The post honeymoon meeting was one to be expected and came in the open at pool at the Claw Colisseum on a warm June day. They were dressed in rather light and comfortable clothing for the pool as they were able to meet up and Simon wasn't expected to be back on shift until the next day and were looking to stay as cool as they could. For the moment, it also had them sitting on some of the "beach chairs" that ran along one wall of the pool area, and those who were not sitting were leaning against the wall. This was especially true for Sarah and Malice. Even with their summer coats in and cropped short, the two Husky Animalians couldn't help but pant a little bit in the hot weather. They also all had bottles of cool water there as well as they caught up and looked toward addressing various other issues that were bound to come up, some of which were already mentioned. This came to things that had all been there, and in some ways was a part of growing up.
For Abby, she knew that some of it would mean the group of them coming apart and moving away from each other. She was pretty sure that Sophie and Roland would move to Dino City, given some of the conversations that as Dino City's school got started that Roland would have a spot there lined up. All he needed was to get all the credits and pass the appropriate tests that were required for a teaching license and certificate in Texas. From some things, it seemed like Roland had taken an odd choice of schedule, which Sophie had said in emails was more to be assured good grades and thus make him more competitive than those living in the state, and likely would include any and all applicants to the Dino City School District when it actually started in two years. Though there were some other things that Abby couldn't be fully sure on, and her and Samson expecting their own move up to Montana, some of this meeting was there to least keep the means to keep in touch. Showing the photos of her little sister allowed for some of that.
"She's cute," Malice commented, "it's a shame you won't be here to see her grow up... I mean, like the way Sarah and I have been for Belle and Bash."
"Well... my mom and dad didn't have a foal right after becoming Animalians," Abby answered with a small smile, "and I'm sure I'll get to see pictures, and Samson and I will be a part of her life in a way. Just as my uncle has always been a part of my life growing up in his own way."
"And you'll be headed out to Montana to live with him?" JC wondered as he sat there with Pauline.
"I wouldn't be living WITH him," Abby answered, "it's a bit complicated. Uncle JT has been more of an auctioneer, and he still does a lot of that work, which often has him moving about a good portion of northern and northeastern Montana. He's not in the mountains and things are more open, which has more ranching operations there. Thus, when they're looking to sell horses or cattle to the highest bidder, he's often been the one called for it. That hasn't changed with his marriage to Spotted Tail."
"How are they doing?" Travis wondered.
"Fairly well," Abby responded, "as I said... Uncle JT's still in the auctioneering work and Spotted Tail actually has a job with a veterinary clinic in the town not too far away from where they live. Some of it is clerical and some of it to be there for "therapy" when a vet has to go and see a sick horse on a ranch. They seem to calm down a bit around her, though it does mean masks are a requirement. Anyway... he's made decent money and has had the land available around his home, but because Uncle JT has been alone for so long, he really didn't use it. He's had some agreements with local ranchers that he'd grow hay there and they could come and harvest it, and all they'd have to pay Uncle JT for was the hay or alfalfa itself at market price. They'd actually do the work for it."
"But one of his gifts to us at the wedding was deed to a lot of the land there that he's done this on," Samson commented, "it won't be like growing apples here with Abby's parents and the clientele would be different, obviously, but it would be workable. And when things are ready... we can set up the time to make the move. Though, we'll obviously still try to visit here when possible. Particularly for the Year of the Horse."
"So... it sounds like you'll things all set," Sarah commented.
"Pretty much," Abby admitted, "some living arrangements may be needed as so far as I know... there isn't a house on the property, but... the distance between the town and the land isn't that far, and JT and Spotted Tail might let us stay while trying to get everything sorted out. We might even get to arrange the building of a fairly decent sized home on the property and then we'll be neighbors to JT and Spotted Tail. All of that takes time. And you?"
The coming year for us won't be too different," Sophie commented and held Roland's hand, "though... once Roland graduates next spring and passes the test and so on to teach... we'll then have the hustle of moving from here to a Dino City apartment so Roland can start his career as a teacher... From there, we'll then have travel related issues to think over."
"Travel issues?" Jessica wondered.
"The attached law school for SMU is pretty much in the same general area as the main campus," Sophie answered, "and while Dino City and Glen Rose are on a relatively big highway... it's still geographically too far away from the campus in Dallas to commute back and forth a lot... not without using up a lot of fuel and time, something that was an issue during the Year of the Dragon contest. Some of the Animalia Ambassadoria money we earned while in high school may still cover a lot of it... with regard to a new car and all that. We'll be talking with both our folks to help figure those things out."
"Sounds like a lot," Simon commented.
"But we'll know who to hire if we ever get sued," Malice chuckled and elbowed Simon slightly.
Sophie only shook her head and clicked her beak a bit to indicate her recognition of the joke. She didn't expect either Simon or Malice to get into that kind of trouble. Malice could be forward and adventurous but would never knowingly cause trouble. Though, even if she did, Sophie also knew that it would take four years to go through law school and it would likely take additional time to get her practice started. Much of that came from some emails she’d gotten from Heather that voiced some of Jeremy’s frustrations with some of the legal games that he found the Texas state government trying to play with Horizon’s policies or actions. So far, it'd only been nuisance type things, but with the way other things were going, Sophie felt that Horizon would need a dedicated lawyer that would understand Texas state laws and not having to hire out those that were unfamiliar with the company, as those emails from Heather and Jeremy often also mentioned a lot of questions from the lawyers they did hire for cases on the conversion process, what it feels like, and so on.
A lot of it would be a lot to digest, though at the same time, her eyes turned to JC and Pauline. She'd often spent a lot of time trying to dodge JC referring to her as "mom," often because it seemed odd when she first converted, and JC was uplifted. Now, as he and Pauline stated they were looking at putting the degrees they'd gotten in science and specifically with a focus on biology and ecology and going to work in the new colony being established in Africa to help protect the wild Grey Parrot population, that brought a series of new feelings in Sophie. She knew that Horizon would pour a lot of money to make sure the colony would be capable of providing for a lifestyle comparable to what they had all had in Lyre/Animalia growing up and was careful enough to make sure they wouldn't antagonize the colony to the local governments. But she also knew that many of these African countries were riddled with all sorts of issues and that only brought back the feelings she'd always had for JC. She wanted nothing more than to take JC in her arms and tell her baby not to go there, but she couldn't do that. She couldn't be possessive.
"You'll both be careful, right?" Sophie asked to JC and Pauline, "In Africa?"
"Of course," JC answered, "Horizon has come out with all sorts of eco-friendly designs and is working the design for the colony in the Congo... though, I can't remember which Congo, as there are two countries that use the name, that would work with local farms and businesses and provide for greater access to the areas where Pauline and I would be working... from some of the notes I've gotten, some international conservation groups are even signing on to the project... We'll be safe, mom."
"That's... that's all I can ask for," Sophie said slowly, "but if ANYTHING happens... to either of you, you call, and Roland and I will come running... or flying. We might even bring Jeremy and Heather or our parents if additional muscle is needed."
"We'll be fine," Pauline assured her, "We promise."
"It'll be strange being here and not having you guys around," Malice commented, "thankfully everyone else will still be here..."
"Not entirely," Jessica said slowly, which turned some eyes to her.
"Not entirely?" Sarah wondered.
Sarah knew that she and Travis might soon be moving to Reno if Travis got the job he'd applied for with the Reno Fire Department and that would take them away from Lyre/Animalia. She also knew that this might well hurt Malice's feelings as there was some sentiment that Sarah figured that the two of them would be at least close. Part of Sarah wanted that too, as Malice had been her pet and was only a puppy when she was uplifted and the two of them bonded as sisters almost immediately afterward. A part of Sarah wanted to stay close to her sister, but Travis already had a potential job lined up that would take them away from Lyre/Animalia and she wasn't going to demand that he stay in Lyre/Animalia, despite the fact that neither Lyre nor Animalia had openings in their fire departments. The issue, though, was that Sarah had yet to find a way to explain to Malice that she and Trevor might soon be moving out and that she and Simon might be the only part of the original group of friends from before Animalia and its first year staying in Lyre/Animalia. Particularly if Jessica, or Roger, were had also gotten work out of the Lyre/Animalia area.
"You know how Roger and I did a lot of theater stuff through college?" Jessica asked.
"Yeah... I also remember you talking on the grades that the managers gave you and Roger," Malice commented, "that you did good enough that you might be able to move on into some good roles... and that Roger... well... he might be better suited for action roles that rely more on explosions and abs than actual acting."
"I have abs!" Roger answered.
"And very nice ones, dear," Jessica answered, "but after the last performance that we had at UNLV... the manager of a theater happened to be in attendance, and he did like my acting. He didn't offer me a part but left a list of plays that were in line for the theater's fall run and made the offer that I should get the scripts and try out for a few roles. None of it is as big as Broadway or anything like that... but their tryouts are on August 15, casting is August 20, and rehearsals then begin on the last day of August to get things down for an opening night to start October. In this... if I get a role in one of these plays, Roger and I may be in the midst of a move to Las Vegas by that time. We'd be close enough to visit from time to time..."
"And we will have to take some time off for Codey and Michiko's wedding on Heiya Island in September," Roger reminded her.
"Yes," Jessica nodded, "but by then... we'll have a lot of things lined up and squared away with regard to everything else. It will also mean that we really won't be in Lyre/Animalia. And if the play proves to be a big hit in Las Vegas, they could take it to other theaters in the area and make more money that way. It could all be big."
"So... you'll be heading out too?" Malice whimpered her ears and tail dropping, and bringing Simon to put a hand on her shoulders.
This hurt Sarah's heart, but it might be best to come clean now.
"I hate to tell you this, sis," Sarah said slowly, "but Travis and I may be headed out before Jessica and Roger do."
"WHAT?!" Malice gasped, jumping to her feet with eyes wide and ears alert.
"I've got a job interview with the Reno Fire Department," Travis answered, "the Animalia Fire Department is pretty much full from its establishment and a few of the older members on the Lyre Fire Department got caught up in the initial outbreak, so they don't need any new fire fighters. They only made an exception for my folks because they were the mascots for the Lyre Fire Department at the time of the outbreak. And that'll be in a few days from now. If I get the job... we'll have to move."
"But... Sarah... we were going to have neighboring houses, if not adjoining ones," Malice spoke looking to Sarah, "we'd be close, have our puppies and raise them together. Take them into work with us or at least to a daycare when they're old enough... And we'd be close."
"And we still will be close, just not geographically," Sarah answered, "I love you Malice... you were the cutest and sweetest puppy ever. And you became a wonderful twin sister. And I'll cherish all the fun we've had as sisters. But you have Samson, and I have Travis... and real life has its way of changing things, even in ways we don't expect."
"But it'll be like we're all drifting away," Malice whimpered, "Abby and Samson going to Montana eventually. JC and Pauline going to Africa when the new colony is ready. Sophie and Roland moving to Dino City the summer after this one. Jessica and Roger moving to Las Vegas... Simon and I will be the only ones left."
"Not the only ones," Samson commented, "there's always been something going on in Animalia. And to a degree it's even expanded at times as some new people decide to move in."
"And it isn't like we won't be friends," Abby answered, "we all have each other's phone numbers and email addresses. We can keep in touch that way... and as Sophie said to JC and Pauline, come running if there's ever trouble."
"And places like Dino City and Las Vegas are already fairly big tourist hot spots," Jessica added, "so it wouldn't be like we can't all meet up every now and then."
"And Reno wouldn't be that far away from Lyre/Animalia that Jessica and I couldn't drive up for a visit every now and then," Sarah said to Malice as she stood up and hugged her sister, "so we'll be able to be there for when either of us have puppies."
"Promise?" Malice asked, "because I DO want to be a good aunt."
"Promise," Sarah answered, "no matter the distance... you will always be my sister and will always have a special place in my heart."
"And we'll all still be friends," Sophie nodded and then looked to JC again, "even when there are times where we need to let someone go... Let them fly on their own, as it were."
"Thanks..." JC said to Sophie.
"I'll still email you any good crossword puzzles and brain teasers I find," Sophie said to him.
"Send two," Pauline answered as she nuzzled the side of JC's head.
And with that, the assorted feelings of recognition on just how far things had come for them since Animalia's beginning was more solid, though also having the assurance that the friendships that were there wouldn't end.