Queen's Notes: this shot is a part of a late chrismass present to my friend Sinead n.n
Jurassic Shots
Dilo Momma
Jackie smiled as her fingers rubbed over the ridged crest of the head on her legs, the theropod trainer pleased at the responding half trill, though it was more of a sleepy murmur from her oldest charge.
"You're so sweet sometimes Ol' Brita," Jackie said to the dosing creature, her large head in the woman's lap, half trapping Jackie but she didn't mind. There was a chuckle from someone on the other side of the bars behind and to the woman's left, one of the paddock workers likely shaking their head at what they saw.
The large dilophosauris shifted, rubbing the right side of her head on Jackie's legs, the crest pressed against her stomach for a moment, making her grunt. A green and blue eye opened half way, the inner lid mostly closed before rolling back and closing as the inside edge of the crest was rubbed.
"...and this is the dilophosauris paddock, Jackie is one of the main trainers you'll be shadowing before your theropods are incubated-" voices were heard as a small group were being walked closer to the area. The speaker sounded like Alec, one of the head vets for the carnivores. "You'll need to be careful around here, the Dilo's are a developed pack, and are matriarch based group. Hey Jackie! Are in inside or out?"
"Inside," Jackie called over her shoulder as a lean frame of one of the dilophosauris juveniles got up from laying over Ol' Brita's tail and trotted to the back gate of the paddock, recognizing the vets voice. Most of the creatures were lifting their heads from the different lazy positions the pack had dropped into under the shade of trees or curled up under the leafy bushes depending on their sizes.
"Hooooly shit." A new voice said, and Jackie grinned at the shock in the voice.
She tilted her head back, letting Ol' Brita shift and nuzzle against the woman's chest and her own head. Reaching up to grasp the large muzzle and nuzzled her back, "Don't know who you're shocking Alec, but make sure they don't walk into a paddock."
"I am," the vet called back, "Can you get free Jackie? This is going to be the newest theropod trainer. A new expermental program."
Jackie frowned, reaching up to push her graying hair out of her face after the old dino started licking at the side of her head and right shoulder, over an old scar Brita knew was under the fabric. "Kinda bonding here."
"Its about raptors," Alec started.
"They have trainers," Jackie snorted, and grinned as Ol' Britta snorted in echo, adding a huff.
"Not the eggies, or the fluffies. The Big Clever Girls."
Jackie sat up, turning around to stare through the paddock grating, over the juvenile's back. The youngster was poking her head into the larger holes, flapping her frill and flipping her tail up into the air in what would look at first threatening but Jackie knew begging when she saw it, Yasmin was trying to get the vet to give her chicken. She narrowed her eyes at Alec and the new man, who couldn't take his eyes off the young dilophosauris' antics for a treat out of schedule. "Raptors as in those on sight B?" Jackie asked, frowning more, "wait a few," she added as Ol' Brita pressed the under side of her jaw against her head.
"Jackie was here in the first park, same with the largest girl in there. Her name is Ol' Brita, and remembers Jackie from back in the day even as a kid interning with her father." Alec said in explanation to his companion as the woman wrapped her arms around the dinosaur's head and pulled it down around the other side of the rounded rock the older woman had been laying against.
"That cannot be safe." the blond man said, glancing up and back to the smaller creature. He balked as the outside gate was opened for the vet, and almost again as Alec pulled him inside.. He turned as the outer gate was closed.
"On your own, yes, but the pack leader, Jackie is here." Alec said, patting the taller man on the shoulder, "Relax, theropods are predators, they can pick up distress. Even if these are more likely to do the cat-thing and freak you out for the hell of it. Compies will just bee-line in on someone to take advantage."
"These are a lot bigger then compies." The blond said, hearing the woman in the paddock laugh, and a few others outside did as well. He wasn't too out of it to note that it was mostly woman who worked around this enclosure.
"Dilos are big chickens," One of the trainers said, grinning from the safe side of the bar, holding a small bucket that she passed to Alec, "Unless the pack is threatened they'll more likely flair and chichi. Bluff first. Plus, their all fed this morning."
"Fat and happy but the two little ones that have hallow legs." Alec said eyeing the second dilophosauris that joined the first, both starting up the begging chittering.
The blond man tilted his head, noting that the other members of the pack had since lost interest, flopping back on another's back or resting their head down on a cooler spot on the ground. Only the two smaller ones, a good three feet tall at the hip, mottled in earthy colors of brown, with golden spots on the soft looking hide. The first one, who was on his right had speckles of green her snout and a few emerald vains in the small crest. The second who was on the left just poking her muzzle in between the bars had more bronze spots over her neck and back.
"These are yonger ones?" He asked, crouching down slowly to get a good look as the first girl pulled back to tilt her head. The man was surprised at the intelligence that was looking back at him through the metal, his own image reflected back on the golden eye. He realized this wasn't like a dog, or cat but...something more. With a flicker of near humanity, but still that primal predator out of time eyeing him.
The young dilophosauris chirped, more peeping as it realized Alec had just giving her sister a strip of chicken.
"The youngest as of right now, but I thick Jackie's getting another egg or two. We lost a few girls a couple months ago." Alec pasted the other feeding stick to the man beside him, "Want to give Yasmin a treat? She does steak the sticks though."
The new man looked up and almost giddy took the stick, noting the piece of pale meat attached to the semi sharpen end. He turned it around and edged a little closer to be able to reach it just to the bars. The dilophosauris, Yasmin's meeps turned to a trill as she took the meat off the end, stepping away to bite on the piece, shacking her head. She's playing with it, not really hungry. The man thought glancing over to see that the other was doing the same. They ran off at a chuffing sound from behind, and then returned fallowing after the woman now walking up. It almost looked like they were grinning, like...
Like toddlers holding onto the cookie they hadn't gotten before.
"You brats," Jackie turned and shook her finger at the two, making them run off again and as she moved to the inside gate, they ran off to grab one of the brightly colored boat buoys were piled in the middle of the paddock. The bronze girl ate her treat and jumped, tackling the large red buoy, rolling over it and popping up with a life ring around her neck. She gave a high cry as Yasmin pounced, thin but sharp teeth grasping onto the ring, before tugging around.
"Brats," Alec agreed, shaking his head as even the older dilophosauris paid no mind to the act, some even rolled over to turn backs to the dramatics. The vet stood still as Jackie came in through the inner gate, then he led the way out, having giving the man his first real up close look at a theropod.
"So what's this about raptors?" Jackie was asking, looking the new man up and down, noting the by the employee-book uniform, from the ball cap to the brown socks. She smirked for a moment, thinking of the possible meeting with the carno and allie trainer and how that would be. "We have cameras up over the nests on the other island, and their hunting grounds."
"Its not my choice or his, or yours Jackie," Alec said, shacking his head but smiled at the new man, "Owen here is a good man, better then some of the others. The last one just left on the evening ferry after meeting Theta's kids."
"I heard it was during the feeding time," Owen said, his lips quirking up a bit, starting to grasp a odd sense of humor of the established staff of the park, more so the ones that worked behind the scenes and with the animals.
"Yep, are you squeamish about lots of raw meat?" Jackie asked, picking up two towels, one out of a fresh water bucket to rub off the worst of the dilophosauris saliva.
"No," Owen shook his head, paused as the other two grinned.
"Good," Jackie clapped her hand on the man's shoulder, pulling him with her, "Lets introduce you to the butcher house. They're going to be your best friends of you're going to be dealing with any kind of theropod in this park."