While summer was cooling off, other things were heating up, but for different reasons.
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Scales needed a lot of acclimation in order to understand both human society and the concepts that the BARA House were, metaphorically, feeding him (such as bodybuilding and 'masculine pride'). Fortunately, Angie was there to help with both of those, and to help him train for the Year of the Snake Competition. However, there was going to be some stiff competition this year, especially since some of the newer members had converted into snakes, including a few cobras.
While some things were still going over Scales' head, Angie seemed to be enjoying his developing musculature.
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Another thing that was heating up, so to speak, was the development of Gondwana Land in Africa. Because of the super-seam of gold, Gondwana Land was breaking all kinds of records for Animalian/Dinotopian Colonies. Fortunately, the "King" of Maelewano was old friends with the "King" of Gondwana Land and both had decided to open up a "trade route" between their colonies. JC and Pauline were more than happy to cover that, as well as all the major things (including the stripper club and casino) that were being developed there.
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Another thing that was heating up was the popularity of Ao Guang Island. In fact, it was getting so popular as a vacation spot (with some comparing it to Las Vegas as a party town) that the Animalia website had to update their page on it to show which attractions were family-friendly and which ones weren't. If Ishinoha Island wasn't opening soon, it would undoubtedly become quite crowded and noisy, as well as a hotspot for espionage between the Korean Peninsula (both north and south), China, and Japan.
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Speaking of Ishinoha Island, the Quasi-Raccoon Cuties' coverage was helping its popularity, though not in the way most people thought they would. While there was 'tribal nudity', after a fashion, most of the new Dinotopians had the sense to wear pasties that matched their scale/pycnofiber/feather color so that nothing inappropriate was showing, much to the disappointment of many a viewer, though there were still a few funny things here and there.
"SKRAAAAAWWW!!!" screeched one oviraptor Dinotopian, swinging her feathery arms dramatically above her head (like pseudo-wings) as she showed off the Pteranodon mask she had just finished, several other tribal masks in the background, "Scary, right?" she asked afterward.
"Eeerrr..." said Naya as her fellow cuties wore visibly confused expressions on their face, and their followers were equally as confused.
Fortunately, their coverage of the strip club and casino helped keep things interesting. Unfortunately, the coverage was locked securely behind the Premium section of the website, much to the immature tantrums of several followers, but the more mature ones thought such tantrums were funny, embarrassing the tantrum-throwers more.
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Another, different thing that was heating up was the Medieval Exhibition at Renardville. Not only was it, alongside the Olympics, causing Renardville to expand at a good rate, but it was also causing a number of (quasi-fictional) competitive rivalries to come forward. Aside from the rivalry between Robin Hood and Yoichi, a new one featuring Sir Lancelot of the Lake and Minamoto-no-Yoshitsune. While most in Europe were quite aware of Lancelot's capabilities, Yoshitsune's skills (which he supposedly learned from the Yokai of Mount Kurama, one of Japan's holiest mountains) were quite capable of neutralizing any of Lancelot's capabilities, leading to a firm deadlock between the two.
Meanwhile, Miles was interviewing Hide, who was taking a break before his latest matchup, about how he knew Yoshitsune.
"While I joined the Genpei War relatively late," replied Hide, "When the two of us met, we immediately became best friends."
"You'd have thought that Hide and Yoshitsune were real brothers." confirmed one samurai that served the Minamoto family. "Inseparable."
"But how did you two actually meet?" asked Miles.
"It was Yoshitsune's retainer, Benkei, that introduced us." answered Hide. "He saw my blade, Sohayamaru, and mistook it for his master's." Then he whispered, conspiratorially, to the camera/Miles, "That's because Yoshitsune was the one who wielded it before it ended up in the Sohaya clan's hands, becoming their clan blade." (according to Nioh 2)
"I see." said Miles, "So, Benkei attacked you, thinking you had stolen it."
"You could say that." replied Hide.