{Journalism and raptor training} 1x1 with Natasha Romanoff.

[lavender moon]

I listened to the quiet noises of the raptors. They were so distant and far below them but I could still make them out if I just listened. Mr.Owen seemed to be deep in thought. He looked like he was lost in a memory. Whatever it was it was clearly a pleasant one. That was a good thing at least. It was funny. I mean obviously he didn't know me, but he was explaining all of this to me like I'd never heard it before. I'd worked with tigers and wolves. They were a little less dangerous but had the same concept. I still nodded and wrote down another note.

He moved on to my next question. I thought he was brave for going down there. Any reasonable person would stay away from the paddock. They would stay safe. i admired that. His bravery. It said something about him. Now the group was leaving. I followed them but slowed down and trailed off to a quieter part of the paddock where I could watch the animals. I stood there, sketching the paddock and below that a picture of one of the raptors. I wasn't really paying attention as I looked down hoping to catch some glimpses and finish my drawing. I knew I could get in a ton of trouble but I'd be ready for it. Just as long as no one saw me. Of course Brady most likely would but I'd deal with that if it came up. It was so calm. I enjoyed it. I flipped to the next page and began righting my report. Sort of pacing the walk a little. Not close enough to the edge where I would fall though.

[Spock and Kirk]

◗-----------𝒪𝓌𝑒𝓃 𝒢𝓇𝒶𝒹𝓎
“Friends are medicine for a wounded heart..."
xxxxxxxxxxx~ Unknown
xxxxxx|| Male || Alpha || --

xxx I let out a sigh as I leaned on the bar the host giving me the thank you before taking the group off to whatever they were going to gawk at next. I was not bitter on purpose, I knew how important this project was and how if no one knew about it there would be no difference. I watched the wind dancing through the paddock as the breeze gently pushed my side. It was as though it called me back into the paddock. Which would be amazing, but there was no point. It might be nice to attempt to enter it with Blue and only her. I am not sure how she would react to such things but it would be an interesting test. Viewing how blue would react if I was to be thrown into the paddock with just her, again the thought did have shivers running down my spine. She was still an animal, despite how much she has gotten to know me. I finally snapped out of my memory, it was time for real work to happen. Hoskins was coming back at some point to check in on the project. I needed to mentally prepare to have another argument with my old university friend. Something I never looked forward to.

xxx I stepped away from the railing walking back down the catwalk. The calls echoing in my ears left me feeling a lot more at peace with myself. They always calmed me down, listening to each other and talking in return. Just like humans. It was striking how similar the communication between the raptors and humans were. They had words to mean things and were able to be so much more efficient when they hunted together. I walked down the stairs every single step making a whining sound that was all too familiar. It’s not that they were worn, just there were more important parts to the paddock than the stairs to the catwalk. I turned my head to the main gate seeing that one woman still there. She appeared to be studying the paddock in great detail. As though it were one of the most important things that eyes could ever absorb. I cleared my throat as I approached her still keeping my distance, I didn’t want to disturb her. ”unique isn’t it?” it was the first thing that came to my mind. Lame as it was. Nice work. The raptors communicate better than I do.

[lavender moon]

I had stopped looking down at my papers. I had just set it down. Yep, leave it to Dawn Hayes to set her important notes down where they could easily fall. I wasn't thinking a lot about it. I was just watching. Watching the world around me. I was so busy moving around that I hadn't gotten the chance to just be there in a while. To just live in the present and not let anything else matter.
It took me back to the day one of the other girls in one of my foster homes had taken my hair tie and we had gotten into a fight.
Afterwards our foster parents sent us outside to make-up. We where maybe 7 but I still remembered it.

Suddenly, I heard a voice behind me. Of course it was Mr.Brady. I nodded. "It's very unique and beautiful. Rare.
It's a rare thing. This is something I would've dreamed of when I was seven." I turned around to look at him. "I used to work with animals where I used to live. Before I set off on this course." I said. There I went giving away too much information about myself. Why did I do these things? "Your relationship with those animals is something else. That's unique." Anyone who knew me would've told him that I basically just handed him a noble-prize. I normally didn't give out any compliments on animal trainers or owners. You'd have to surprise me to get me to say something like that. "I'm sorry if I'm not supposed to be here. I just wanted to watch a little longer." I felt the need to explain that bit.

[Spock and Kirk]

◗-----------𝒪𝓌𝑒𝓃 𝒢𝓇𝒶𝒹𝓎
“Friends are medicine for a wounded heart..."
xxxxxxxxxxx~ Unknown
xxxxxx|| Male || Alpha || --

xxxi could tell she appeared to be as flustered as I was. Which was not a bad thing, at least we appeared to have something in common. I felt a smile on my lips listening to her talk about how she felt connected to this place despite it being somewhere she had never been before. It’s strange how certain things can remind you of other places miles away. For some reason one of the memories came back. The red light flashing across my eyes begging for my attention. I tried to shake it from my mind but it played out for a while before I saw the same pair of bright green eyes. My mind dragged me from the memory as though it were desperate to escape from the past as I was. I took in a shaky breath putting a hand on one of the bars. It was starting to rust and was feeling a little rough. I focused on all the little bumps on it. Take my mind from the memories.... anything but the memories of the ship.

xxx she was right about one thing. The relationship that I had developed between myself and the raptors had been one that I feel as though I will never replicate with any other living being. Even if the IBRIS project was expanded and we were given more raptors I am sure that even then the bond I have with blue and her sisters will not be replicated in the new additions. Besides, they all had names for specific reasons. Once again the voice came to my mind. ... all have your beautiful blue eyes. . I had to shut it out. The pole is rough and is interesting to touch. It was cold from being in the shadows of the paddock. “that it is. They are like my daughters in some ways. Im probably the closest with blue by a long shot” I said. Almost on cue she stepped out from the side of the paddock looking right at me. She made a purring sound acknowledging my presence. She blinked her amber eyes before turning and walking off the light sparkling off of her blue and silver scales. She’s such a beautiful girl.

[lavender moon]

I looked at him. He was in a memory too. Looks like when'd both had some tough times. I pulled my sleeve over my star tattoo. The tattoo was like a secret I guess you could say. I had gotten it before I had started training with animals. When I was about 16. It just proves I had no guidance what so ever. I still liked the star though. Stars were so different but they all stood for the same thing. Night. And night means another day coming. Another chance. I snapped out of it. He had grabbed on to the bar and I felt like I was going to have to catch him from falling in.

He seemed dazed but like he was coming back to his senses. I was just going to stay there just in case. I watched the blue one come out into view. All of my breath left my body. I could really see her now. I'd seen the other ones but not as clearly as this. The raptor was beautiful. Her blue scales were all a part of this beautiful pattern. She disappeared as quickly as she'd appeared. "I could tell. You're just like a family of your own."I thought for a few moments about what I should say next."It must be nice to live here. Away from everything in your own corner of the world. How long have you been living here?"I lost track of time but I at least had 2 hours right?

[Spock and Kirk]

◗-----------𝒪𝓌𝑒𝓃 𝒢𝓇𝒶𝒹𝓎
“Friends are medicine for a wounded heart..."
xxxxxxxxxxx~ Unknown
xxxxxx|| Male || Alpha || --

xxx she was studying me, why could I not be surprised? It was her job after all to study the world that she had the great pleasure of exploring. She must feel so honoured to be able to travel the world and get to write about it. I suppose we had that in common. Both getting a chance to see the world, however in my case it wasn’t all that pleasant. I kept myself from thinking about it too much, I knew that once I got caught up in the rabbit hole of the memories i was going to escalate until lot course there was nothing more that I could do by retract for a while to get myself back together. Barry knew when I needed time alone, now having to explain that I needed to suffer alone to someone who had just met me would be difficult. I could tell she seemed to be enamoured with the paddock.

xxx the reporter was also very entranced by blue. She had that effect on people and some days I have a feeling that she knows how beautiful she is and enjoys showing it to everyone who cares to look. It’s not as though she allows that to be her defining feature. She is powerful, like her sisters. But she is also the beta for a reason. ”they are built on a hierarchy, a ranking system which is more like a family than the military” I suppose I should know. “she’s the beta” I gestured to blue once again. That is when the question of how long I had been here had come up. The project started three years ago if I recall correctly. It doesn’t feel that long. “three years. Or something like that. It’s easy to lose track of time. It’s terribly unfair, you know my name. However I have yet to learn yours” I cocked my head to the left a little. I felt a pang if guilt, I knew why

[lavender moon]

He seemed to be picking up on me reading his looks and I looked away for a moment, back at the paddock. He seemed scarred. Not like I was though. In a different way. He had seen things I couldn't imagine. Things I didn't want to imagine and for a moment I missed my lonely childhood. I was anything but sheltered from the world. It's where I learned to love nature and become the person I am today. I shrugged the thought off.

He was back to talking again. Back to answering my constant prodding. He had been talking about Blue first. He must be the alpha. The way they all listened to him, I didn't have single doubt in my mind. Three years felt like forever. As I grew though time seemed to go by quicker. It made life just that much harder to enjoy. I snapped back to reality again. Crud, I had a moment where I forgot my name. Of course it came back quickly. I'd just been caught off guard. "Dawn Hayes. I prefer Dawn though. Hayes is the last name of someone I don't know so there really isn't any point in using it." It was true. My family gave me up and I hated that last name. I had it though and people used it so I lived with it. "Do you think I could meet the raptors? Personally."I have no idea why I didn't ask to just pet them but welcome to women and their brains. Lesson 101, we're overly complicated.

[Spock and Kirk]

◗-----------𝒪𝓌𝑒𝓃 𝒢𝓇𝒶𝒹𝓎
“Friends are medicine for a wounded heart..."
xxxxxxxxxxx~ Unknown
xxxxxx|| Male || Alpha || --

xxx I knew if given the chance Barry would have probably told this journalist my entire life story. He is that kind of person, also one who happens to enjoy talking about other people. Especially since he’s spent so long getting to know me. After all these years it’s a given after all. It’s strange how often the two of us managed to connect after we first met despite the language barrier. It was a fascinating step in human communication. Both of us not throwing the chance at a friendship away because we both spoke one or two words of the others language. Somehow we both learned how to communicate and that was the end of that. It’s why I chose him for the person to help me with this project, someone I can communicate well with. Why not someone who jumped through hoops just to talk with me?

xxx Dawn. What a lovely name. Honestly it reminded me of some of the beautiful sunrises we get over the ocean first thing in the morning over here. If I am up early enough I often get the chance to be able to see the sun peak over the horizon first thing in the morning: especially later on in the year. But sleep had always been something to fail me. Nightmares were sure something we were always told never to be frightened of but I still was despite this comment: they still left me with trembles and reminders of a past I would never be able to run away from. Since Dawn preferred I stick to first names I will do the same for myself I suppose. “well since you are dripping formalities Owen is fine. Grady reminds me far too much of someone I was close with once” . I was glad to get that out of the way. I didn’t want to be still called solely by my last name. Not anymore anyways.

xxx I had a feeling that I knew what dawn was interested in. It was just a hunch anyways but I am sure anyone else would jump at the chance to be able to do something like it. ”of course, just told tell anyone else. Alright?” the muzzle like contraptions is where the four had returned to. I am sure that is why blue had been walking past the paddock to ensure everyone from her pack was in the same place before returning to the place herself. I walked over to the gate gesturing for my companion to follow. I hope she will catch on. I opened the door and held it open.

[lavender moon]

Even though I never liked my last name, for clear reasons, I love my first name. Sure it was given to me by the same people but dawn was one of my favorite times of the day. I usually got up every morning with a cup of water or tea and I’d sit down on the grass and just watch the sun rise. It was beautiful.

I pushed away that thought and listened to Owen. I guess I would be calling him Owen now. It was fair though. If he was calling me by my first name, I’d call him by his. I liked the name Owen. Not to mention Owen seemed like a good person. There certainly wasn’t any evidice saying he was bad. Now that, that was out of the way we could just talk now.

I can’t lie, I was super excited. Okay rule number one, don’t tell anyone. Easy. I could do that easily. I followed him to what looked like four muzzleish things. Clearly one for each raptor. And, to my surprise, all four raptors waiting there calmly. I walked in and approached one of the muzzles where blue was waiting. I had learned to connect her blue pattern to her name. ”She’s beautiful. It was true. This was the beauty of nature. Sure, they had been created in a lab but nature made that possible. I almost wanted to pet her. I hadn’t earned her trust in anyway though. That could be very dangerous as I knew and I didn’t want to make the raptor uneasy. ” Do they allow people to pet them?” I asked trying to make it sound like a random question.

[Spock and Kirk]

◗-----------𝒪𝓌𝑒𝓃 𝒢𝓇𝒶𝒹𝓎
“Friends are medicine for a wounded heart..."
xxxxxxxxxxx~ Unknown
xxxxxx|| Male || Alpha || --

xxxShe seemed to be thrilled with the idea of getting closer to the raptors. Blue to be more specific. I knew that all of them were used to me, but there was a special bond that I had with the beta of the pack. I saw that there was a little bit of unease in her eyes as she saw the stranger enter the paddock alongside me. I brought my hands up to blue’s muzzle gently petting her ensuring that she felt a little more calm then she had been previously. Of course it was in Blue's right to be uncertain, it was uncommon for someone else to enter her territory. She was used to the people that frequented the facilities, I could tell by the way she studied them looking for danger. It was easy to tell when she disliked someone, animals are better judges of character than humans for the majority of the time.

xxxClearly my companion was not certain if she would be able to pet her, which was a strange concept for Dawn to fathom I am sure. Petting a raptor. Something that no one would think possible at the other park. I am glad that I have been able to change that. “Im sure if she could talk she would thank you”. Which was true, I could feel Blue still continuing to let out a steady purring sound. She appeared to be content, yet still a little bit leery of the stranger. I stepped to the side when Dawn asked if she would be able to pet her. “Go ahead, she might react. Like anything she needs time to get to know you.” I smiled. I knew that Blue had the chance of pulling back.