RP: Message to Charlie Weasley, Ark Operations

[tt_alicia.insanejournal.com]

Date: 27. October, 2001
Characters: Alicia Spinnet and Charlie Weasley
Setting: Alicia's home in One, wherever Charlie is, and The Ark
Content: Most likely PG
Status: Open: Private, Complete


Wiping the back of her hand across her forehead, Alicia smeared the rich soil on her hands along her hairline as she looked at the work she had just finished. She was pretty proud of how she had spent her first day off; the small patch of ground behind her house had now been turned into a regular vegetable garden. At least she hoped it would be, that the seeds she had planted would grow and that she soon could harvest the crops she was attempting to grow. While not a Herbologist by a long stretch, or even particularly gifted in that area, the richness of the soil hadn't escaped her. She could practically sense the life radiating from the ground the minute her fingers had started working the seeds into the ground.

Casting a quick cleaning Charm on her hands, she pressed her thumb to her datapad, clocking out from her garden session. She still felt a bit bad about earning credits for working at home, but that was how it was, and she was certain there was a good reason for things being that way. At this point, she wasn't going to question it.

After a quick shower, she found herself standing in her kitchen. Everything was sparkling clean, and though she still had some unpacking to do, none of the remaining things were important in her day-to-day life and she didn't think she could handle dealing with memories right now. She didn't feel like reading either, or being inside for that matter, but it was still early afternoon, and she wasn't sure what she could do around the settlement to spend her time.

There was one place, though, and even as she thought about it, she turned to look at the datapad. Charlie had invited her to come see the Ark, which she really wanted to. She wanted to see how it actually functioned and get a feel for the place, in case she had to go there for an emergency. Those were two of the reasons, at least, a third, and possibly bigger reason was to see Charlie again. Although she was still embarrassed at how she had acted while he had been in the Medical Center, she had also enjoyed his company, his easy way of just... being. And she wanted to see if they really had clicked like she had thought they did, or if she had simply connected with her inner duckling and imprinted on the first familiar person to address her in this new, completely unknown world.

Picking up her datapad, she considered contacting him again. He hadn't given her his contact information, but she distinctly rembered him telling her, that if she wanted a tour of the Ark, she should just let him know. Then again, if she could accidentally send a message to the leader of the entire community , then she should be able to send a message to Charlie Weasley, Leader of Ark Operations intentionally. With a determined nod, she picked up the datapad and began navigating her way into the message system and after a bit of searching, she found Charlie's name and pressed the button to start a new message to him.

Five minutes later, she was still staring at the blank screen with the cursor blinking tauntingly at her. As determined as she had been before, just as blank was her mind now when she had to put words to the message she wanted to send. "Uhm..." she muttered, her fingers brushing furiously through her hair as if to pull the words out from there. "Dear Charlie..." she continued as she tapped in the words, then groaned and deleted them. "Charlie..." she tried, then shook her head and deleted the letters.

Maybe she should just give up, and with a sigh she put the datapad down on the kitchen counter and went to the cupboard to make herself a small cup of the coffee she had learned was so precious here. Just as she reached up to open the cupboard, she changed her mind, turned around and without giving it anymore thought, she started typing in the message.

There.

It was written.

And she liked it.

Now she just had to send it...

Staring at the message for a couple of long moments, Alicia could feel her cheeks heat up. What if she had been mistaken? What if he had just been polite and said what he figured she expected to hear? What if it was something he was required to do, yet didn't really have any interest in doing? And why would he even be interested in showing it to her.

Fully intent on deleting it all and just head down to the market, Alicia drew in a deep breath, and hit the 'Send' button.

To: Charlie Weasley
From: Alicia Spinnet
Subject: Tour of the Ark

Charlie Weasley, Ark Operations,
You told me to just say the word when I would like a tour of the Ark, but as I have yet to figure out how to make voice recordings on my datapad, I am going to have to do it in writing: the word.

Are you free this afternoon?

Alicia

Comments

[tt_alicia.insanejournal.com]

"No!" The small blinking field on her datapad flashed the announcement that her message had been successfully delivered. "No, no, no," frantically Alicia started tapping the screen, "come back, I wasn't going to send it." With a sigh, she put down the datapad and went into the living room. There was no way to retrieve the message, un-send it, but maybe if she didn't look at the thing Charlie wouldn't either, and then she wouldn't have made a fool of herself. Again.

Then again, it wasn't that she didn't want to go, because she did. She did want to see the ark, see the animals, see Charlie, but she didn't want to come off as desperate either. Closing her eyes, she let herself drop down to sit in the sofa, her head tilted back as she tried to think of anything but what she had just done.

It didn't work.

A minor eternity passed – or perhaps it was just ten minutes, Alicia wasn't sure – when she was beginning to believe that all of her denial had paid off and the message had disappeared into thin air. Maybe it wasn't so bad after all. Just like with Owls, messages sometimes disappeared, and with all the difficulties she was having with the datapad, it seemed even more likely that they would vanish when using it.

Bleep!

In a flash she was on her feet and picking up the datapad from the kitchen counter and quickly she swiped her finger across the screen. Right there was Charlie Weasley's name blinking in the small square and before she could think any further she had opened his message.

With a small laugh, she sighed deeply and relaxed almost instantly. She had worked herself up for nothing and though his message was brief he seemed in no way offended or troubled by her taking him up on his invitation. No longer regretting her message, she started typing out a quick reply to him.

To: Charlie Weasley
From: Alicia Spinnet
Subject: Tour of the Ark

Charlie Weasley, Ark Operations,

Glad to hear it. I will see you there.

Alicia

Once the flashing text confirmed that the message had been sent, she went to grab two of the tins from the cupboard, shrinking them before she slipped them into the pocket of her short, at the same time making sure that her hairband was there as well. She tied up her hiking boots and draped her thin sweater over her arm, figuring that it might be a bit cooler in the mountains. The Ark was in the mountains, wasn't it? That thought had her stop for a minute. She wasn't certain, but she had the coordinates, and fixing them firmly in her mind, she waved her wand and Apparated with a pop, appearing a moment later outside the gate, just as Charlie had said.

She didn't see any people she recognized, so instead she set her direction towards the building off to the side. Perhaps somebody there could point her in the right direction.

[tt_charlie.insanejournal.com]

On his way to the Ark HQ, Charlie was stopped no less than six times to answer questions and give directions but he didn't allow himself to get distracted or take off to deal with the issues himself like he might have done in the past. He didn't have that luxury now. Back in Romania, he was just one of the senior Keepers, and it was easy to get caught up in every little thing. But now, he was the leader of the Ark, with more responsibility than just the dragons, and it did no one any good for him to do anything more than give direction and train.

It took him 20 minutes to get from the dragon nesting area to the HQ building and he was in sight of it when he saw a blond woman disappear in the front door. He broke into a light jog to close the last few feet of distance and opened the door to find Alicia standing just inside.

"Alicia," he said, reaching out to touch her elbow as he waved off two helpers who were advancing in their direction. It wasn't uncommon for workers to show up in the HQ building for assignments and, no doubt, they would have thought Alicia was one of the new workers. Charlie ignored the raised eyebrows of the staff and turned his direction to his guest. "I see you found us all right," Charlie stated with a low grin as he glanced down at her feet. "Smart witch, you've got the right shoes for this terrain. This is our headquarters center, as you can see. Mainly its where we store supplies, the crews can catch some rest between shifts and worker assignments are given out."

[tt_alicia.insanejournal.com]

Everybody inside looked busy doing something or other, whether it was office work or instruction people Alicia wasn't certain, but she didn't want to interrupt unless she had to. Just as she spotted someone headed in her direction her name followed a gentle touch to her elbow had her turn around to see Charlie standing behind her. "Hi," she smiled up at him, then sent a small nod of appreciation to the bloke who had been en route to her. "Yeah, I found you, alright," she chuckled. "The Ark Operations Leader gave me very specific coordinates and I have a wicked aim." There was a reason she had been picked to take most of the penalty shots on the Pitch at school, and that skill translated into other areas of her life as well.

Following Charlie's gaze she, too, looked down at her feet. For just a beat she wondered if she should take his comment as a compliment for her preparedness or an insult, since hiking boots, she had learned, was the fitting choice for pretty much all of the terrain here. Opting to go for the first option Alicia nodded, though didn't say anything else, as Charlie began telling her about the building they were in. "We're on the southern island now, right?" she asked him, still getting familiar with the layout of the land. "And you've Muggles working here too, or is it Magic Folk only?"

[tt_charlie.insanejournal.com]

"Did he now? Well, it was about time he did something right," Charlie teased easily, reaching up to brush his hair back from his eyes absently. When he'd first gotten her message, Charlie had been pleased that she'd taken him up on his offer and it had put him in a better mood but now, standing next to the petite witch, he was conscious of the secretive glances they were attracting from the Ark staff in the HQ. No doubt, there would be rumors flying the minute they left the building but Charlie didn't really mind. Gossip had a way of finding life in any situation.

"Yes, it's a small gap between the islands but they are stable, geologically," he clarified, falling into the mode of 'Ark Leader' that he still found discomforting in some ways. Delegating was one thing, playing guide and host was a stretch. Alicia, however, wasn't the usual Settlement Lead looking to gain an ally in him and that made a world of difference now.

Reaching out, he cupped his hand at the bend of her elbow, gently guiding her toward the center of the room as he continued. "We have both here, working side by side. This is the general common area here. They built one of those pre-fabs and we just removed a few walls out here, combining the old dining and living areas. The kitchen comes in handy, as do the bedrooms. All volunteers have to go through a week's worth of training before they can be introduced to the dragons so it helps to have them onsite as much as possible. During hatching session, we'll have tents set up outside as well."

[tt_alicia.insanejournal.com]

Alicia shrugged nonchalantly, amused by Charlie's teasing. "Dunno about that," she mused. "I haven't seen him do that much wrong, really."

Letting Charlie guide her further into the building, she didn't miss the curious glances, however it wasn't anything she paid much attention to. Years of working at St. Mungo's had taught her not to care, since if there was a place were rumours flourished, the old hospital was it. Although she had only been here for less than a week, she hadn't missed the rumour mill and had already heard tales of a least three sordid love affairs and 'he said, she said'.

Her smile turned wistful as Charlie described how both Magic and Muggles worked side-by-side here. More than anything she wished her Muggle mum could have seen this, could see that what she had hoped for for so long actually could work out, and it was with a sharp pain in her chest that she pushed those thoughts away. Her mum had made a choice and Alicia couldn't fault her for it. But still... "Only a week's worth of training before they meet the dragons?" she questioned. "How are they dealing with that? Muggles and dragons, I mean." For most Muggles she could imagine it being quite a shock to realize that magic did exist, little less being trained to deal with dragons. And from what little she knew of dragons... "Alright, I admit I don't know a whole lot about dragons."

[tt_charlie.insanejournal.com]

"Just to meet them, not to care for them. They seem to take to the idea of dragons rather well, even with interest. No one is forced to work with them but lots of the volunteers request it. Seems there's a bit of a fascination with them for Muggles. They get to watch a Keeper interact and, when the dragon becomes used to their scent, they are introduced properly," Charlie explained, turning her back toward the door. When they reached it, he held it open for her then followed her out.

"Not many people, Magical included. I doubt they warranted more than a day worth of 'dark creatures' review at Hogwarts even today though I've been working with Headmaster McGonagall here to give the children a better understanding since they'll be in closer contact with them here. This way," he directed, pointing down the path leading past the dragon nests and deeper into the Ark.

Gesturing to the gate as they passed it, Charlie said. "I do a lot of tours for the Muggles, just sight seeing but it's something that I hope will translate into better preservation for the dragons. We're all new to this world, including them, and if the Muggles can be convinced of their value, they won't want to contain them. As it is, they can see them flying over the settlements, so taking the fear out of it will give them a bigger connection to the animals."

[tt_alicia.insanejournal.com]

Alicia tried to imagine what it would be like for a Muggle to come to a world like this. She remembered how both dragons and dinosaurs had been prominent in the games they had played when she had attended infant and junior school. How she and the other girls had fought to take on the role as the princess who was rescued from the dragon, and how the boys had played with toy dinosaurs. Both were species they had never imagined ever experiencing in real life, and yet here they were, more or less 'just down the street'. "Dragons and dinosaurs," she mused to no one in particular. "Fantasy and science fiction. I suppose just being here in the first place makes you susceptible to a lot of things you'd only ever thought you'd read about."

Charlie was either very smooth in guiding her or possibly she had just been a little lost in thoughts, because Alicia couldn't recall making a conscious decision to turn around. Still, she thanked him as she proceeded him through the door, listening intently as he talked, though she did keep an eye on where they were walking. "Yeah, as I recall it was only the most basic theoretic material," she agreed. "I think we learned more about them in Potions, but that was all about their properties as ingredients."

Alicia's head turned this way and that to see what Charlie was pointing out to her. It was beautiful out here, different from the beauty that surrounded One, though she couldn't pin point why. Maybe it was the mountains or the proximity of the ocean. Maybe it was because this was the first time she was really outside the Settlement's perimeter. Charlie's deep voice kept feeding her information and she found it impossible not to be drawn in by his fascination of it all. Somehow the idea that even in this world - where they all were refugees just trying to make a new life for themselves – tourism was already in its infant stages, had Alicia stop for a moment to look up at him to see if he was pulling his leg. Obviously he wasn't, and thinking about it more rationally she could see the logic in giving tours to the Muggles. "And where are the dragons now?"

[tt_charlie.insanejournal.com]

"I've been told that the Muggles are told about... well, us, during the lottery process. I suppose that only makes sense given where the portal is - though I imagine it is still something of a shock. The choice is hard enough without adding in magic and dragons. Census numbers are the real gauge - the worse its getting in the future, the fewer people are taking the lottery offer," Charlie stated, a slight hint of frustration in his voice. The island couldn't hold the entire population of the future but he had been certain that no one would turn down a lottery slot.

Charlie paused when Alicia did, holding back a laugh that came out as a deep chuckle at her look of disbelief. "You missed the morning tour by two hours, Alicia. Moira took that group around - she's one of the senior Keepers."

"Most of them are exercising," he told her, pointing up with a grin. "The wards over the settlements just discourage them from getting close but we're not in any real danger from them. They have an entire world to explore and hunt in but they are conditioned to return in the evening for a light dinner with us. None of these dragons were wild caught - they all grew up on the Sanctuary so they see most of the Keepers as 'parents'. Let's see, I think Dmitri might be around - he's the youngest Romanian Longhorn - so he stays close to the Ark."

Charlie drew his wand and lifted it, sending a sparkling blue stream up into the clouds. "His nest is about a five minute hike from here, this way," he explained pointing to a path to the right that lead up the mountain. The path was steep but worn from being walked. "We can cross over to the unicorn and thestral range just past his area and loop around to the beach. We also have bowtrunkles, crups, doxy's, fire slugs, flobberworms, fwoopers, griffins, hippogriffs, jabberknolls, kneazles, phoenix, and pixies."

[tt_alicia.insanejournal.com]

Alicia looked down at the path they were walking on. Charlie's frustration was obvious, and she could see where he was coming from, but it wasn't quite as simple as he put it. "I don't know," she said with a small frown. "I don't know if those numbers are much of a gauge at all, because it says nothing of why people would turn down an offer like that." She liked Charlie, felt a connection with him and she wanted to get to know him better, but she wasn't ready to share what had happened before she and Sam had left for the past. Some day she might tell him, or somebody, about it. Maybe.

No, right now she would rather enjoy the privately guided tour around the most extraordinarily beautiful nature she had ever experienced. She wanted to enjoy Charlie's company and the fact that she was beginning to make connections in this world, connections that wasn't solely based on work or family. A connection who was currently looking at her, chuckling, obviously amused by her surprise, and that had her smirk in return, before she looked away to hide her smile, before she looked back to him. "I thought you were pulling my leg," she admitted, and turned her direction upwards as Charlie pointed towards the sky.

A shiver of fear and exhilaration coursed through her when Charlie said they would be going to see a dragon, Dmitri. Somehow, she figured, she shouldn't have been surprised since she was getting a tour of the Ark, but still. A real dragon. "I've only ever seen a dragon once," she said as they turned down the path he had just indicated. "A the TriWizard Tournament. Well, four dragons, but that's the only time." She could feel her heart beat faster and her entire body beginning to react to the fact that she was voluntarily walking towards danger, even if it was sanctuary bred danger. With each step she took she had to work harder to fight her body's flight instinct.

But again, focusing on what Charlie was saying rather than where they were going helped a little. For a short time, because though Alicia had far from aced her Care of Magical Creatures class, she had done a rotation at the Janus Thickey Ward. "You've brought Fwoopers here?" she asked, incredulous, then shook her head. "Don't tell me the Muggles are allowed to tend to them. Mind-Healers haven't exactly been a priority here."

[tt_charlie.insanejournal.com]

"You have a good point," he agreed after a long moment. Charlie didn't understand how anyone could turn down the lottery but he acknowledged that people could be irrational creatures. Before the earthquake, he hadn't spent a lot of time around 'civilization' and therefore, wasn't a very good judge of it.

"Education is the best way we can ensure their safety," Charlie pointed out easily. He glanced down at her when she expressed her history with dragons, smiling. "I won't say he's a regular kitten but Dmitri still hasn't fully formed his fire yet and he trusts me as much as any dragon trusts a wizard. I won't suggest he isn't dangerous, Alicia. He's a dragon. With respect and education, we can interact with them on their level. Accidents happen when people take them for granted. We had a bad moment in the portal room - we lost a Senior Keeper who was looking after one of the Hungarians. He was tired or frustrated - we don't know exactly what went wrong - but it took all twenty of us to calm the Hungarian afterward. Three hours of work, to get one dragon through the portal. I miss him but he screwed up."

Holding out a hand when the path got steeper and rockier, Charlie chuckled. "We don't tend most of the creatures we brought through. Once a species started showing signs of independent hunting, we just observe to make sure they are all right. Aside from the dragons, we only actively care for the unicorns." He paused, seeing the edge of Dmitri's nesting pen just ahead before adding. "We didn't bring species dependent on what they can do for us. We brought them because they were deemed 'safe' and it was the right thing to do. Most of these creatures have symbiotic relationships with magic. Ah, here we are." He pointed to the enclosure built into the side of the mountain. "We'll wait here until he comes home."

[tt_alicia.insanejournal.com]

"Oh, I'm all for educating people on the dragons and doing everything possible to ensure frictionless cohabitation," Alicia agreed. "But I don't think I'd ever get educated enough to not just back away slowly if I ever happened upon one while on my own, or just... you know, go searching them out. I don't care how tame or used to people a dragon might be, there's no way I could ever think of them as a kitten." Maybe it was the difference in size, but with Charlie at least the dragon would have to chew twice to eat him. With herself she was fairly certain she was considered bite-size for a dragon, except maybe, for the smaller species.

Taking Charlie's hand, Alicia was grateful for his help on the steep and unsteady pass. "I wasn't so much thinking of what the Fwooper might do for us, as much as I was concerned about what it might do to us," she started elaborating, though paused when a rock shifted under her boot, making her tighten her hold on Charlie's hand until she had regained her footing. "It's all fine that they're not tended to once they've learned how to provide for themselves here, possibly even that they've been deemed safe enough. I guess I'm just wondering how... when I look at the staff at the medical center, everybody's specialized in physical fields, like Potions and Poisons, Creature Induced Bites or Artifact Accidents, and yes, those of us who's trained at St. Mungo's have done a rotation at the Janus Thickey Ward, but none of us have the training to properly deal with the insanity that a Fwooper's song can induce." Coming to stand next to him, where he had pointed out the enclosure they were headed for, she looked up at Charlie. "At least the witches and wizards know to cast a Silencing Spell the minute we spot one, but what about the Muggles? Do they know to plug their ears?"

[tt_charlie.insanejournal.com]

"When you see them hatching from the egg, kitten is exactly what you think of, trust me," Charlie chuckled, helping her over the rocky part of the path. She probably wouldn't have needed his help but he didn't often get to play at being a gentleman. That little squeeze of her hand made him glance down to make sure she would be okay and she was but it also made him very aware of her. Alicia was a very attractive witch, not his usual type but he liked her humor and intellect.

"The Muggles don't interact with them. They don't interact with the unicorns either - not that they couldn't but the unicorns don't like them. They monitor the bowtrunkles, crups, and kneazles. It helps them ease their way into magical creatures without putting them in any real danger. The fwoopers are not running free here - they have their own enclosure, near the top of the mountain - well off the paths. They were not my first choice of creatures to bring along, but someone thought they would be necessary, Alicia," Charlie explained, regretting that he had given her the whole 'public' list of creatures now. He could admire her professional concern but her tenacity was bordering on annoying when it questioned his judgment.

The sound of air moving overhead signaled their guest of honor and the Longhorn seemed to fall out of the glare of the sun, swooping down over their heads and right into his nesting area with a low snort. Dmitri's gaze turned toward them but he didn't appear to be disturbed. Still, given Alicia's fear, Charlie wasn't going to move her any closer. "Alicia, meet Dmitri. Dmitri, this is Alicia. He hasn't reached his full size yet, that's about another five years, though he can mate in three months time, if his partner is willing."

[tt_alicia.insanejournal.com]

"I'm sorry," Alicia apologized, realizing that she had once again put her foot in it. What was wrong with her? Where she used to be fairly skilled in communicating with other people she now turned into a blithering fool whenever she talked to Charlie. "I didn't mean to imply that you're the one who..." There was more she wanted to say, to make it clear to Charlie that she didn't fault him anything, but the sight that met her when she looked up to see what caused the shift in the air, rendered her completely speechless.

At first it was just a black dot against the blaring sun, but as the sound of wings grew larger in volume, the shape turned into a magnificent animal. Without thinking, Alicia took Charlie's hand again, the fingers of her free hand closing around his upper arm as she watched the dragon appear as it entered the shade. It was huge, and not just in size. The dark green scales were impressive in themselves, but the long, glittering, golden horns made it look downright regal. "Wow," she breathed, drawn to the creature, yet at the same time intimidated by its enormity and power and glad that Charlie was there for protection.

Her heart was pounding in her chest and she could feel the adrenaline pumping in her body, and yet she felt no desire to run. Instead she wanted to stay, wanted to keep looking at the dragon, and from somewhere far away Charlie's deep voice reached her. This was just a pup, or whatever not fully grown dragons were called? Alicia couldn't help but smile. "He's beautiful," she grinned, still torn between going to the dragon and hiding behind Charlie's massive frame.

[tt_charlie.insanejournal.com]

He wanted to chuckle when Alicia's hand slipped into his and then her other hand closed around his bicep as she moved into his shadow. It didn't matter how long he'd worked with dragons, how many he'd raised from hatchlings, Charlie understood the sheer power and majesty they presented as adults and he couldn't laugh at Alicia's astonishment. Rather, he found her breathlessness endearing.

"You'll give him an ego, if you keep on like that," Charlie teased softly, giving her hand a gentle squeeze. The dragon rested its chin on one paw, just watching Charlie since he had been the one to call to the dragon. "He is a gorgeous boy, I admit. He's going to be unmatched when he's full grown but right now, he knows he's the low dragon on the pole so he behaves himself. His mate will be impressed by the length of his horns and the strength of his bellow, not by him getting into senseless brawls so he's playing his cards right."

The dragon huffed a small cloud of smoke and closed its eyes as if it were going to nap but Charlie knew Dmitri was waiting. "He won't come into his fire for a couple of years but he likes to play with his smoke," Charlie told her, reaching over to pat her hand where it rested on his arm. "I'd like to give him a treat for coming when I called him. You can stay here, if you're comfortable with that, or you can move back but move slowly if you do. It's non-threatening."

[tt_alicia.insanejournal.com]

Alicia's fingers tightened around Charlie's bicep, and somewhere a small voice alerted her that she might be leaving a mark, but she didn't pay any attention to that small voice. Her entire focus was on the glorious creature in front of her. Standing here was every bit as exciting as the first time she had been allowed to fly on her own, only differently. This time she had no expectations of making a living off of this, but it was still completely overwhelming. Her mind flashed back to when she and Ange had been in the stands for the first task at the TriWizard Tournament. That had been frightening. However, even though there were no wards now, like there had been then, this wasn't so much frightening as it was exciting and invigorating.

"With a body like that, he deserves an ego," Alicia quipped back, only then realizing that perhaps the lack of ego was what made it possible for the Keepers to keep them under some semblance of control. "Or, well, yeah... You know what I mean." Try as she might, she couldn't imagine how the dragon could possibly grow bigger and more impressive, but she took Charlie's word for it. "If only people could see that kind of sense..." Her voice trailed off and she left the sentiment hanging in the air.

She couldn't help but smile when the dragon puffed smoke. Even before Charlie explained, she got the sense that the dragon was playing or attempting to show off a little, and when he patted her hand, she finally managed to tear her eyes off the creature to look up at him. At first she felt like her stomach was falling when he said he was going to go to the dragon, but then she nodded. The dragon had come when he had been called, and of course it should have a treat for that. "I'll uh..." she glanced over her shoulder, then back to the dragon, and finally back up to Charlie's eyes again. "I'll stay here," she assured him. Sure, she could move slowly, and yes, it was tempting to take a few steps back without Charlie being there, but she didn't want to risk doing it too fast and spooking the dragon and that way bringing Charlie in danger. Slowly she managed to loosen her grip on his arm and hand and lastly let go of him completely.

[tt_charlie.insanejournal.com]

"He can't understand us. They pick up on tonal inflection but the majority of our time with them is spent 'speaking their language', as it were. We try to relate to them in a way that is normal for them," Charlie explained with a chuckle to show he'd been kidding with her.

When Alicia agreed to remain where she was, Charlie nodded but patiently waited for her to release his arm and hand without comment. He thought that she was being quite brave and he waited another heartbeat before stepping forward away from her. Holding his hands to either side of his body, he did not meet Dmitri's gaze as he approached the nesting compound itself. The dragon watched him with almost lazy interest but Charlie didn't change his pace, stopping at a storage bin next to the opening to the compound.

Lifting the lid of the bin, Charlie drew out what looked like a whale bone but it was really a shark bone. He brought it into the enclosure and walked slowly up to the dragon who was eying the bone intently. "There's a good boy," Charlie soothed warmly, reaching out to gently pat the dragon's muzzle. "I know you were having fun. I appreciate that you came when I asked." The dragon's nostrils quivered and Charlie set the bone against its right paw. "All yours, Dmitri." Charlie reached up and the dragon took the bone between its jaws with a low growl, letting Charlie scratch the base of its ear. "Thank you."

Leaving the enclosure, Charlie stopped only to make sure the storage bin was secured firmly before returning to Alicia's side with a smug grin. "They're more like kneazles then crups, really," he commented, reaching out to smooth his hand on her shoulder, feeling the tension there. "The unicorn wards are just down the path, there," Charlie pointed to where the path split and began walking in that direction. They were still being watched by the dragon but far enough from it not to give it cause to be disturbed and the path lead directly away from it. "Just over the ridge here."

[tt_alicia.insanejournal.com]

Alicia frowned up at Charlie to hide her slight embarrassed blush. Really, for all she knew, dragons understood perfectly well what people were saying. They were smart creatures, that she had no doubt about. Then again, what Charlie said also made sense, and with her lip quirking up into a small smile, she accepted his explanation and teasing.

Standing completely still, her gaze followed him as he crossed the short distance from where she was still standing and to a container not too far from the dragon. She listened intently to his words, smiling softly when she heard them, though she was careful not to smile too brightly in case the dragon had some ape-like tendencies and saw a bright smile as a threat. How exactly apes and dragons could be related, she wasn't certain, but she wasn't going to take any chances, especially now with Charlie so close... and petting the creature.

It was amazing to watch. Charlie so gentle, yet still in control and the dragon, Dmitri, so at eased and relaxed, almost docile, even though that could change in a heartbeat. Her muscles were tight, but there was a mellow sense inside of her that made her unaware of how tense she was. And then Charlie was turning around and coming back to her.

The smile on his face was bright and smug, and Alicia couldn't help but grin brightly back up at him, especially now that she knew her grin was hidden from Dmitri by Charlie. He fully deserved that smile, she thought, and knew that if she had been the one to do what he had just done, she'd be smiling like this constantly. With his hand on her shoulder came the awareness of just how tense she had been, though try as she might, she couldn't fully relax just yet... and that wasn't just because of the dragon.

"Kneazles? Really?" she asked him, fully aware that she was beaming at this point, but not caring one bit, because she had just witnessed something almost as amazing as the first time she had seen a hand completely reconstructed and working perfectly once again. "By what I just saw, I'd've said Crups, because that was like watching my Nanna and her dog, Bert, only, you know, bigger. And toothier. And more smoke." Alicia shut her mouth before she made too much of a fool of herself. Again.

Turning around to follow alongside Charlie, Alicia was still shaking her head as they walked down the path. "That was really amazing, Charlie. Thank you."

[tt_charlie.insanejournal.com]

"Independent, unpredictable, can't be tamed," Charlie ticked off the list out loud. "Kneazles eat mice, birds, and fish. I don't meant to say dragons are related to them, only that they exhibit many of the same qualities. Crups, on the other hand, are easily domesticated and trainable."

Charlie glanced down at Alicia, a warm smile curling his lips. This wasn't the first time he'd given a tour that included the dragons but it was far more enjoyable to do it one-on-one with Alicia. She was intelligent and thoughtful, her reactions honest and spontaneous. It was a welcome change from the people who tried to put on a show of being brave and simply came across as crass. "It's nice to show Dmitri off to someone who really appreciates him," Charlie said.

Holding out his hand, Charlie offered to help Alicia over the uneven terrain as they began descending on the far side of the mountain range into the unicorn and threstal area. He pointed out the small markers on the trees flanking them. "I don't expect we'll see any of the young unicorns. They really only show themselves to children or virgins, no offense intended."

[tt_alicia.insanejournal.com]

"No, no, I know what you mean," Alicia assured Charlie. "I was just surprised at your interaction with him, I guess. Wouldn't have expected that, and I think it's going to take some time to really sink in."

Looking up at him, she saw his smile, and not for the first time she was struck with how lovely it was. It lit up his face, his eyes and made him look to her as a regular ball of life. "Honestly?" she started, "I never thought I'd appreciate it, little less enjoy it, but that was... almost as good as flying. Almost."

Taking his hand as the path started descending, Alicia found that if she turned a little to the side, moving almost sideways, she was less likely to slide down the steep trail. She still kept a good hold on Charlie's hand, using it for balance and stability. Up until then, she hadn't noticed the markers, but now that they had been pointed out to her, they were as clear as Lumos in the dark. From dragons to unicorns, it was quite a change in creatures, but right now, a calm unicorn might just be what she needed. "What? You don't think I'm a virgin?" Alicia teased with an eyebrow quirked in question, before she waved off his concern. "Don't worry about that. I've already touched a foal, years ago."

[tt_charlie.insanejournal.com]

"Wait until you can pet him, then it will be better than flying," Charlie teased, his smile broadening. The way she spoke, the light of excitement and awe dancing in her eyes, was so enticing. Her entire expression was so honest and happy. He'd wanted to, perhaps, show off a little by bringing Dmitri down but this... this was humbling to share with her.

Once over the ridge, the path became smoother, steadily descending into the forest again and Charlie laughed, giving a shake of his head. "I'm not going to answer that question, on grounds that anything I say will most assuredly be used against me." He paused on the path, with a hand on her elbow, pointing with his free hand. "Just through the trees there, a small herd of threstals are drinking at the small river there. It runs down from the top of the mountain."

[tt_alicia.insanejournal.com]

Alicia sent Charlie a skeptical look. Not because she didn't believe him that petting a dragon had the potential to be better than flying, but because petting a dragon wasn't something she could see herself doing. Good Godric, she had only just managed to bring herself close to a dragon. "Well, I won't know that for a while," she assured him in a good-natured grouch. "Small steps and all that, and I think I've taken a huge one today." Then her face lit up in a smile again, as she added; "but it was wicked brilliant. I'll give you that."

"Wise choice," Alicia commended him, knowing full well the Jinx that the question had come with. Her dad had always said that questions like that was something women, Magic and Muggle alike, were naturally gifted with to keep men from growing to certain of themselves. She stopped when Charlie did, and though she didn't like Thestrals, she still looked to where he pointed. "I see them," she told him when she spotted the skeleton-like animals. They looked peaceful, and she had no doubt that they were, still, she looked up at Charlie and shook her head. "If it's alright, I'd really rather not go to them, they... yeah, it's different than staying away from a dragon." For a moment she tried to think of what nature's purpose for creating Thestrals were, other than some sort of morbid rite of passage, and that line of thought brought along a different sort of question. Drawing in a deep breath as if steeling herself off, though she really was just phrasing the question in her head. "Are there... I mean, I know there were a lot of animals here and that the majority have yet to be catalogued, but... were there, no, are there any magical creatures here, that we didn't bring?"