The few days that followed their conversion and where things stood in the Year of the Dragon Contest had gone fairly well for both the Albers and Luwries. Sophie and Roland had seemed to at least accept their conversions, which in many ways was a part of the worries that were there when the two sets of parents decided to go through with the conversions. After all, becoming an Animalian, of any kind, was a big change and could not be undone once done. While Horizon had found out how to activate and deactivate the Animalia Virus in an Animalian, they'd either failed to find a way to reverse the transformation or as so many of the Animalians that had been accidentally converted at Animalia's start had come to like their new forms or fell in love with the uplifted Animalian that converted them, Horizon simply quit looking. No one seemed to want to go back. And for Remington and Vera Albers, and Tyler and Persephone Luwrie, that same sort of thing now applied. They had willingly converted and felt quite happy as Mamenchisaurus and Alamosaurus Dinotopians and wouldn't go back, even if the ability was found. The only worry that had been there was the fact that they hadn't fully told Sophie and Roland about their plans. Once their children at least accepted things, they were then free to go about the next steps...
Though with the Year of the Dragon contest going on, the immediate "next steps" related more to the back-and-forth shuttling of Sophie, Roland, JC, and Pauline from their Dallas campus at SMU to Dino City for the contest and then back so that they would be able to attend their classes. As the college didn't cancel their classes for the Lunar New Year, and while a fair number of people came to see the contest, both sets of parents were also sure that children couldn't just miss classes. Particularly with Roland looking into educational courses and Sophie's courses looking like she might even go further and get a law degree to become a lawyer... or at least a "consultant" of some kind. And the roads weren't too bad, and the new vehicles they'd purchased could handle the distances quite well. And in terms of passengers, because Sophie, Roland, JC, and Pauline were only about the size of an above average Human, they could all easily fit in the Luwrie's new car, even though it had fewer seats. Things were even better as the specialized clips for the seat belts also were reported to work out quite well, and that then let both parents alternate on how did the back-and-forth driving.
The only issue with some of that driving was that it then limited the time available to socialize after various events or even before them, as while there was a major interstate/highway between Dallas and Dino City, Texas had a much larger population then Nevada and that could often require a lot of focus and attention. It meant that whoever got to drive the night route back to Dallas would be tired by the time they got back to their hotel room at Skybax Tower in Dino City. It also meant that one would also have to head to Dallas fairly early in order to be able to be there when Sophie, Roland, JC, and Pauline had their last classes for the day and get them back to Dino City to get ready. Within the context of rooting for Sophie and Roland in the contest, though, a lot of this was very good. Sophie and Roland had both flown quite well and had the best times in the Dragons of the Air competition. And while Tyler and Persephone were sure that Roland had the best answer in the men's pageant, they did have to admit that William Tarr had also had a good answer and could see why the judges ruled in William Tarr's favor. And while Roland did edge Rex with regard to his answer, Rex actually did better with the talent and presentation on the scoring. Remington and Vera were a bit unsure as to how to truly react to Sophie's scores in the female's pageant as they were practically tied with Heather's in that part of the contest.
The big thing that remained for them that was outside of the contest was getting the formal thank yous to Luke, Marjorie, Andrew, and Jen. As the two Diplodocus and Brachiosaurus Dinotopians had answered a lot of their questions, and from time to time they had met in Lyre/Animalia before Dino City was established. In some ways, it was something that made the four new Dinotopians feel good about their choices and a good part of the reasons for their specific species. It was something that both the Luwries and Albers felt very grateful for, and as those days of the contest passed, they did try to set some things up for that sort of meeting to say think you, though, some of it wasn't always successful...
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
"It's odd... in a way," Tyler commented as he and Persephone walked along the main street in Dino City. It was the day of the Land, Sea, and Air contests and Remington and Vera were the ones presently tasked with the drive to Dallas to bring their kids to Dino City for the events. That left Tyler and Persephone with some free time to look around the city in a way they hadn't necessarily been able to do during the first time they'd visited when bringing Roland to college for the first time.
"What is, dear?" Persephone asked her husband and turned her head to him.
"Actually fitting the city's scaling," Tyler answered, "I mean... when we've stopped by in the past when taking Roland to college... or on the way back at the start of the summer... everything has been giant when compared to us, and much of everything that we'd have to use at a restaurant or something else had to rely on all the height and other sorts of adjustors for chairs and the like. Now... we aren't in that situation, and in a way... it feels odd."
"Roland and Sophie will still have that when they move here after college," Persephone commented, "and even with the new homes that we've had commissioned in Animalia... we may feel the opposite of what we felt before... Being "cramped..."
"That will also feel odd, in a way," Tyler admitted.
He wanted to say more when a door opened and a group of Dinotopians walked out. They were of different species with one being a Carnotaurus, one being a Kentrosaurus, and the largest of the group being an Amargasaurus. A couple were also carrying cases for musical instruments, at least like an electric guitar or bass guitar.
"You guys are going to be there, right?" the Carnotaurus asked, "I mean... I know you guys aren't in the contest..."
"We got your back man," the Amargasaurus said with a smile and shook his neck a little, making the neck spines jostle a little side to side, "it may help make the band more popular... Make punk rock great again!"
"That joke isn't funny, Ty, and you know it," the Kentrosaurus groaned, and the Amargasaurus gave a rather sheepish nod.
"Huh..." Tyler spoke up making all their heads turn to him and Persephone.
"Argentinosaurus?" the Carnotaurus asked.
"Alamosaurus," Tyler spoke, "we heard you say Ty..."
"They were referring to me," the Amargasaurus Dinotopian spoke and offered out a hand, and raised it a bit, finding that Tyler Luwrie was well taller than him, "name's Tyler Pug."
"Oh... we have the same first name," Tyler spoke, "Tyler Luwrie. This is my wife Persephone. You all are in the Year of the Dragon contest?"
"Naw, just me," the Carnotaurus spoke, flexing his arms, which looked a bit on the short side, "the rest of the guys weren't interested in all the running or jumping... or the hot and spicy food they're going to end up serving. Live dangerously! It'll be more fun."
"That sort of stuff got me in trouble," Tyler Pug answered, "I'm quite content to cheer for you..." He then looked up to Tyler Luwrie and Persephone and noted the confusion. "You've never seen Amargasaurus before?"
"The ones we talked to before converting were Luke and his mate, Marjorie... and Andrew and his mate, Jen," Persephone answered, "I think they did mention that there was an Amargasaurus Dinotopian..."
"And yeah, that's me," Tyler Pug smiled, "the only Amargasaurus Dinotopian... until our band wins in a groupie... then... who knows!"
"You are certainly different," Tyler Luwrie commented.
"Within the Diplodocid family tree, Amargasaurus and its Dicraeosaurid relatives stand out," Tyler Pug nodded, "generally smaller size than most Sauropods, though still big when compared to other Dinosaurs... also having shorter necks, and for Amargasaurus, specifically, kick butt spikes!"
"Well... we wish you the best of luck," Persephone commented, "though we will be rooting for our son and his mate... Roland Luwrie and Sophie Albers."
"They're the little flying dinosaurs, right?" Tyler Pug asked.
"Pterosaurs," Tyler Luwrie corrected, "specifically Pterodactyl."
"That's it," Tyler Pug answered, "anyway... we got some stuff to take care of before everything starts. It may be the Lunar New Year, but they aren't closing down everything for it."
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
And finding out that not everyone's workdays were cancelled because of the Lunar New Year proved to be a big part of things. Luke, Marjorie, Andrew, and Jen all had their own jobs in Dino City that often kept them busy. Some of this was frustrating for them, as the two Brachiosaurus and Diplodocus Dinotopians had provided a lot of help and guidance that related on what Sauropod Dinotopians to become. They had also been helpful for Remington, Vera, Tyler, and Persephone in keeping their plans quiet and that Sophie and Roland could be informed in a way that both the Albers and Luwries felt would work. It made wanting to say "thank you" a very big thing, and as they found that they couldn't easily get to them during the day, there had been some hope for the "thank yous" to be said at some point in the competition, though that presented its own problems.
A lot of that had come to some hard luck that often had the Albers and Luwries seated apart from each other during the events, even as they moved through the Dragons of the Earth, Dragons of the Sea, and then the Dragons of the Air competitions. They were able to note that many of the contestants had seating rather close to the action and, by Remington’s guess, ordered by when the contestant entered the Year of the Dragon contest. And because the contestants were often given a bit of a head start to leave before the viewers could move from the arena to the pool and back again, trying to link up and then find Andrew, Jen, Luke, or Marjorie proved impossible. And while they were pleased with Sophie and Roland’s run through their events and in the pageants the following nights, the fact that the Albers and Luwries weren’t seated together had often put them behind those they wished to thank. From there the drive from Dino City to Dallas and SMU, and then back again came into play.
The Fire-Breathing Curry Contest, however, provided a new opportunity. Unlike the prior events, it wasn’t a spot where seating or anything else of that nature was arranged. The “cafeteria” was sort of a large food court and had series of snack booths in them, which included all the sorts of foods one would expect at a sporting complex, which as according to some of the brochures that they’d read made sense as the Dino Dome wouldn’t just be used for Dinotopian events. But since the Year of the Dragon WAS a Dinotopian event, the “cafeteria” would do for the Fire-Breathing Curry Contest. Remington and Vera were able to stand by Tyler and Persephone and watch as the various contestants took their turn. And with all the contestants present, this would probably be their last and best chance to give their thanks to Andrew, Jen, Luke, and Marjorie. Though, they also remained closer to where they could observe Sophie and Roland where they were seated.
As the contest came to an end, many of the contestants stayed seated, and those that did move a bit were often talking to some of the others present. Sophie and Roland, in fact went over to talk with Heather, Tyra, and Rex. That gave the Albers and Luwries their chance to go and talk with the four Dinotopians they felt gave them the most help on what choices to make, as Andrew, Jen, Luke, and Marjorie were seated together. The approach was calm and quiet, and both the Albers and Luwries did their best to make sure they didn't accidentally bump into anyone. They also ignored the sound of the Carnotaurus Dinotopian being consoled by Tyler Pug over not going particularly long with the Fire Breathing Curry Contest. As they approached, Andrew was the first to turn his head.
"Mr. and Mrs. Albers, Luwrie," Andrew spoke carefully as he stood up, "you're both looking well."
"Thank you, and we're feeling good with all our changes," Remington answered as he shook Andrew's hand. In some ways it felt different in being able to be on more equal footing with the first Sauropod Dinotopian. Jen, Luke, and Marjorie were also soon to get to their feet as well. "We're sorry to have to jump you after going through all that fire..."
"It is alright, Sophie told us you wished to thank us in person for the help provided before your conversions," Jen spoke as she shook Vera's hand and then looked up to Tyler and Persephone.
"Yes, that was a big part of things," Vera nodded, "though, note that we didn't put her up to anything."
Vera did note that despite all the growth that she'd gone through in becoming a Mamenchisaurus Dinotopian, while she and Jen were now on comparatively equal height, Jen did have bigger breasts. In that department, Vera might be on par with Marjorie now, but Jen was still bigger in that department. One side glance gave her some notion that Persephone might be comparable to Jen in that department, but that might be more due to the fact that Alamosaurus was among the largest Dinosaurs to ever exist, and while Brachiosaurus was large, more recent discoveries had found that it wasn't "the biggest" as was thought when it was discovered in 1903. Vera also noted some obvious looks of surprise as Luke and Marjorie shook hands with Tyler and Persephone.
"You two sure went on the big side of things," Marjorie said to Persephone as they shook hands.
"Well..." Persephone said slowly, "as I'm sure you remember... were asking possible options for Sauropods of larger size, so as that we could be big enough and strong enough to protect Roland... and Sophie... should ANY threat come at them."
"Yes," Luke nodded and glanced over to Andrew, "and were willing to go with groups that Dino City didn't have represented... yet... along with certain question and answer segments on OTHER things as well."
"And that worked out quite well," Vera commented, "and felt quite... like all the love I've had for Remington was reborn. So, it all worked out well, and that is what we expected and wanted, but were then looking for options outside the specific families that Brachiosaurus and Diplodocus are in..."
"Along with there also being some requirements on there not being any references to "whales" being in the name," Jen chuckled with one look to Vera. Jen noted that Persephone was larger than her in terms of height and muscle, and was now comparable to her in bust size, though Jen was fairly certain she was slightly bigger in that department, likely a result of her condition before she became a Dinotopian. "So... Cetiosaurus wasn't an option..."
"And presented some complications, as pretty much ALL Sauropods are big when compared to other Dinosaurs," Andrew commented, "It's only when we get into some cases of Sauropods being on islands and becoming dwarves as a result where many of them start to become smaller... and even they may not be truly "small." As for a great many animals, something like Ibirania, which was only nineteen feet long, would be big. But among Sauropods... it was a result of having less resources on islands and thus becoming a dwarf to fit those resources... add in the complicated evolution of the group from the predecessors to Sauropods in the Triassic with the first Sauropods appearing in the Jurassic and then splitting between Eusauropoda and Neosauropoda... there was a lot of stuff we had to go over just to go over the ideas you were all looking for... more than what I had to read through on Brachiosaurus before I converted."
"And that's what we've come to thank you for," Tyler told him, "There was a lot that you guys already did and might have some ideas on to help us make our choice on which species to pick. Without your help... we'd probably still be debating over which species to pick. You guys helped us narrow things down to Mamenchisaurus... one of the large Sauropods that would probably be considered more... what's the word... "primitive..." when compared your specific species... and Alamosaurus, one of the Titanosaurs... one of the more... "advanced..." Sauropods."
"Remington and I went with Mamenchisaurus," Vera stated, "with some snake DNA for the neck..."
"Tyler and I went with Alamosaurus," Persephone added, "a lot of it ultimately came down to a coin flip... and I think there may have been some recognition that our response was because of the attack on Roland..."
"Heather wouldn't do that again," Andrew spoke, "I've known Tyra a long time... long before she even became "Tyra." And while I can't say everything on what happened in Heather's past, it's something that I'm pretty sure Tyra won't let be repeated. At least not with Heather."
Remington and Persephone turned their heads for a moment and saw Heather shake hands with both Roland and Sophie, before her children quick to bound into their mother's lap.
"We'd actually see a good bit of that being correct," Persephone spoke as she turned back to Andrew, "but then... something like what happened with Heather wouldn't be the only threat... and Sophie and Roland already converted... So... either we'd be big enough to ultimately shield them... or we'd go with them. Just as Heather and Tyra may well go with their hatchlings."
Andrew nodded, "and ultimately... helping you was no big problem. It presented some work, but in some ways... it was nice to help."
"It was nice to even feel needed," Marjorie added, "we have some good sporting events around here... and to a degree, during the summer a lot do come through for them."
"The Texas rodeos also will often pay to see how we'd fair against their livestock," Luke chuckled, "though, it's ultimately a lot of tying and that sort of thing. As none of us are small enough to ride a horse or a bull."
"Riding our husbands is a lot more fun, I think," Persephone smiled and noted a blush come over Tyler's cheeks. There were some nods as Remington, Andrew, and Luke blushed a bit at the smiles they got from their wives.
"And again, thank you for all your help," Vera then said to Jen and Andrew and also shook Marjorie and Luke's hands as well, "it did a lot... and we are very grateful."
"It was no problem, Mrs. Albers," Luke said to her, "it's a way to make friends..."
Vera found herself smiling at that. She'd gone through a lot of major changes of late, but making friends was always good, regardless of species of Dinotopian one was. There was some small worry that because a lot of the things that Vera and Persephone had started with when they first began peppering Jen or Marjorie and then Luke and Andrew for ideas on that things would be no more than a base acquittance or a guide. Having things move toward an actual friendship was nice.
"You're both still planning on staying in Lyre/Animalia?" Andrew asked.
"Yeah," Remington nodded, "we can send you an email on the new addresses we'll have, along with any and all phone numbers. That way we can keep in touch."
"That'll be great," Luke smiled.