oOo
Owen
Owen wasn't nearly as prepared for the day as he hoped to be. Truly after that amazing display in the laboratory he hoped that the raptors would put the drama aside till they were untreated to the new padlock but not let by after he noticed their behavior becoming more tense.
Specifically between Blue and Delta. Blue seemed baffled by Delta's antics and careless attitude. She started to outright snapped at the other dinosaurs whenever they tried to follow Delta's lead and try new things. Blue even refused to let Delta close after Charlie attempted to climb a tree once and got a small cut. After convincing Charlie into a mizzle they checked the cut and it was not even deep enough for stitches.
At some point the one sided animosity between them grew so bad that he had to put in a formal request for another habitat to be built for Delta. He says one sided because Delta truly doesn't seem to care about Blue. She seems completely unaffected by her behavior.
If it wasn't for the fact that Delta got along with all the other raptors and she hasn't gotten in a fight with Blue then he would have tried to get them separated as soon ad possible before it could escalate. As it is, Owen is sure that they can cohabitate for a few more months before Delta's single pen is ready.
He's hoping that after transporting them to the new enclosure today the pack will be able to breathe easier in the larger space.
Speaking of leaving, Owen hopped onto his dirt bike and made his way to the juvenile creature area, bypassing security after flashing his ID.
Owen was met with the sight of four armored vehicles and various armed officers awaiting his arrival.
One of the officers, waved him forward, the man standing casually inside back of the transportation vehicle
"Owen?" The man confirmed.
Owen nodded, "that's me. You ready to start?"
"Yeah, just waiting for the darts." He tilted his head in the direction of the armed guards waiting in front of the enclosure.
They talked for a few more minutes, making sure the plan was ready to commence. Owen would liar the raptors out with their favorite raw meat, brisket, while the guards would tranquillize the raptors.
After the raptors are knocked out the gate will be opened and a pair of guards will move and secure a raptor into a cage in one of the armored transport vehicles.
From there another pair of guards will drive the truck out to the new enclosure, where specialists will be waiting. The specialist will evaluate the raptors' conditions before they awake and then they'll release the raptors into the new enclosure.
With the plan in place they set about executing it. Owen started the faux training session, Blue being the first shot after she jumped up to snap the peoce in her jaws. She shrieked, causing the others to scatter.
Delta, who was already glancing around anxiously, spooked and started jumping up into the trees and hopping amongst tree branches.
Charlie was next, she had been trying to protect Blue's down form, screeching and hissing at anyone who pointed a gun in their direction. She dodged three darts before getting hit by the third while dodging the second.
Echo had fled into the trees the moment she Blue shrieked, running to the comfort of the nest she shared. Unfortunately for her they had anticipated her flee and the guards stationed near that wall quickly tranked her.
After those three were down they had to stay alert for Delta, who had disappeared the foliage. Owen had taken to baiting her with the meat but he wasn't having any luck, it wasn't till he heard a crash behind him that he realized what had happened.
Delta had jumped onto the skywalk from a tree and climbed onto the bridge, claws scratching the metal noisily as she scrambled to get up. The guards around her landing area trained their guns on her, a tense air thickening as they met a standstill.
A gun went off.
The bullet bounced.
Delta shrieked.
oOo
Harry
Harry sighs, leaning his head back against the tree. The leaves rustle quietly as the branches are swayed by wind. He closes his eyes, letting his body sink against the bark he's been sitting in front of.
The sun is hot against his skin, his pant legs uncomfortably warm where they press against his skin, specifically his shins. He thinks about moving them out of the sun but decides against it.
Harry allowed his mind to wander, so far he's only seen the dinosaur petting zoo and a few other attraction spots. It's been a few weeks since he applied for the job as a raptor trainer and after doing the mandatory interview and being put in classes he hasn't had the time to really find out where Delta is being kept.
He knows she's here though. He's heard the rumors about highly intelligent velociraptors and the military man that controls them. He just hopes that the rumors are wrong or exaggerated because the man doesn't sound too pleasant to be around.
Either way he'll find out for himself soon enough. He has his field test with the new baby raptor-like dinosaurs. Apparently they were originally going to use a clutch of Pachycephalosaurus eggs but those ended up being raised by the herd.
Birds fly out of trees, wings flapping loudly as a shriek echoes through the air. Across from him the two squirrels who were running up and down trees chasing each other, squeaked and raced up into another tree.
Harry's eyes flew open as he quickly realized what, and who, made that sound. Harry stood, abandoning his belongings leaned up against the tree as he set a steady pace towards the sound, a parading as far as he could see till he arrived at a large wall, the sound of gunfire and shouting braking him out of his trance.
Harry apparating to the top, bracing himself for what would come. He arrived just in time to see the a guard on the skywalk get swept off of their feet by Delta's tail, knocking into two guards behind him.
The ones blocking his way to her quickly fled when confronted with her open mouth shriek, teeth snapping in their direction as she lowered herself, tail swishing violently behind her in a way he'd only seen when she was hunting.
Only one man remaining on the boardwalk, his hand up in a peaceful yet firm gesture. Harry would like to think this one is Owen, he certainly matched his name. Noble one.
Delta must have caught his scent though because next thing Harry knew the raptor was tackling him to the floor, nuzzling and purring and making chirping as hissing sounds.
She seemed to have completely forgotten about the situation that she found herself in, instead choosing to bask in his presence.
"You found me! You came! I came for me!" Delta theilled excitedly, more words rushing out as she basically collapses into a gooey puddle, rolling onto her back and wiggling happily as Harry scratches under her chin and gives her belly rubs.
"More like you found me." He glanced up at the sound of shouting and footsteps. "River mouth," he chided.
The velociraptor whined, rolling back to her feet and standing up. She glanced at him then the guards that were quickly gaining their footing and were slowly making their way towards them before her eyes dilated and she began making a weird sound that reminded him of a phone buzzing.
Immediately the guards paused, Owen pausing mid stride too look around slowly.
After nothing immediately happened Harry relaxed, moving himself into a more comfortable sitting position when he noticed the guards guns pointing in his direction at the movement.
Delta just chirped happily and curled up beside him, she's now much bigger than the first time he saw her. After a few hesitant seconds Harry starts petting the dinasour, letting magic pull into his hands to sooth her as he he did other magical animals he worked with.
Eventually Delta's tail stopped thrashing violently and wrapped around him. He looked up when he heard rustling in the surrounding forestry. There was a distinct tap of a claw paired with an identical repeat of the vibrating sound with a few deep rumbling parts that sounded like someone snoring.
It seems that while the sound itself didn't have a translation to him but seemed to work as a beacon. Okay. Cool. He can work with this. Hopefully that has enough serpent DNA to understand him.
One by one three different colored velociraptors made their way towards the wall he was seated on. The grey one was first, her head turning from side to side as she surveyed him. It seems as though the bright blue stripes on that one new dinosaur plush was not exaggerated. This is Blue if he remembers correctly.
Slightly further back Echo and Charlie flanked her sides, clicking nervously as they made eye contact with the guards who still had their guns up.
The silence was thick and tense, neither side knowing what to do. Finally Harry spoke up, his soft voice a careful calm. "You're N-Owen, right?"
He directed the question to the man in leather rather than tactical gear. The brunette's eyes widened slightly and the guards near him began whispering but neither man paid him any mind. It seemed like something clicked in the man's head and he nodded slowly.
"Y-yeah.. you- you're the one who's been.. teaching Delta?" He confirmed.
Harry nodded and introduced himself, "I'm Harry." He glanced at the raptors down below. "Do they-" he paused, unsure how to word his question. "How good would you say they understand Delta?"
"What?" A nearby guard questioned incredulously. The blind next to him smacked his arm then whispered, "dude shut up, he's obviously a Parselmouth." Understanding dawned on a few of them and they relaxed minutely.
"Um- Why wouldn't they? I- I've never really questioned their communication, but they seem to understand each other just fine. Or at least I think so." One of the guards near the stairs to Owen's right gave him a thumbs up while Owen floundered on his response.
Harry glanced down, "calm down. No one is trying to hurt you." He told the raptors, hopping his words settled something in them.
The one to the right made an excited thrill, "home ruler? You River-Mouth alpha. You take River mouth?"