"What would you say if I said I had an amazing idea?" Charlie asked eagerly.

Because it really was a good idea and he wanted people to recognise it. Because, you know, it was a good idea. Nay, it was a great one! Wait, who said 'Nay' anymore? Probably Percy. Charlie shuddered at the thought. Okay, he won't be using that word again. Didn't want to go around sounding like Percy.

The man he was asking frowned and replied slowly, "I would ask what your idea was."

The man also looked more than slightly concerned, but that might have been because Charlie got right up in his face when he asked it. Look, he was eager, okay? You can't fault him for being eager. And he didn't really have a concept of personal space - a side effect of growing up in a large fanily. Also, he really did want an answer.

"Isn't it enough to know that it's pretty amazing?" He tried.

Charlie didn't want to spoil the whole thing. After all, he just wanted to see if a good idea, no, a *fantastic* idea would go over well. The fact that it wasn't dismissed instantly was hopeful. Most people just shot him down immediately these days. You cause people to be slightly singed three times, and no one was willing to give you a fourth chance. Unfair, that's what that was.

"I would prefer to know what your idea was."

"Would you not want it to be a surprise?"
Surprises were good. Surprises were fun.

"I don't like surprises."

Charlie frowned at the black haired man. "What do you mean you don't like surprises? Who doesn't like surprises?"
"I don't."

"But-"

"Don't do it, Pundle!"

That was Glover, the man he apprenticed under. And now that he was no longer an apprentice, he could do certain things without recourse. Namely, give the man the two fingers. Which was incredibly satisfying to do. He saw why the men around here did it all the time. It was a bit weird to have no one to tell him off for it of hex his fingers together like his mum would have done if she caught him. She'd done it enough times to him and Bill growing up.

"Fuck off, Glover! You don't even know what my idea is!"

"All I need to know is that's it's your idea. That makes it a bad one!"

"Dickhead!"

"Wanker!"

Pundle looked back and forth between the two men like he was watching a tennis match with an alarmed look on his face. The poor man actually jumped when Charlie and Glover both burst out in laughter.

"No one gets offended too easily round here," Glover reassured him.

Pundle nodded hesitantly, almost falling over as Glover patted him on the back.

"Good man. Now, don't be fooled by our resident, idiotic redhead here. He'll get you into trouble."

"Hey!"

Glover ignored him.

"Every one of his plans seems to end up with something being set on fire somehow."

"I'm good with water spells," Pundle offered.

"Don't encourage him."

"This plan won't need water spells," Charlie bragged.

Both men gave him incredulous look. Pundle didn't even know him.

"I don't believe it," Glover said with an eye roll. " But it's your eyebrows that will go of you're wrong. Don't let any of the dragons escape this time."

And then he just walked away.

"So, do you want to hear my plan?" Charlie asked as Glover got out of hearing.

"What was that about dragons escaping?"
Pundle looked alarmed at that but it was really nothing to worry about.

"It only happened once. Twice if you're being technical," Charlie waved off.

"Twice?"

"Once. Not really the second time."

"How can dragons *Not really* be escaping?"

"When they all fly back in as soon as they leave their enclosure?"

That was a whole story that he didn't want to get into right now. Not when he had an amazing plan!

"But-"

"Look, all the dragons are fine, and we're going to be fine, okay?"

"Okay?"

"So, my plan?"

Pundle sighed heavily and then shrugged, still looking a bit bewildered. "Sure, why not?"

Pundle somehow managed to look more bewildered at the end of the plan. Or maybe he was just alarmed by the amount of hand gestures that Charlie used. He did nearly hit the man's nose. By accident. Well, bewildered was better than scared or sceptical.

"So, what do you think?" Charlie asked eagerly, bouncing on the balls of his feet.

"This plan of yours is going to get us killed," Pundle said after a moment of thought, and then his face brightened. "Of course I'm in!"

Oh, Charlie had known that Pundle was just the sort of person he needed. Everyone needed a partner in crime. The man would be just perfect if this was his energy. Now, if only he would change his mind about surprises... but that wasn't the priority today.

"Great!" Charlie said eagerly. "And it's not going to get us killed."

"Did you hear the same plan I did?"

"Of course I did, I was saying the plan. It's my plan!"

"And you didn't briefly go deaf as you were saying it?"

Instead of answering, Charlie decided to lob a rock at his new friend.

"Hey, no injuring me until it's absolutely necessary."

"It's not going to be necessary to injure you."

"After hearing that plan, I'm not sure."
Charlie aimed a punch at him, which Pundle easily deflected.

"Come on," Charlie said, eager to get things going. "It's better we do this before dark."

"Neither of you are doing anything," growled an extremely exasperated supervisor, storming up to them.

Him walking past the torches gave him quite the intimidating look, what with the long shadows this evening.

"Not anymore," Charlie said brightly.

"We are recovering," Pundle informed him, rubbing some ash off his forehead. "Does this stuff stain?"

All that got him was a raised eyebrow and folded arms. No one said anything. Gordon, the supervisor, coughed pointedly at Pundle, who remained oblivious.

"I think he wants you to explain," Charlie said in a whisper.

"He does?"

Charlie looked to Gordon, who seemed to be getting more annoyed as the seconds ticked on and back at Pundle.

"I'd say so."

"Then why didn't he just say?"

"I can HEAR you, you know," Gordon said in exasperation.

"So, do you want me to explain?" Pundle asked.

And he wasn'tt even being cheeky about it, as far as Charlie could tell. He was genuinely asking. He was really that oblivious.

"Yes," Gordon said through gritted teeth. "Of course I want you to explain."

"Oh. Okay."

And then he promptly said nothing.

"Now, Pundle!"