version of most standard pickup trucks and even had an extended cab, but neither the Albers nor the Luwries had any need for that. They'd never been big hunters before, and now as Mamenchisaurus and Alamosaurus Dinotopians, they would be on a vegetarian diet. They would have to keep some meat in stock, but that would be for the summer when Sophie, Roland, JC, and Pauline all came home, as Pterodactylus and Microraptor were both carnivorous. They had what looked like an SUV there, and to Remington, while that could also meet the passenger capacity, particularly when considering that Sophie, JC, and Pauline were all about the same size as a normal Human, as not all Dinosaurs or Pterosaurs were giants, but it also carried the feel of an idea of going "off road" with it, and that also wasn't something that Remington and Vera wanted. But the last two were more of a van-like vehicle and a sedan that fit the requirements that the Albers and Luwries had. It was those last two that the dealer than approached.
"These two would be about the models of these types that are in manufacture at the moment, at least from our company," the dealer spoke, "and they should be able to fit you... and both sets come with the standard features for Dinotopians, namely a tail hole in the seats so that you're not sitting on them for the driver and front passenger. The van would have that option for the backseat passengers as well. The sedan would have the back seat at an angle so that passengers would be able to position their tails in a way not to be sitting on them."
"That would be good," Vera commented swaying her tail slowly and carefully. She was finding that muscle control was coming along fairly well, but there were still some things that just felt weird about it. It wasn't entirely that she now had all new muscle groups to control the emerald green tail behind her but that she was seemingly managing things almost instinctively. It was something she didn't expect, and it left her wondering if Sophie had had the same sensation regarding her wings when she first got them.
Tyler walked up to the sedan and looked in while Vera and Remington looked closer at the van. The interior looked fairly standard, and very much like a scaled-up version of any other car or vehicle. Buttons and dials were larger and blockier, but also likely more stable and durable. That was good, though the biggest thing he wanted to check was more on the space for his tail and how it may interfere with those in the back seat. Simply being able to fit in the car would be one thing, but he didn't want the appendage to be so extended that it would mess with anyone sitting in the back seat.
"Could I... see how I'd fit?" Tyler asked to the dealer.
"Of course," the dealer answered calmly, "You should be able to fit... You might be a bit tall for it, but the seats are adjustable and all that should work."
"I'm worried more about my tail," Tyler answered, "I don't want to get in the car and then have it hitting anyone in the back seat."
"Some of that may be a risk, regardless, sir," the dealer said slowly, "from what the designers told us when these first began arriving from the factories as Dino City got going that they would work to provide the space to fit in the vehicle but wouldn't be able to completely avoid some things. It'd actually be something that would be similar with a lot of these vehicles. If say, you have long legs and need the chair moved back, that could then limit the leg room for the person in the back seat, particularly if they also have long legs."
"And that was something that would be there even when we were Human," Persephone said to Tyler as he opened the driver's side door and moved to sit down.
She then moved to look through the back window as Tyler turned his neck as well as he could. Remington and Vera also came to double check on things, and they found that while Tyler's tail did cross the space between the front seat and the back seat, there was enough room that he could actually angle the tail so that it wouldn't necessarily interfere with anyone in the backseat, at least not more than what might be expected.
"The ceiling is a little low at the seat's present height," Tyler announced and then found the seat adjustment switch, which was underneath the front of the seat. After a few moments of testing it, he found that the seat could go lower, "but the dealer is right that it's adjustable... so that looks good."
"And it would also look like things should be manageable with regard to our tails," Persephone answered, "I don't think there'd be anything that would truly be a serious issue for Roland, Sophie, JC, or Pauline."
"That'll be good... and in a way, it FEELS like it shouldn't be a real problem," Tyler said to his wife and then looked to the dealer, "how would these work with that might be well smaller than we are? Our children became Dinotopians before we did... but they became Pterodactyls..."
"Pterodactylus Antiquus for the specific species for Roland and Sophie," Vera corrected, "Sophie's pet African Gray Parrot was uplifted to become a Microraptor Dinotopian... and his mate is a fellow uplifted African Gray Parrot."
"And the key thing is that both Pterodactyl and Microraptor were SMALLER than Humans in the fossil record," Remington picked up on the line that Tyler and Vera were going for, "and as such, they actually are about the same height that we were before WE became Dinotopians, as Mamenchisaurus and Alamosaurus are both relatively large Sauropods."
"Alamosaurus especially so," Persephone finished, "and before you ask, it was named for the rock formation in New Mexico it was found in, not the San Antonio mission."
The dealer actually smiled at that, "THAT I know. Trust me. Glen Rose has done enough tourism with regard to the local fossil site for YEARS before Dinotopia. And while I'm a car salesman, I've been here long enough to pick up somethings from people... Shoot, my first year here... before Dino City... we had a new resident move in from Arkansas and wanted to buy a new car. They had a bright young kid who loved Dinosaurs and been pestering his parents about the park long before they came in. It was during the summer, and I spent almost as much time talking with the kid about Dinosaurs as I did with the parents about the car."
Both the Albers and Luwries found themselves smiling at that. They'd actually learned a lot about Sauropods in general in the course of their research and even more about their particular species. Some things were things they didn't know before they began their research, and some were things they only knew because they were things Sophie or Roland mentioned for Pterodactyl or Microraptor. The fact that a car dealership employee knew some things about Dinosaurs that they didn't originally know was something that also eased some of your worries.
"And as for worries regarding smaller Dinotopians or potentially any Humans or smaller Animalians you give rides to in the future, all our cars come equipped with the special clip that will act like a belt for that rider to use," the dealer commented, "in fact, Mr. Luwrie, the base clip should be on the seat buckle strap already."
Tyler looked over one shoulder and noted the seatbelt that was there on the block that would then allow for it to be pulled across him to then be placed in the clip on the seat by his right hip. Buckling in worked well and the click was audible. However, as he did so he also noted a large and heavy piece of plastic that hung on the strap going across his chest. He then pointed that clip, which the dealer noted and then nodded.
"Yes, that's the top part of the base," the dealer spoke and then pointed toward his waist, "and there should be another sliding piece on the waist part of the belt..."
"They slide?" Persephone asked.
"Yes, it's all part of the adjustment features that come with the system," the dealer explained, "the one on the sash can flip down and lock onto one of the latches on the belt part of the seatbelt. It would then secure things so that friction would then hold the two sliders in place. They would only be capable of movement if latches were disengaged. This one sort of has a bit of a heavy plastic hook, but we also have sets in stock that would more like a latch on button."
Tyler then tested things and what the dealer was saying did seem to work, and with the right adjustments, these systems would work in making sure that the seatbelts could be adjusted for smaller passengers.
"And these all passed the safety checks?" Tyler asked to confirm.
The dealer nodded.
"Do you have a version of this car in blue?" Tyler asked and at this the dealer smiled as they got into the final portions of the deal.
The Albers went with a red version of one of the vans that were being provided for Dinotopians. From there, the last things were to handle the value of old Luwrie and Albers vehicles, get the keys, provide appropriate paperwork that would relate to loans and a lot of the other legwork that both sets of parents had done before the present trip for the Year of the Dragon contest and rooting for Sophie and Roland in it. It would also then leave them with the last bits of work to do before returning for the opening ceremony... acquiring clothes, but that was expected to be easier...
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
The clothes shopping went relatively easily, and while they did need to try some things on, they did work out. Just as Jeremy had said there were sets of shirts and pants that had been scaled up to around the size that Tyler and Persephone had grown to as Alamosaurus Dinotopians. Some things were a little "tight" in places, but it was nothing restrictive or painful, and Tyler went with it he saw Persephone looking hard at where the shirt he'd tried on was stretched over a well-muscled chest and shoulders. It all worked well, and both the Albers and the Luwries were pleased with the handling of the new vehicles and even with the parking spaces made available. They weren't all necessarily next to the main hotel in Dino City, but some of the walking distances from the parking lot to the hotel weren't that great, and despite the volume of clothes bought, the bags weren't all that heavy.
The most amazing part of the clothes shopping mission was also the fact that they'd been able to find and get fitting winter jackets. It wasn't something expected for Texas, but then, maybe some of their recent cases where changing weather patterns was also changing other things. Neither had any reason to complain, as northern Nevada could get colder and could stay colder for longer and that made winter jackets a thing to buy. From there, they returned to the hotel, took their new clothes in, got cleaned up and prepared to head to the Dino Dome and watch the opening ceremony for the Year of the Dragon.
Typically, this was largely limited to the announcement of the new year and outlining the events that would take place, and in this there wasn't too much that was expected to come out of the opening ceremony and it would be on the following days that things like the pageants, the various specific contests for land, sea, and air "dragons" would go for, and finally ending with the race up the specially constructed Zodiac Mountain for the Dinotopians. It wouldn't take too long and there would actually be plenty of time to get a bite to eat after the ceremony was done and Persephone was busy working a text to send to Roland on what the dinner plans would be, along with the mention of a "big surprise." She was grateful for the specialized stylus that was among the list of many other things that both sets of parents had been handling, discreetly in preparation for becoming the large Dinotopians they now were.
"So, we're set?" Remington asked as they arrived at the Dino Dome and looking to see a fair number of people arriving. Some were Dinotopians, but there were a fair number of Humans that were also there. Some of them seemed to disappear behind vehicles, but the new vantage point he'd gained as a Mamenchisaurus Dinotopian meant that there was no "real" disappearance.
"Pretty much," Persephone answered and hit send and then dropping the small plastic phone into her purse and then taking Tyler's arm, "I've told them that we'd meet them at the main entrance when they're done with the ceremony and that we'll go to dinner after."
"And hopefully... the new us isn't too big of a surprise," Tyler commented as he looked to his wife and then glanced over the others going in. He doubted they would be contestants in the contest, as the opening ceremony would be starting relatively soon. Those that were in the contest would probably already be in there and getting ready, as the opening ceremony had often ended with the reveal on all the contestants on the main stage and thus would allow viewers to see who was in the contest. "I mean... they should know that we came to convert in connection with the Year of the Dragon... being big enough to defend our kids, if need be... and well... to be young again."
"They're probably also at least aware of some of the more... adult reasons we converted for," Vera commented, "Sophie is smart and observant and we can't hide everything... BUT, she's not going to be too upset."
"Yes... the surprise may be big, and our specific choices may not be what she expects," Remington agreed with his wife, "but she's also been mature enough that she'd be able to accept it. The one thing that may be the surprise would be more that we intend to stay at Lyre/Animalia at our new sizes and not moving here or to Mesozoic Enclave. Though, if they went by where the new homes are in Animalia... she may connect the dots there. Which, will leave things only at the surprise and not much more than that."
"And I'd get the sense that your son is much the same," Vera added, "even before they became Dinotopians... there were times where I'd overhear them talking about things on the phone. Be it something that Animalia Ambassadoria was doing at the time... something that Sophie found frustrating and sometimes it was even Sophie comforting Roland on something."
"It's like they were made for each other," Persephone smiled, "and that's grown stronger since they became Dinotopians. Still... our conversion wasn't something that we'd involved them on. It just leaves me a bit worried that we'll have our big surprise and find them upset..."
The answer that Persephone got was not an adult voice but a child's voice.
"Upset at a surprise?" came a young voice and making the four turn to look down and see Jeremy arriving with four Theropod hatchlings, two were clearly Syntixisaurus Dinotopians, though clearly younger where the scales that would develop into the horns above the eyes weren't much more than two little nubs that had little growth from them. They were also a male and female with on wear wearing set of black pants and a shirt. The male's shirt was blue and the female's shirt was pink. The other two hatchlings were both male and had some more Tyrannosaurus features than the first two, including a thin coat of feathers visible on the top and back of the head. The female then spoke, "who not like surprises?"
"Depends on if nice surprise," one of the feathered males commented while looking up to Jeremy who was working with the group, and they stayed close.
"That's what we're thinking over," Persephone spoke, "we only just became Dinotopians today and we have no regrets... But while our children know that we were here to convert, they don't know the species we became... and it's just the hope that the surprise is a nice one, umm..."
Persephone wasn't sure on what to say as she didn't know the hatchlings by name. Thankfully, Jeremy came to the rescue.
"These are the next generation for the Green and Ramos clan, Mrs. Luwrie," Jeremy spoke, "this is my son, Mason and my daughter, Anna-Poly... and these are Tyra and Rex's hatchlings, Jonah is the one with four fingers and Manuel has 3."
"Why the difference?" Vera noticed the difference in Jonah and Manuel's hands.
"Some of that may be just the inheritance between the fact that Syntixisaurus is a hybrid species, classified as a Tyrannosaurus subspecies and that there are some features where one takes after their father a bit more than their mother," Jeremy answered, "and they've all promised to be on their best behavior and no tantrums."
"It's a pleasure to meet you," Persephone and Vera both said together and got down to a knee to shake their little hands. Things in the back of both female's minds was that these hatchlings were fairly cute with their wide eyes that looked a bit big when compared to the rest of the head. Both sets of twins then took turns shaking Vera and Persephone's hands, and then did the same with Tyler and Remington. The interaction was enough to set the new Sauropod Dinotopians at seeing things from the opposite point of view from how things had been for them a day before.
"In the meantime..." Jeremy said slowly and trying to think things over closely as the group sort of merged into one big one as they walked into the Dino Dome, "from the interactions that Sophie has had with Heather on Skype and directly, be it visits over a college break or something else of that nature, I would get the sense that she isn't one to hold grudges or reject things. And while we've had less contact with Roland, I've seen nothing that would indicate anything different. So, I don't think you have to worry that much about acceptance..."
By this point they had gotten inside and approached the main desk, where there was a large sign that indicated buying the ticks for the Year of the Dragon contest were to be sold. Remington noted that there were a variety of deals that went from just individual events or nights, or the entire contest. There were also sets of the larger pens and things needed to sign receipts or things like that. He set about paying for the tickets for the entire contest and using the "artificial hand" to help hold things so that his new fingers wouldn't be too bulky to use. Vera came beside him while Jeremy and the hatchlings he was looking after filled in behind them and the Tyler and Persephone came behind them. Occasionally he looked back to them, and Jeremy also then continued.
"Though, at the same time... did anyone force you to become Dinotopians?" Jeremy asked.
"No," Tyler spoke.
"Did anyone coerce you into picking Alamosaurus and Mamenchisaurus?" Jeremy asked, to which soon got a chorus of chirps of "Manchisaurus" from the hatchlings.
"No," Vera spoke.
"And are you over eighteen and have control over your own finances?" Jeremy asked.
"Of course," Persephone answered, "we had to put our birthdate and age on the conversion forms."
"Which means that if you made your choices of your own free will, that's all up to you," Jeremy spoke, "even if Sophie and Roland don't like it... that is not their business."
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
The ceremony went well, though Remington and Vera didn't get seats next to Jeremy and the four hatchlings he was looking over and neither were they next to the Luwries. But they did get to see the show and they found it rather interesting, particularly as much of Sophie, Roland, JC, and Pauline's presentation covered the history of Animalia's commitment to the Chinese New Year celebrations. The live feed for Animalia Ambassadoria was broadcast on the big screens that were in the stadium and gave everyone an added view to see the main announcers, though, Remington and Vera suspected that JC and Pauline would be the only ones to cover the rest of the contest. For while all four of them were well dressed for the opening ceremony, Sophie and Roland had a small white button with black numbers inside it. Sophies was "10" and Roland's was "9," which indicated that they had sent in applications rather early. JC and Pauline didn't have those sorts of pins, and by the time they got to the end of the presentation, it became clear that the numbered pins that Sophie and Roland had was a counter for the number of the contestant. Tyra was "1" and Heather was "3."
The history of the Animalia's celebration of the Lunar New Year worked well, and the shadow puppets idea was interesting, and was ultimately something that made the projection of the broadcast onto the stadium's jumbo screens quite necessary. For like the contests normally held at the Claw Coliseum in Lyre/Animalia, this year's contest was held in the part of the Dino Dome that was set up to work like a basketball court for the Dinotopians and could be set up for other events, such as the Dino Fight Club that was part of the UFC-A as well as Dinotopia's version of the Hunter Games during the IAC. Remington and Vera also quietly guessed that because it was Texas, they could also end up scheduling rodeos there as well, as there were entrances that and things for all that. However, this system had viewers on nearly all angles. Remington and Vera were looking down from the East end in the upper side of the stands, Jeremy and his hatchlings, along with Rex and Tyra's were in the first row on the north side, and then could see Tyler and Persephone halfway up the first level on the Southwest side of the area. So, from all angles, a simple shadow puppet show wouldn't work...
But because the big screens were tied into the broadcast, the camera followed Sophie, Roland, Pauline, and JC, they were then able to pan over to the curtain and screen that actually spanned one of the floor level entry points into the arena, and under normal circumstances would be where most people came in. The cameras then provided the view on the screen and let everyone in the Dino Dome see the shadow puppet show, even if they weren't in a spot to look at it directly. Neither Remington nor Vera knew how things were arranged for this, but that wasn't important right now. The system so far seemed to work as Sophie, Roland, JC, and Pauline were heard to tell the story on how the Dinotopians provided a start for the potential for "dragons," and Vera noted that there were a fair number of Humans also in the audience, likely from Glen Rose, but possibly from other nearby areas, who looked intrigued by the tale.
It was at that time that they observed Sophie and Roland move away from the one side of the area where they'd been part of the initial presentation, carrying the microphone with them. JC and Pauline then went to another of those entry ways, while the way for the shadow puppet show went dark and then gave the introduction for the Dinotopians being the real "dragons" and calling for the entry. From there the dragon dancers, who appeared to be Human, though they were far enough away that neither Remington nor Vera could tell if they were brought in from Lyre as part of the celebration or were hired locally to run in with the dragon pennant. The show looked well enough, dragon then circled the central area where Sophie and Roland were standing and were then followed by the Dinotopian contestants for the Year of the Dragon, and it was at this point that everyone was able to note what the numbers were for on the white pins that could be seen on Sophie and Roland's clothing as they listed the contestants by the order in which they'd been received.
Sophie and Roland continued on to explain the rules with JC and Pauline pitching in other points from the announcer's bench while Remington and Vera looked over the array of Dinotopians there surrounding Sophie and Pauline. Things actually looked quite calm and serene, which fit with many of the things that Animalia did. Several of the other Pterosaur Dinotopians clustered around Sophie and Roland, two, Vera thought were ones that Sophie and Roland had taught how to fly. A couple of others they'd only known off based on old Animalia Ambassadoria reports, back when Sophie and Roland were in high school, and they were the corps part of the group. The male and female Quetzalcoatlus Dinotopians looked to be just a hair shorter than Heather, at least.
The more extant animal based Animalians were to the front and right of where Sophie and Roland were, and to a degree they stood out from some of the unique shapes and adaptations that the Dinotopians had, with the exception of the two specific Seahorse Animalians and both Remington and Vera hoped that they wouldn't be tested in the Land or Sea Dragon "skills tests" that would have them having to match the larger Dinotopians in terms of feats of strength. There were a few Hadrosaur and Ceratopsian Dinotopians that were also there, along with two Stegosaurus Dinotopians, one male and one female. There were a pair of Ankylosaurus Dinotopians, both male, and both seemed to be eyeing each other a bit, as though the contest was something of a contest between them. There were also some familiar faces that the Albers and Luwries had spoken with as part of their own research, which included Luke and Marjorie standing together as where Andrew and Jen. Remington and Vera both figured to thank them at some point for their help in guiding their own decision on what kind of Sauropod Dinotopian to become.
And there was of course, Heather, Tyra, and Rex, who were standing with a wide-ranging group of Theropod Dinotopians. Some of their group looked just as diverse as some of the others, as Remington and Vera both noticed the two Spinosaurus Dinotopians there, and with the male seeming to at least try to win the female's attention, even in the midst of the opening ceremony for the Year of the Dragon contest. That all, of course then got interrupted by a dash of cute as Sophie's microphone picked up four happy cries of "momma!" Remington and Vera turned their heads to see Jeremy trying to dive to catch Jonah, Manuel, Anna-Poly, and Mason as they all gave cheers and actually ran from their seats to their respective mothers. They did no harm or damage to anything, but they did what little kids would do and practically leaped into their mother's arms, and from there Sophie's microphone picked up, "you weren't afraid I wasn't coming home, were you?" "We're rooting for you, momma." "I'm sure... now, how 'bout you go and sit with your father... make sure you haven't broken him." That earned chuckles from Remington and Vera as they thought back onto the days when Sophie was little... that scene brought back many happy memories.
Though the scene also came toward the end and many of the lights in the Dino Dome were beginning to power up again, which meant they would soon be free to go again. The rest of the contest would then follow over the coming days. There may not have been anything planned for Super Bowl Sunday, but the week after that would have plenty of action over the course of those few days, and according to the brochure that Remington had would come with certain stages. The male and female pageants would take place on the same day and going one after the other. The skills challenges for land, sea, and air would then progress one after the other with the land and air skills challenges being in the main arena while the sea challenge would be at the Dino Dome's pool. The "fire breathing" contest would was out in the lobby and would highlight local "spicy" chefs that contributed dishes that would be both spicy and acceptable for the Dinotopian that tried them... so that carnivores weren't made sick with plant matter and herbivores weren't made sick by meat. The last event would be on the last day as the contestants went up Zodiac Mountain, and one that came with twists that would serve to provide options for all the contestants.
As the lights began to turn on, and the contestants were ushered back through their doors to go back to the locker room, likely to change back into their normal clothes, Remington and Vera stood up when Vera's phone buzzed with a text. Vera collected her purse and found the phone that she had had for quite a while. The small phone was now tiny and fragile in her much larger Dinotopian hands, but she had enough control to hold it gently while fishing the stylus out of her purse to operate the phone's touchscreen. There she found the text from Sophie, which read, "will be reviewing the tape. We may have to edit Heather and Tyra's hatchlings coming onto the stage out for the main video, as technically that wasn't part of the plan... though, it may go up on the blooper page for the "awwws." We'll be able to meet you and the Luwries at the main entrance in a little while."
"That may be good... because it may also take a little while for things to entirely empty out," Remington commented as Vera showed the text to her husband before putting the phone back in her purse, "we'll then have time to get to the entrance."
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
They slowly made their way down, mostly as people then moved to fit down the stairs and so on. The Humans that had come to the Dino Dome to watch the opening ceremony had it relatively easy as the spaces made for Dinotopians, and specifically the larger Dinotopians, that made some sets. Though many of the Dinotopians had to deal with many of the same issues that came with leaving stadiums everywhere. As they made it back to the ground floor, there was some hope of maybe running into Jen, Andrew, Luke, or Marjorie... to thank them for their help, but there had been nothing like that. As they met up with Tyler and Persephone near the doors to the main entrance, they figured that either the contestants hadn't come out yet, or they went out other exits. For the moment that left them to wait.
"I think the opening was pretty good," Tyler said to Remington and Vera, "good work of lighting and the camera guys that had to be helping the kids..." He paused with a small smile as Roland and Sophie were at least 20 by now, if not 21. They weren't "kid's" anymore, but in a way, to a father, Roland would always be the little boy with his train set from a Christmas when he was a few years old "The camera guys did a good job of being able to show the shadow puppets thing well."
"We thought so too," Vera commented, "though it would appear that the cutest part of the ceremony is likely going to be cut from the main thing that goes up for Animalia Ambassadoria's coverage for the event."
"That's a shame," Persephone commented as footsteps were heard coming closer.
There was a quick look and there were some people still heading out, but there was no sign of the two Pterodactyl and Microraptor Dinotopians they were looking for. Though, they did note the approach of the Green and Ramos families, with Jonah riding piggyback on Tyra's shoulders while Anna-Poly did the same with Heather. Both were gripping at the horns above their respective mother's eyes. Manuel and Mason trailed along after their respective fathers, though they stayed close as they came up toward the four Sauropod Dinotopians. Mason and Manuel did wave though and Persephone did wave back, earning a raising eye ridge from Heather to Jeremy.
"Heather, the Albers and the Luwries had their conversion today, the Albers became Mamenchisaurus and the Luwries became Alamosaurus," Jeremy explained and Heather seemed to relax a bit, giving Persephone a bit of sense that Heather was mentally going over some "stranger danger" thoughts. It reminded Persephone of her reasoning for converting and being a Sauropod Dinotopian, to be big enough so that no would be a threat to her son, even if they'd end up living in different states. It was something that reinforced the assurances that Roland had given them that Heather had not only apologized but reformed.
"Oh... well... you look good," Heather spoke, "will you be moving here or to Mesozoic Enclave?"
"We've actually worked out the logistics in order to stay in Lyre/Animalia," Remington answered, "it's where our jobs are, and they aren't quite as capable of expanding the way Horizon has. The areas we work in should be able to fit us... and it took time to get things arranged for that... but it's all in order."
"And went all out to be big, I see," Tyra gave a smile and ran one claw down Tyler's arm and feeling the muscle definition, "have some adult fun, yet?"
"Adult fun?" Tyler said slowly, not sure on how to mention sex in front of kids that had to be around two years old, maybe older or younger, but at least the line wasn't explicit, "well... yes."
"It was the best," Persephone gave a weak smile as she noticed Tyler begin to blush through his scaled cheeks.
"And maybe come spring, it'll lead to new little ones that will grow up to be big and strong," Tyra commented, "or generously curved... or both, as just about every female here that isn't Human is generously curved, isn't she?"
"Grandma, not in front of the kids!" Heather turned her head and almost snapped.
Tyra only smirked and there were actually some giggles from the four hatchlings. If they actually understood what Tyra was getting at, the Albers and Luwries couldn't tell and weren't going to press on that issue. It seemed like something that was a bit of a reminder of things that showed on how much Tyra had embraced the high libido that Animalians had and went with it while Heather was the one who was a bit more cautious on that issue. It reminded Remington a bit on the circumstances that often limited him and Vera when Sophie was little, and it was a dynamic that he didn't want to mess with, particularly as there seemed to be nothing that indicated that Jonah, Manuel, Anna-Poly, or Mason were truly paying attention to that and were more chuckling at the playful back and forth between their respective parents, and that was a reminder of the cute scene of the four of them rushing to their mother's arms after the Year of the Dragon Opening Ceremony ended.
"Regardless... these four seem quite precious and their voicing of support at the ceremony was quite cute," Vera commented, "treasure those moments... they go by too quickly."
"Agreed," Tyra nodded, her voice sounding more serious.
It left a bit of a silence there as Tyler and Persephone thought back on raising Roland while Remington and Vera thought back on raising Sophie. They also figured that Tyra thought back on raising the child that she'd had in the past and would be Heather's parent. Heather's eyes drifted up to Anna-Poly and then down to Mason. It was only then that another new set of voices came in that drew attention away from the started discussion.
"Mom! Dad!?" came both Sophie and Roland's voices making both the Luwries and Albers turn from the Ramos and Green families to rest of the entryway area where they could see Sophie and Roland coming up and looking up with very wide eyes. JC and Pauline were following along behind, and they looked a bit surprised, but not as much.
Vera looked over and looked down to them, and got a full reminder on how much she had grown in becoming a Mamenchisaurus. Sophie was about the same height as what most would expect for a Human woman, which showed on how the small size of Pterodactyl limited any change in height. Thus in becoming a Pterodactyl Dinotopian, her height was comparable to what she would have grown to had she not converted, and even there, some of her height also came from the raised crest on her head. Roland was in much the same situation, but Vera and Remington now towered over even the Ramos and Green family adults and Tyler and Persephone were even taller than they were.
"Yes, it's us," Vera said as she got down to one knee and lowered her head as much as she could and feeling the bottom of one breast compress against her knee as she leaned forward, "we had said that we had driven here from Lyre to convert. So... what do you think?"
"You look big," Sophie said simply and finding that in leaning forward and down, her mother had managed to close the distance from her head to Sophie, but her body was still a good distance away.
"We didn't think you would actually go for a Sauropod conversion," Roland commented while looking over to Sophie and then back up to his parents, and more to Tyler, "I mean... you guys did say you were coming to convert and would need some things that were Dinotopian sized... but we were thinking either a large Pterosaur... or a Ceratopsian or Ankylosaur... or a large Theropod. Something fitting with the whole "defense" think you mentioned... that if someone went nuts with their conversion or the governor here made some threat, you'd be big enough and fierce enough to come to our defense."
"And the Sauropods would fit that," Tyler said to his son, "they may not have many natural weapons... but in a sense SIZE can be a weapon in and of itself. In many ways, Sauropods are sort of like the Elephants and Rhinos of their era. Once they're adults, they're too big for even the largest predators to reliably tackle. They might go after an immature or obviously sick or aged animal... but while Tyrannosaurus Rex may have been the largest and most powerful Theropod in Cretaceous North America, it wouldn't attack an adult Alamosaurus, the largest Sauropod in North America in the same time period."
"And in a way..." Remington commented as he took a step forward and kneeled down beside his wife and then leaned forward with is neck to nuzzle his head to Sophies, "we may be big enough now to safely contain all the love we've had for you."
"We love you that much," Vera agreed and then nuzzled her head to Sophie's from the other side.
Sophie managed a small smile, though it also felt a bit odd in how big her parents' heads had become. In many ways, this had been a surprise and yet one that she'd half expected, as her parents had seemed a bit in awe over Andrew when they met him during the first Thanksgiving in Animalia with the Dinotopians, back before Jen became a Brachiosaurus Dinotopian and well before Sophie and Roland converted and JC and Pauline were uplifted. There were hints and signs of that kind of curiousity after that point, which made it a surprise that she should have expected. But she'd always had a good relationship in with parents in that they trusted her and her decisions. They accepted Roland with open arms as first a boyfriend and then bond-mate after they converted. In this, the confirmation of the parental love was good and she accepted the gentile rubbing.
"And you're happy with your choice, mom, dad?" Sophie asked to them.
"Yes," Vera smiled back, "and we'll look forward to being a launching platform for our grandchildren in the future when you and Roland bring them to visit us in Animalia."
"We can take off from the ground," Roland pointed out, "we don't need to climb somewhere high, first."
"But kids always love to climb on things," Persephone commented, "I remember doing yoga one afternoon and a little two year old boy climbed up onto my side to watch the excercise video I had on. When you and Sophie get to having kids... hopefully AFTER you've gotten your careers going, and obviously after the wedding, they will do the same with you."
Roland didn't say anything to that, and heard Sophie giggling at the comment. That made him blush.
"So... what species of Sauropod Dinotopian did you become?" JC asked as he came forward and noting that Sophie seemed to be accepting things.
"Vera and I became Mamenchisaurus, and specifically Mamenchisaurus Hochuanensis," Remington answered, "though because of the species having long cervical ribs in the neck that overlap each other, Jeremy had to mix in some Green Tree Python DNA with our conversion to reduce some of that length... or change the orientation of those ribs in our new necks and thus allowing us to have some flexibility there. It'd also provide the added muscle strength so that our necks don't become limp noodles without those super long cervical ribs."
"We also think that some of the snake's color patterns ended up with the conversion as well as the musculature and alteration to the cervical ribs," Vera added, "thus the emerald green color with yellow spots at random on our dorsal side."
"It looks nice on you, though," Remington said to his wife.
"Though coloration could be a rather speculative thing with nearly all Dinosaurs," Rex spoke up, "partially because there are so few soft body-tissue fossils that have been found that would provide clues onto their colors and patterns... Though, from some of those that do survive, they did have some rather bird like coloration and patterns... which among Theropods would further display the evolutionary connection. And to a degree, we can extend that with other species... but without soft body-tissue fossils, a lot of it still going to be guess work. And as noted earlier, because Sauropods are pretty much impervious to attack once they mature, some species may have invested more evolutionary effort into bright colors and display features."
"So long as you're happy and healthy, that'll be all that matters," Sophie answered, "as I will want you there to walk me down the aisle and to be around when Roland and I have our hatchlings."
"And we will," Vera and Remington said together.
"And Persephone and I became Alamosaurus," Tyler answered the Microraptor's question, "and while it also has long cervical ribs in its neck, they aren't as long as those in Mamenchisaurus and thus not as limiting with regard to mobility. So, we didn't need the modifications for the conversion."
"Alamosaurus... you mean?" Roland began.
"It was actually named for the Ojo Alamo Formation in New Mexico," Persephone answered, figuring that some question on the Alamo would come up, "as that was the formation the first specimen was found in. In some ways the "popular" reference to the Spanish mission in Texas has some comparison in that Alamosaurus was a Titanosaur Sauropod of the Late Cretaceous, and thus among the last non-Avian Dinosaurs to live... but that's something still separate from how it got its name."
"And you're both okay, right?" Roland asked.
"Of course," Tyler answered, "I feel stronger than I ever did and in some ways more energetic than ever. It's something where a part of me has been wondering why we didn't do this sooner."
He didn't want to also mention the physical changes that related to the mind-blowing sex that he and Persephone had had in their conversion. To a degree, he was well aware that Sophie and Roland had been active together since they turned eighteen, and a part of him might even guess that given Animalian libidos, it could be possible that they'd had sex before then, but he had no proof of that. And while Tyler liked those physical changes in both himself and his wife, and he was sure the Albers felt the same way regarding their own changes, bragging about sex to their son like some frat boy in front of his son's bond-mate wasn't what Tyler wanted to do.
"Though... waiting gave us time to get all the logistics for our change in order," Persephone smiled to Tyler and nodded to Remington and Vera as they stood up, "as we obviously got very big and requiring all sorts of new things. And by having time to go over things in stages, it made affording things easier and correct our plans as they go."
"Though... it is getting a bit late," Remington spoke up, "we do have dinner to get to. Why don't we head to the restaurant and we can fill you in more on the logistical side of things that have been arranged and possibly set the schedule coming up for the future. As there will be things also coming up from the Super Bowl to Valentines Day... and not to mention the travel schedule needed for the days of the contest going on through the course of the coming week. Just because it's the Year of the Dragon, that does not mean we want you missing classes. Particularly when the travel distance isn't THAT bad with regard to SMU to here."
"Not to mention the adult fun you'll all want to have with your respective partners later," Tyra quipped with a grin.
"GRANDMA!" Heather responded and managed to garner chuckles from the four hatchlings that had watched the discussion quietly and respectfully to that point.