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Mixed Success
Reception was busy, if not somewhat predictable. After a quick fire drill induction with Gothi – a diminutive elderly lady who communicated with gestures and grunts – Astrid was shown a locker area to put her tattered rucksack. As the park opened Astrid was behind the counter, a borrowed blouse slung over her tank top and struggling to keep up with the endless stream of excited children. There were different types of tickets as well as various discounts that could be applied to them all. After an encounter with a fanatic mother determined to get her fifteen-year-old in for free ("But he's still in school!")she was more than ready to take a break. But Gothi pointed at Astrid with a withered finger and directed her to a mountain of paperwork in the back office, chortling under her breath at Astrid's disbelieving face.
"Paper filing?" She shifted through a couple of piles, wincing at the lack of order. If her university lecturer saw this, he'd be droning on about how lack of organisation meant lack of business sense. Throwing a glance at Gothi, who was busy arguing wordlessly with a class of schoolchildren, Astrid eased into rearranging the blatant mess.
First, everything was sorted according to what sector of the business it belonged to – Maintenance and Facilities, Human Resources and Finance, Marketing, Conservation and finally Future Development. Astrid found that the sorting soothed a restless part of her psyche that cringed at selling tickets, and mumbled under her breath at each section.
"That's useless, that's useless...who the hell put financial forecasts with marketing research?" She held up the separate sheets, frowning as if it was their fault. "Stupid. Now, you go here..."
As some point she shrugged out of the too large blouse and loosened her hair from the long braid it had been in, relaxing into the comfortable office chair. She knew this was only a small section of the office, but her inner obsession to put things in their natural order was revelling at the freedom she had. She even started humming.
Gothi poked her head in at some point, curious at why Astrid was taking so long, but had only stayed long enough to see her deep in concentration before leaving.
It was only when Astrid's stomach clenched painfully, reminding her she probably should take her break. The clock opposite her read 3.36; way past the lunchtime hour. Groaning, Astrid creaked her way off the cushy office chair and hobbled on cramped feet towards the door. Time for food!
Astrid's first day ended on a good note with praise from Gothi. It came in the form of a packaged blouse and trousers; an official welcome her to the park. She held them close, relieved that she'd cemented her place before they changed their minds. Now to figure out how to increase my shifts...
Still unwilling to go home and sit alone, she left the clothes in her locker and wandered along the path to the Affection Section right of Reception, smiling at the last few stragglers unwilling to leave. Due to the docile goat munching grass or a muscle flexing Eret, she didn't know. Astrid waved a greeting but kept meandering on, finding a circular seating area centred on a stage further along. She'd been told that was the event area, where talks and videos were shown throughout the day. Following the signs around the curving gravel path, she passed Teeth Cove and saw Ruff and Snotlout arguing over a mop and bucket, clearly at odds with the other.
"...don't have time! That kid was sick all over the side of the enclosure – now I gotta clean it!"
"I've got my own shit to do, why don't you just leave it for a bit?"
"Urgh, cos it's vomit, you moron!"
"Hey...?" Astrid approached the pair brightly, hoping they'd give her extra work to do. "Need any help?"
Ruff grinned tightly at the blonde and left Snotlout standing by the bucket, steering Astrid forcibly towards the small staff shack between Teeth Cove and the Panther enclosure. "Urgh, that Snot is such a dumb ass. How was reception?"
"Busy." Astrid watched as Ruff flipped through a ring of keys on her belt, humming when she found the right one. "You have a good day?"
"Meh. Got to scare a couple kids. The big guy roared in my face today. It was totally awesome."
"The big guy?"
Ruff's unexpected grin light up the small shack. "Our resident alpha lion, Zumba."
A chortle escaped Astrid before she could stop it. "Zumba?"
"Hey, he likes to dance, just don't get in his way. Ah, here!" Ruff snatched a purple plastic folder from a nearby bench, pressing it eagerly into Astrid's hands. "Mind dropping this off to the boss?"
Astrid eyed the folder uncertainly. "What is it?"
"Med records from this morning's rhino dentist. Oh, so you know; he'll be snoozing in his Warden hut." Ruff rolled her shoulders as she shooed Astrid outside so she could lock up. "Code's 7127. You just knock and go in. Just make sure Toothless doesn't get out."
Ruff was halfway back down the path before Astrid clicked on the unfamiliar name.
"Who's Toothless?"
Ruff's answer comprised of her distinctive snort laugh. "His pet kitty. Have fun!"
Astrid stared out after the viking-esque woman, unsure why she felt so apprehensive.
The hut was actually inside the being refurbished section past the Zebras; cordoned off with temporary walls and bright tape. Astrid ducked under the florescent lines and punched the code into a door set into the wall, shoving it aside with little effort. The path led to a large wooden hut that stretched further into the clearing, leading off to a wider open section of grass. Focusing back on the door, Astrid pressed the same combination of glowing buttons, flinching a little when it automatically clicked open. Something about seeing Hiccup again set her on edge, making her grind her teeth against the unfamiliar sensation.
The entryway was dark, as was the rest of the small hut. As she crept forwards the lights switched on at the movement, allowing her to see the space properly.
The walls caught her attention first. Drawings, sketches, bits of art that spread and galloped its way across the bland walls and filling it with colour and texture, framing the room with an artistic feel. The desk in the corner had several consoles plugged underneath it along with a wide monitor, where a YouTube video of nature sounds played on loop. The chest by the door had clothes draped haphazardly in and out of drawers, looking all the world for a teenage boy's room. The flash of movement on the bed caught her attention next, and she looked up to see unnatural green eyes locked on her.
Not again.
The stock-still black panther stared at her from its throne of bunched duvet covers and blankets. Nonplussed with her fear, it barked and slunk of the bed with a throwmp of movement that looked effortlessly graceful.
Astrid was furious with herself, but also at the damn park. Was it going to be like this all the time? Bouts of fear alongside mental exhaustion? She exhaled noisily at the panther, hoping it would just leave her alone like the wolf.
The noise roused the panther to chirp repeatedly, but also woke the other occupant of the room. Mumbled complaints pushed themselves from underneath the duvet, and a bedraggled Hiccup threw back the covers and swung his legs over the side of the bed. Astrid stayed frozen, a strange sort of petrified heat creeping up her cheeks. So much skin.
"Bud, what..?" He yawned again, pulling back his arms and arching his back in a stretch that made his back crack satisfyingly. The previously brushed hair was tufted up in fluffy mounds, looking for all the world like a soft nest. His chest was tanned with freckles that followed the line down to his belly button (not that she was looking!) His low slung pyjama shorts tapered off at the-
Astrid clutched the folder tighter. While Hiccup's right foot tapped impatiently on the floor, the other just wasn't there. Gobber's words echoed through her head from this morning, chiming just in time for Hiccup to glance up and freeze in shock.
We all got missing parts here.
In a frenzied panic Astrid thrust the folder out in front of her like a flimsy shield, looking anywhere other than the horrified Hiccup. "Ruff told me to deliver this to you." Her voice sounded detached. Uncaring, even. "She said Toothless was a cat."
She heard him clear his throat once, twice, before speaking. "He does technically belong to the Big Cat family."
They stayed like that, both frozen and not looking at the other. A short whistle had Astrid turning in time to see the panther – Toothless – stalk forward and gently grasp the outstretched folder in its mouth, delivering it to a still unmoving Hiccup. Astrid took that as her cue to leave, stammering out an incoherent goodbye and apology before barrelling out of the hut without looking back.
I. am. so. Fired.
Feel free to point out mistakes.