Tsundere Romance [closed]

[Ohia_Lehua]

Getting to Chicago from San Francisco had taken a lot longer then Dior would have expected. True she did arrive by train but that was only because she was afraid of heights and had never flow on an airplane before. Never the less the 50-some odd hours on the train had made her wonder if maybe she shouldn't just get over that fear. Plus what the purchase of the train room, which required two tickets because they fit two to a room, flying first class was in truth a few bucks cheaper. Not that money was a problem...

Dior was originally a McQuillen, the same McQuillens that owns and runs the magazine lines. From the outside the McQuillens looked like the perfect family. Brian was a doting and loving father and loyal and charming husband, while Beth was the perfect stay at home wife turned CEO of the celebrity and entertainment line the family's magazine and to top off their perfection Dior their only child was two years ahead of her class and a straight A student. Peachy right, wrong. Dior's Father was a drunk and openly cheated on her Mother. While her Mother lied, cheated and scammed trying to get her name out there, to gain fame and recognition for herself. And home life... Screaming, name calling and drunken brawls were the norm.

It was for those reasons and more that when Dior graduated at the age of 16 she left the house and her family. Changed her last name and made a new life for herself. And the first step for her was college. Following her love of the ocean and what little good family memories Dior had she of visiting the pier and watching the seals she became a Marine Biologist with a specialty study in pinnipeds as well as minors in Zoosemiotics and Comparative Psychology.

After college she got a job with NOAA and worked with the coastal headquarters. As much as she loved the job the people she worked with made coming to work bothersome. Dior didn't want to leave but she also didn't want to stay and when a strange letter came offering her a job in the middle of the United States, she strangely enough took the offer.

Having lived her entire life on or near the ocean Dior had no idea what to expect from this move but she knew that it would bring with it new adventures and wasn't that what life is all about?

"I really would advise you take a taxi Ma'am." Bruce plead as he pushed the trolley that carried her dakine split roller, the rolling venture duffle, the rolling over under, her favorite riders duffel and the smaller eq bag. It didn't look like much for a move but those five bags held 80% of Dior's life. A given 85% if you counted the only thing that Dior carried; her point wet/dry backpack with her lucky roxy kassia cypher 3/2 wetsuit, the ever awesome asus transformer book trio, Bolt (her stakeboard) and secrets that fill the rest of the bag.

"But you said it was only a mile or so." Dior countered as they exited the union station.

"Yes, yes I did but..." He shifted from foot to foot.

"If I say yes will you stop with that look?"

He nodded and Dior caved letting him hail a cab. "AMLI 900." He told the man who drove up. Bruce didn't stop there, nope, he even packed her bags in the cab's trunk while the cabbie found some place to tuck her bike. "Thanks Bruce." Dior sighed when both men were finished moving things about. She shook his hand and darted into the cab before he could stop her. She had tipped him a crisp new blue hundred and if she knew him, and 50 something hours and she knew his whole life story and then some, he would try to return it but she was already gone before he could even try.

She looked at her wrist watch and sighed. Two hours before she started her first day at The Shedd. An odd name for an aquarium, surely there had to be a story to it.

"Are you here for school?" The taxi driver asked as he switched lanes.

"Nope, work." Dior sighed as she looked out the window.

"An intern then?"

"Sure." Dior wasn't in the mood to talk and closed her eyes for hte short trip to the apartment building.

Getting her bags and her bike up to the top 23rd floor wasn't difficult, there was a large elevator and half her bags had wheels that she could drag along behind her or balance on the bike. So far Chicago didn't seem that different. No salty air and it was a bit colder but the feel was more or less the same. What did throw Dior off was walking into an empty apartment. It was a spacious unit with 9 ft floor to ceiling windows with a balcony that stretched from wall to wall, letting in bright sunlight and offering a great view of the city.

"Wow..." Dior abandoned her bags and the bike in the kitchen entry area and crossed the living room to the door that lead out to the balcony. "What a..." The moment Dior stepped out on the balcony she realized how high up she was and her head swam and felt light headed. "High." Fearing the edge she backed away and back into the safety of the living room closing the door between herself and the outside heights. "I need to get ready anyways..." She said to no one in particular picking the bags that she needed and taking them to the empty bedroom. If she timed this right she would have enough time for a proper shower, a change of clothes and still have enough time to bike the 1.3 miles it was from AMLI 900 to The Shedd.

8:18 am and Dior arrived with 12 minutes to spare. Unsure of where to go or what was what, she followed the walk way a building. No one seemed to be around on the outside and when she tested the doors they swung open easily. Again Dior was in the situation of all she had to go on was what she had in the email, which didn't give her much and an online map. To the right was guest services and that's where Dior headed. It seemed to be the best bet as there was a woman there who could maybe point her in the right direction.

"Hi-" That was all that Dior was able to get out before the woman steamed rolled over her.

"You're late. Intern orientation started twenty minutes ago. I would get going." The woman shooed her away and answered the phone prohibiting Dior from questioning the woman further.

She hated that. Dior had tried to dress professionally in hopes that it would age her to the age that she was instead of the age that she looked. Maybe it was the colorful dakine backpack but then again maybe not. At 28 Dior still looked like a young woman in her early twenties, heck she had even been mistaken for a teenager once or twice. It didn't help that she was 5'3" at 108 lbs with a slim body and smallish but proudly perky B cup breasts. Her body still looked like it was growing but Dior knew that these were the cards that she was dealt with and she would be short and boyish for the rest of her life. On the flip side when she did get old she would hopefully still look 10 years younger then her age and could hook herself some hot pool boy.

At that Dior chuckled to herself and ventured into the park following the online map pulled up on her asus. She figured the best place to start would be where the seals were since that was the reason she was here. So following more the sounds and smells then the maps she found her way to the sea lion cove.

This early in the morning the seals were active and called out to one another. A quick look over the cove and Dior was able to pick out the four California sea lions. Didn't they said that they had gotten four new seals and that was the reason they were bringing her in? Confused Dior walked around the cove and when she found the employee only sign she ignored it and pushed through hearing what could only be the other seals.

Or at least that's what she tried to do but the door wouldn't give not matter how Dior pushed or pulled.

 

[raiguy]

Kaden Jones slipped his suit on as he got ready for his first day of work. He was looking forward to working at the Shedd. He was born and raised not 20 miles from the aquarium, and most of the other museums in Chicago.

He had grown up fascinated by biology, especially zoology. He wanted to work with animals, and decided to pursue that after graduating from high school. His parents pushed him to get the best grades he could, as well as trying to get done as soon as he could. He came from a home that made enough to keep everyone in clothes, food, and in the house. Other things, like luxuries, were not always guaranteed. It seemed the only luxuries were the visits to Museum Campus, Navy Pier, or the Shedd.

Kaden decided to pursue a dual degree, and was able to graduate with a degree in zoology and animal science. He also ended up going to veterinary school as well, to round himself out and end up doing what he hoped he would do. He knew he wanted to work with animals, but didn't want to really work in a vet clinic. His dream jobs were either the St. Louis Zoo, or the Shedd Aquarium.

He was able to get a job working with the seals, sea lions, and otters at the Shedd, and he knew that he wouldn't want to do anything else. He quickly accepted it, and due to his degrees, was able to afford an apartment at the AMLI 900 apartments. He knew he didn't want to live very high up, and was somehow able to get an apartment on the 4th floor. It had everything he needed, and then some.

He shook himself out of his reverie, and tightened his tie. It was training day for the interns, and he knew that he had to be on his A-game. He could wear his normal attire once everyone was settled in, but this had to be the professional day.

Kaden caught a bus to the Shedd, before walking in. He checked in with the front desk, seeing who all he would have checking in with him. He clocked in, and then went to wait. He was anxious to see who was coming in with the new California Sea Lions. They were a great new addition to the aquarium, but he knew that they needed a specialist to come with them.

He was contemplating the needs and duties of the day when he heard the door to the enclosure being tried. He could hear someone struggling with it, and quickly made his way to open the door. He looked down and groaned. He was barely 30 years old, and was told he looked a tad bit younger, but this girl looked fresh out of high school. He wondered if she was an intern, or maybe one of the high school volunteers.

"Yes. May I help you?" he asked, knowing the interns were still being addressed by the aquarium coordinators. He stood patiently waiting for a reply, wondering just what this girl was doing here, especially at this hour.

 

[Ohia_Lehua]

Dior was about to give up and call someone when she hit problem number two. If she had to call someone who could she call. There was Ted Beattie, he had called her and they had talked last week but he was the CEO and she doubted he was here. Then there was also Kenneth Ramirez, she had exchanged emails with him and later phone numbers but she had never talked to him. And again there was the issue of him being at the top of the food chain that he as well was unlikely to be here.

"Talk about a creek." She grumbled giving the door one last glare. It wasn't that Dior was giving up she just figured breaking that door down on her first day would be a bad idea. "I mean I'm not even on the time clock yet." She chuffed. Yes, breaking and entering was best saved for a later date.

It was then, like magic that someone appeared. Okay, it wasn't really magic but none the less here stood someone when no one was here before. Dior was about to reply when she caught the way that he looked over her. As if she were a child. At once for no reason at all other then that, Dior made the decision to not like the guy.

"Yeah." Dior rocked back on her heels and looked up at the guy. She crossed her arms over her chest and said nothing more as she made the pointed effort to look him over. "Do you work here?" He looked too young to be Ted and he didn't look the sort to have the last name of Ramirez so she took the chance that he wasn't either of these important people and tossed him a bit of attitude.

She didn't know how old this man was, she hated to guess because looks were very deceiving, nor did she know how tall he was. But what she did know was that she didn't like looking up at this man and she was willing to be that she was at least a year older then him.

'I'll let him think whatever he wants and when he finds out that I'm the older one then won't he feel the fool!' It was maybe an exaggeration on how he would feel once he found out but there would surely be some discomfort and that would be worth it.

 

[raiguy]

Kaden thought about her question and had to stop himself from being sarcastic. He didn't work there, but he somehow was able to open the door that said employee's only. He shrugged it off and then answered her. "Yes, I do work here. I work with the seals, sea lions, and otters. I'm actually waiting to see who all shows up to work with me in this enclosure," he said.

He could tell that this woman was getting an attitude with him. She had to be a woman who was older than she appeared, which would give credit to why she was back here. Maybe she was just lost. Either way, he knew that he could not let her into the exhibit until the other interns were there. It was mainly a protocol reason, but also for safety and legal reasons.

"I need to ask you again, how can I help you? I can't let anyone into this enclosure until I get the go ahead from the museum coordinators. Unless you have written permission, there's honestly nothing I can do," Kaden said softly and quietly.

He didn't like this woman getting an attitude with him, but he wasn't going to respond in kind. He was usually much more quiet and reserved, unless something really got him going. He switched on for the shows that the kids were always so excited to see, but when around co-workers, he was known as a very quiet, sincere, contemplative guy. He also had the reputation of helping co-workers out if he could.

He waited patiently for her answer, before wondering if the opening announcements were done. He unclipped the walkie-talkie on his belt and turned the volume up, hearing Nancy dismiss the interns. He looked at the woman, not hearing a reply, before saying, "If you are coming to this enclosure, the other interns are on their way. I have to wait here for everyone, but then we can get into the enclosure," he said, keeping a smile on his face as he waited for the four total interns to show up.

He knew one of them would be his new Sea Lion specialist, and was hoping they would be able to work well together, as they would be spending most of the working day together. He sighed inwardly, wondering what the team would look like after the week of orientation.

 

[Ohia_Lehua]

Works with the seals, sea lions and otters. It was just Dior's luck. "Of course you do." She mumbled under her breath as she looked away. This was unlike her old job, the order and structure of it was more lax and confusing. Turning back to her computer she pulled up the last email that was sent to her. She quickly read it and wondered if she shouldn't turn back to the main entrance. The email said that someone would be there waiting for her. Had she been to early and left before that someone had gotten there? Dior was pondering what to do when the man spoke again.

"I get it." She wanted to snap at him, question him if they were back in school and need a permission slip to do anything. Did they also raise their hands here when they have a question? Dior was getting annoyed and it was directed at the unknown man. It wasn't fair not was it his fault. It was just Dior being herself. A slight control freak and not one to be left hanging. The feeling of being unsure of what to do, not knowing what to do knew was the biggest of Dior's pet peeves. "I guess since you can't help me, nor do you seem to be the person I'm looking for I'll head off for a bit and look around.

In truth what Dior wanted was to get away from this man and see if there was another way into the enclosure. She could make things easier and tell the man who she was and why she was here but she didn't want to. She was here for the new transports, not to answer his questions. As she thought of the sea lions again they called out and she thought back to the letter she first got.

It explained why they wanted her to join their team. A rag tag aquarium in Texas was closed down due to animal neglect and cruelty and somehow The Shedd had ended up with the four sea lions there. All were steller sea lions; a boy Wilhelm and three girls the twins Tiasa and Aegle and Metis, the elder of the bunch. Her work with NOAA and the shore line San Francisco colony and the Graham Island colony made her name somewhat hot in the pinniped community. It wasn't something that she ever brought up and when confronted about it she more often the not shrugged it off or ignored the comment. But it was what had gotten The Shedd's attention and what had her traveling to the middle of the US. She felt for the sea lions, she knew how it felt to be neglected by the people who should take care of them and she wanted nothing more then to see them, to check on them and help they out with all the changes they were going through.

The preliminary report that she had gotten about the new colony was that it was run by the 16 year old Metis. She was untrusting and when cornered acted in aggression. The twins were four and a little more sociable but took cues from Metis on how to act or reast to a situation. And Wilhelm was the big boy who talked, loved to splash around and got aggressive with males. He was flashy and like attention but didn't like to be touched or messed with.

From what Dior had read they were handled little if at all and were show cased with no instructions and were disciplined because of it. The first thing on her list was to get the lions healthy, get them eating. There were pictures of their old enclosure and it was the size of a penguin's. Meaning it was too small and there wasn't enough water for all four sea lions to swim and play. The list went on and on but she could do nothing from out here.

"Other interns?" How many people were joining this team? Dior looked to the guy again. Was he their leader? He didn't look the leader type. But what did she know. She wasn't much of a leader. More of a lone wolf. One of those people who felt more comfortable with animals and oddly enough small children. "So this 'team'," Dior was using the world lightly because she wasn't here to make bonds with the people, she was here for the animals. "How many will there be and who will lead us?" She was probing him for information. She wanted to know more because knowing nothing was driving her crazy.

 

[raiguy]

Kaden looked down at this woman. He now knew they would be working together for the foreseeable future. He groaned inwardly, knowing that there would be several tense moments between them just by the way she was acting towards him now. He swallowed a sharp retort about her team, and then thought.

"We will probably have two new people, barring the specialist for the new sea lions. I was hoping that the new person would be here by now. Those sea lions need a lot of care, and we unfortunately don't have someone right now who is qualified to give them that care. I have as a vet, but I specialize in seals and otters, not sea lions," he said quietly, wishing that he had been told the name of the new specialist.

The twins, Tiaga and Aegle, needed to be seen the most. They were physically healthy, but their seeming cues from Metis were going to really hurt them later in life if the Shedd ever got more sea lions, which they were hoping for. Metis would probably take the most work to get the specialist to trust her, but she seemed to react well enough with him. At least, she hadn't postured or gotten aggressive with him yet. He knew it would be a matter of time, so tried to limit that time to let the four new sea lions get accustomed to their new home.

"As I was saying, we will probably have two new team members, barring the specialist. We have, I think, five new interns applying for this enclosure, but we only have two spots. either through qualifications, or through general attitudes to the team, three will be let go," he said, knowing that the team dynamic was just as important as individual talents. He had learned early on that the animals could pick up on bad vibes in the team, and it affected them just as well as the team.

"Ahh, here the interns are now," he said, looking up to see a group approaching with the head of his department. He looked up and nodded to Todd, before corralling the interns, as well as the woman, into the enclosure. He knew Todd had something to tell him, but he needed to get the ball rolling.

"Hello, and welcome to the Sea Lion, Seal, and Otter enclosure here at the Shedd. My name is Kaden Jones. I've been with this enclosure now four years. We are probably one of the most unique enclosures in the aquarium. We will be building a close-knit team to handle the pressures of making sure that our friends here in the water are doing fine and remain in peak health. For those of you applying for the two intern spots, please step to the side. If you are here specializing for the four new sea lions, please make your way to talk to Todd," he said, before groaning as he saw the woman walk to Todd.

He knew then and there that this was going to be an interesting year. He pushed it out of his thoughts as he took the lead for the interns, setting them up to fill out skills aptitude sheets, and then starting the walkthrough of the enclosures, and what some of the duties entailed. He knew that by the end of the day, at least one intern would be gone, but wasn't sure which one it would be.

Until the team was decided a week from now, Kaden would just remember names and faces, but try to remain professionally distanced. He could see Todd continue to talk to the woman, and shook his head slightly, before starting the tour of the enclosure. He felt his phone go off as he showed the group where the live shows were held, and then lead them to where the otters were living.

He pulled his phone out and smiled thinly. "We are going to have an interesting year" was the text he got from Todd. He took a deep breath, determined to make sure that he and the woman, now the specialist would at least be on even terms, if they were not going to be friends. He would not, however, cut her off from his co-workers, he realized. If she needed something, he knew he would end up stepping in and helping.

 

[Ohia_Lehua]

Dior wanted to say something about already being there but she kept her mouth shut and just listened. So five. She thought it was odd that they were putting people through working eliminations. Dior thought it was a little cruel because it gave the interns hope and gave them a taste of the job that they wanted. Not being able to know if you had the job or not but working at your dream job standing in limbo until they made up their minds. She didn't like it but hey, this wasn't her place to run.

A group of people came up and the man finally let her in, as well as the others. The moment they all got into the enclosure the man began speaking. So his name was Kaden Jones. She guessed that since he was the one breaking them in and had been there for four years already this Kaden would be their boss. More importantly her boss. Dior didn't know how she felt about that yet but she figured the more she thought about it the more she would dislike the idea of having to obey someone. That was what she liked about NOAA. They broke her in, then left her alone. While she still had someone she had to report to as long as she completed the main goal they let her go about it any way she wanted. Kaden looked like a control freak.

She sighed when he asked the interns the step aside and from the specialist to join Todd over to the other side. She could see the look on Kaden's face when she walked over to introduce herself to Todd. Guess Kaden wanted her to be one of the interns. Too bad for him.

"Dior." She offered Todd his hand and they shook as he gave her his hand. Unlike Kaden she didn't have a problem with Todd and smiled at him. "Do you also work with the seal, otters and sea lions?" Dior asked and Todd shook his head and told her his position at The Shedd. As they talked Todd showed her around the enclosure. After that they walked over to the office and she filled out paperwork and said goodbye to Todd. Once the papers were filled out Dior was given keys, keycards and passcodes to the aquarium.

When that was all done Dior was free to go and she headed back to the enclousure. Now that she had her own way to get in and out of the enclosure she didn't feel like waiting to get to work. In her backpack was an extra set of clothes, swim suit and her wet suit as well as a note book and her nook. All that she really needed to get started.

Finding a place to change wasn't difficult, she had just toured the enclosure with Todd and it was all fresh in her mind. Gone were the dress pants and button shirt, annoying bra and panties. Replaced instead with matching Hurley block party swim halter and briefs, surfshorts, shirt and hoodie.

No one had gone over dress code with her, not that it would have made much of a difference with Dior. This was what she felt comfortable in and for everything to work as best as possible she and the sea lions had to be comfortable.

Armed in her new outfit with nothing else but her bag Dior entered the area where the new lions were being kept. They all noticed her at once but Dior acted like she couldn't see them. The little raft splashed in the water, dove and puffed air in alarm but Dior didn't react. She just walked in, found a place in the corner and got comfortable. The point was for them to see her, she to see them and for them all to get used to each other. She didn't know how these sea lions were trained if at all and doing anything might pressure them in the wrong way.

When Dior had everything set out and within easy reach she leaned back and finally looked over at the sea lions. Since the moment Dior had entered the sea lion's area Wilhelm had started barking at her. First loud roaring calls that were meant to tell her who's colony this was. But within minutes the pattern and chain of calls changed to more interested, curious even, in nature. He was making a show of splashing out of the water and jumping back in. Meanwhile the twins were content to swim back and forth in their pool. But it was Metis that had taken the high stand out of the water and on the perch rock to watch Dior.

It was easy to see how tense the older sea lion was and how her reaction to the new comer effected the other three lions. "Hello. Privetstviye." Metis' head arched back and the muscles in her neck curved, showing the powerful muscles there. The twin picked up on that and the lighter of the two, Aegle exited the water to stand near Metis' rock. Tiasa on the other hand dove under water and seemed to be blowing bubbles and Wilhelm seemed to be clueless to Metis' reaction to Dior's words and kept splashing in the pool.

"Vam ne nuzhno boyat'sya . Ya zdes' ne sdelat' tebe bol'no. Ya khochu byt' vashim drugom. So vremenem vy poymete." Dior kept a calm and soft tone with the sea lions but it did little to ease the weary sea lion. "Bud'te spokoyny. Ya obeshchayu nichego ne delat', no sidet' zdes' i smotret', kak ty. Ozhidayte nekotoroye dvizheniye ot menya, kogda ya pisat', risovat' ili chitat'. No drugoy togda moy prikhod i dvizheniya ya ne budu delat' nikakikh popytok, chtoby obratit'sya k vam. Eto budet dlya vas, chtoby reshit', kogda eto vremya budet. Dayu vam slovo." She explained knowing that while the lions might not understand the words that she spoke, the meaning and emotions of them would be conveyed through her body mannerisms, posture, tone and rhythmic patters. Dior believed that the more they knew about her the more they would let her know about them and that as long as she listened and paid attention there would be no reason why they couldn't become healthy sea lions in all aspects of the word healthy.

Two hours had past and Dior had filled nearly 30 pages in her notebook about the four sea lions. It had taken Metis a while but she eventually relaxed enough to come down off of her rock. Wilhelm was the first to forget that she was there and ignore her. The twins were right behind him but Metis had yet to let her guard down. Every time Dior moved it caught Metis' attention and the lion would watch her for more movement but Dior did nothing but write and draw for those two hours.

"Ah, my hand is cramping." Dior put down her pencil and rotated her wrist, opened and closed her hand and flexed her fingers. There was more she wanted to write but her hand was getting sore so she put the notebook and pencil aside and picked up her nook. Nicholas Sparks was her go to man, so to say. There was just something about his stories that pulled her in and captivated her in every way. "But don't worry." Talking again was putting the sea lions on alert again but Dior ignored them for the most part and kept speaking. "I got a new book that I thought we could start together."

"The Longest Ride by Nicholas Sparks." Wilhelm started to bark again showing and telling me what a man he is. "Chapter one. Early February 2011, Ira." Dior took a deep breath and looked out over the pool at the different reactions she was getting before she truly started. "I sometimes think to myself that I'm the last of my kind. My name is Ira Levinson. I'm a southerner and a Jew, and equally proud to have been called both at one time or another. I'm also an old man. I was born in 1920..." Dior kept reading and watching, keeping track of the time it took each sea lion to relax and treat her like part of the woodwork even with her reading the book out loud.

 

[raiguy]

Kaden finished with the interns and their paperwork, letting them head back to more first day meetings with other areas. He knew that if an intern didn't work out in one area, chances were very good that he would be taken in another. He had learned from previous experience that the Shedd only took enough interns to fill all of their requirements, and that maybe one or two interns out of the total group would not get a job at the aquarium. That was one of the really good things he liked, that administration tried to make sure the interns they looked at all were able to get a job here.

He looked around the enclosure, hearing voices coming from the new Lion enclosure. He figured the new specialist was over there, getting settled into her routines and starting to work with the new animals. He had to applaud her for that. They were both alike. It seemed like after checking in with the higher ups, they tended to do their own thing as much as possible. He knew that the collaborations at the end of the day were extremely important, but most of this team tried to get things done separately, and then come together.

He sighed as he started walking towards Todd's office. He knocked on the door once he got there, before entering. "Hey, how's the new specialist looking?" he asked, smiling. He figured she had to be damn good at what she did for the Shedd to just offer her a job without any type of testing done. He was glad that she would be in the team for that reason, as well as any other skills she could bring to the enclosures.

"Well, she has an impressive track record with NOAA. She operates a lot like your team does currently. From what her superiors have written down, she works well on her own, and makes the most of her time. The only problem they ever wrote down was that she tends to try to stay out of the groups. So, from what I can see, she focuses on her animals and tries to give them the best her abilities can offer. I think the only things that will come into play here are how you all can work as a team, and her reaction to you," Todd said with a smile.

Kaden groaned, realizing Todd had gone back over the video feed from the enclosure. It was there for safety reasons, as well as to be able to keep an eye on every individual enclosure so the staff could make sure the animals were doing great.

"She certainly didn't take to you at first. You followed protocol, and I can't fault you for staying cordial, or at least civil. I just think she's used to her way of getting things done. Maybe you'll have to try to cater to that. Oh, our girl also speaks Russian. Don't be surprised if she has a few other tricks up her sleeve to get the best out of the animals she's working with," he said to Kaden with a smile.

Kaden nodded, impressed by Todd's glowing account of the specialist. "Oh, her name is Dior. You will need to check in with her at some point, but for now, let her work with the lions. They could use some more human interaction, aside from you just letting them get used to another human," he said.

Kaden nodded, before heading back to see what his otters were up to. The Shedd had recently gotten 5 sea otters in, and they were an absolute blast to be with. Making his way to the locker room, Kaden quickly stripped out of his clothes, before donning his Quicksilver 21" pulse boardshorts and wetsuit. He had been working in the water with his otters for a little over two weeks. They had finally seemed to take him as one of their group, and it had allowed him to get closer to them than any of the other staff. He loved it though. They were a very vocal group, using grunts and other calls to communicate.

Kaden smiled, seeing the young male Teeko swimming towards him. He felt a bump on the leg, and then Teeko surfaced, grunting to the two larger males. Kaden kept his arms out as he treat water, smiling as Teeko, and then Lena and Meta, the two females, started swimming under his hands. he smiled, and saw Quinn and Finn, the two older male twins, slide off their rock and swim out towards him. They were always more cautious, but once they realized who it was, they immediately relaxed and started swimming around. This was the only way that Kaden tried to interact with the otters he worked with. He liked to try to work with them in their natural environment, instead of trying to get them on land. It amazed him how much more he was able to pick up by doing this.

"Jæja krakkar, höfum við nýtt lið félagi. Hún er að vinna með nýjum ljón okkar, að reyna að fá þá staðsett og notað til mannlegra samskipta. Hún er mjög góður í starfi sínu. Hvaða gera þú krakkar hugsa?" he asked, smiling as the two females cood at him, while Quinn and Finn both grunted. Teeko bumped his hip again, before whistling. Kaden chuckled. "I take it you guys are okay with that," he said, smiling as he continued to interact with the group.

He slipped out of the water a little later, as the three males went back to their rock to take a nap. He knew that when they actually slept, they formed a raft, but found that when they weren't going to sleep for long periods of time, they seemed to like the little rocks that adorned their enclosure.

Kaden quickly pulled his notebook out that he kept in the enclosure, jotting things down as he could. He found that keeping logs of the interactions helped him try to figure out the best way to work with these otters. He did the same thing with his river otters. They were much more playful than these big sea otters, but all the same, he enjoyed being in the water with them.

He knew from the space of the enclosures that Dior would be able to hear him. He hoped that he wasn't disturbing her work, but figured that, since she hadn't stopped talking, he was keeping his volume levels down low enough.

He smiled as the twins yawned, watching him as he headed towards the exit of the enclosure. "kveðja börnin mín. Ég mun sjá þig mjög fljótlega!" he said, smiling as he got a few soft grunts in acknowledgement.

 

[Ohia_Lehua]

Dior heard noise from somewhere in the enclosure and assumed it was Kaden until she heard his voice and knew her assumption to be true. From what she could hear he came then left. Maybe a normal person would have wondered what he was doing but Dior wasn't normal and brushed off the noise as just that, noise. It didn't stop her from reading out loud and she kept on as if he hadn't just wandered by.

Too soon for Dior's liking the noise was back and this time it seemed to stay. She tried to keep her mind on the lions and the book she was reading but the flaw of being human meant that curiosity was getting the best of her. "Islandskiy?" The sounds weren't clear but Dior could hear enough to know the difference between English and something else. She wasn't sure that it was Icelandic but from what she knew and what it most sounded like as fragmented as it was, to her it sounded Germanic of nature. Similar to Dutch and Swedish but off enough that she was willing to bet that it wasn't. Dior shrugged letting it go. She didn't want to think about how there was someone else that talked to their animals in a different language.

Kaden got out of the water, the displacement and sound of running water off a surface told her that whatever exited the water was larger then a sea otter. Dior wanted to just let him go but there were things that she needed to know. Things that her reports didn't tell her.

"Vernus'." Dior whispered out to the sea lions as she quickly gathered up her things in her bag. She wanted to catch Kaden before he left the enclosure. Metis was the one who reacted the most when Dior stood up and it trickled down the line to the twins and finally Wilhelm, who in truth didn't do much other then bark loudly. "S pishchey." She promised with a smile as the twins bobbed in the water.

She had caught Kaden just as he was closing up the sea otter enclosure and skipped up a few steps so she wouldn't have to shout for him to hear her. "Hey. You." It was an awkward greeting but Dior made the effort to smile. Which she was sure was coming off more serial killer then friendly. "I have some questions about the Stellers feeding procedures." Dior had a rough time schedule with their meal plans on it but she didn't know the dos and don't of The Shedd and was forced to ask questions. "I was also wondering if the The Shedd had a timeline or mission date for the Stellers. My guess is that they'll be used in future shows and education activities but do you knew who'll have the needed dates?"

 

[raiguy]

Kaden was just closing the door and turning to leave when he heard someone call out. "Hey, you?" he thought to himself. He guessed who it was at that, and turned to smile. He was naturally a friendly person, and wasn't going to let an earlier altercation affect him. He waited patiently for her question, his smile widening. He knew just what was needed.

"If you'll follow me, I think I can give you everything you need for your answers," he said, heading to the team room underneath the seats in the live arena. He could hear her footfalls behind him, so knew he was being followed. He slowed down, letting her catch up, before asking, "How do you like the enclosures? We didn't really know what needed to be done, but we knew that they needed a large enclosure with plenty of water, as well as a shore and some rocks. If you have anything to suggest, or something better, please tell me so I can relay it and hopefully get it done. We were pretty pressed for time, and this was all that we could do before the Stellers were moved to our aquarium. I wish we had longer to make the enclosure more adequate, but we were notified only two weeks before we were told they were being sent to us," he said, reaching for the door, before holding it open for her.

Kaden quickly moved to his desk, the only one with papers on it. He rifled through them quickly, finding what he needed. He walked over to the large meeting table, before laying the papers out and turning the projector on. It quickly flared to life, showing a spreadsheet with the times that feeding had been done currently. "we had a rough time schedule, and thought that it would match their eating habits. I've been the only one in the enclosure until you were here. They seemed to react positively towards me, but I didn't try to impose on them. As it is, their food schedule can be modified as you see fit, as well as the procedures. We just ask that you send me the information with how you want to proceed, and then give me a time sheet for feeding times that I can log. Otherwise, once we have our team, we will set up daily meetings to discuss these things in more detail," he said, finish and letting her look at the documents.

He thought about something, and then smiled. "Mne ochen' zhal'," he said softly. He knew some broken Russian, but nothing like his English, Icelandic, or German. He stood looking at her, smiling a little to try to let her know that he didn't mean to seem rude earlier when she wanted entrance to the enclosures. He just had to follow procedures.

 

[Ohia_Lehua]

Dior didn't really want to follow him but if that was the only way she was going to get her answers then it seemed like she had no choice but to follow. Kaden slowed down for what seemed to be a reason to talk to her. She had been dragging behind for just the opposite. "Yeah I guess they'll be fine." They had water to swim and play in, flats to lay on and rocks to perch on. Other then the wildlife they would run into if they were in the wild it was really all they needed.

The spreadsheet that he put up on the projector was the same one that she had been given. "Is the fish that come in presorted or do you guys do that back here? If not is there a rule as to who gets what? Or is it a first come first serve. Do you guys log whats being taken by animal or is it logged as a whole. Do the diets change by season. Also how does The Shedd feel about live feeds." Dior had a lot of other questions regarding how they fed but left it at that for now.

"For now I think I'll keep to their timed feeding schedule. I'll more then likely change their diets gradually." There was so much that was running though Dior's mind that it was nearly overwhelming if this wasn't something she loved so much. "I also have questions about training. I've worked with the NMMP and observed their training methods as well as overseeing a few training sessions at Sea World. From what I've seen of the show here there is little lion displays and wondered if they would need more then show and vet training." Dior was pretty sure that was the end of her questions but the moment she thought of that another one popped up. "And what do you have as far as enrichment tools? Are handlers allowed to bring their own tools are is there a rule against that?"

For all the questions that she asked there was still one that Kaden had yet to answer. "And you have yet to tell me how long I have to accomplish this."

As far as the Russian went Dior ignored like as if Kaden hadn't said anything at all. She didn't know why he was saying sorry,. To her it just sounded like works spoken with no meaning. That's what she liked about animals, if they were sorry about something they used actions and emotions to portray it. Human because they could speak made everything cheap with their words. Sorry, pshh, Dior had heard that word in a number of languages her entire life that now it meant nothing to her.

"Did I overwhelm you with all my questions? Should I type them up and submit them to you to fill out at a you digressions?" Dior wasn't trying to be snarky but the look that he was giving her ruffled her up. "Or is there someone else that I should take these questions to?"

 

[raiguy]

Kaden let her dismissal roll off of his back. She could take it as being sincere if she wanted to, or not. Instead, he listened to all of her questions and thought for a moment. He wasn't trying to delay a response, but trying to figure out how best to handle all of these questions. He knew Todd would just tell him to handle it as he saw fit. He continued to think, before finally coming up with answers that would work.

"You have no time period. The job that the Texas aquarium failed to do was to rehab these sea lions. Unfortunately, because of the neglect they suffered there, these Stellers will probably never be able to be re-introduced into their natural environment. Because of that, you don't have a time limit or a goal really. Your primary job is just to ease them into this style of life and help them to enjoy it with no ill effects. We try to keep the feeding styles as natural as possible, so live feedings, with a first come basis. We have enough food that everyone gets enough to eat. As for the type of food, take your pick. We have several tanks specifically devoted to supplying food for our enclosures, or we order fresh, live fish as we need," he said.

He thought about her other questions. "The training is up to you. You will be the one performing with them, not me, not anyone else. You are the one who gets to decide what to tell the audiences about these Stellers. I'm the vet for these enclosures, so if you need me for that, just ask. Otherwise, it's up to you. Tell us the enrichment tools you want, and we will order them for you. If you don't want to wait, you can buy them and we will reimburse you. This aquarium tries to foster innovation in regards to education and treatment of these animals. As for logging things...log for each individual sea lion in your care. We like to have data for each animal, instead of as a whole. we can then cater treatment or training as it is needed for individuals," he finished, feeling like he had gotten the questions answered.

He ignored her last questions, before shutting the projector off. He looked at her and then said, "If you'll excuse me, I have otters than need to be seen to. If you have any other questions, find me," he said. As he was walking out, he said over his shoulder, "Or, if you feel I'm inadequate to handle my enclosures, talk to Todd," he said, before heading to see his river otters. He knew that his parting comment was childish, but with the way she was treating him, he was just being honest with her. It bothered him that this woman would think so little of him when she knew nothing about him.

He sighed as he walked into the otter enclosure, locking the door behind him so he was not interrupted. People could see through the plexiglass, but he usually just zoned that out when he was with the animals.

He smiled when the eight otters looked up as he stepped into the water. Jake, the biggest male, barked, before recognizing Kaden's scent. Kaden smiled as Jamie and Jester came with Jake to see him. He sat in the shallow end of the pool, letting the males smell him, before the scampered off to play. This group, the males and females, seemed much more playful than what was common among otters. The females, Jean, Janis, Jenny, Jessica, and Julie were especially playful. These otters were about four years old, so still young for captive otters, yet very playful. The females loved to work with the tools that Kaden had provided. There were plenty of novel items, like balls with different surfaces and ropes, as well as items they would find in nature, like rocks and certain plants.

He couldn't help but smile when he was with his otters. Kaden slowly sank into the water, feeling the otters frolicking about. He had specifically customized this wetsuit, as it had a rougher surface than most wetsuits. He had found that the otters, both sea and river, loved to rub against his suit while he was in the water. He chuckled at first, when he realized he was like a giant scratching post, but it helped build the relationships. Now, he was able to train them to do most any task he could think of. "Þú allur setja alltaf bros á andlit mitt. Heldurðu að við ættum að gera meiri þjálfun, eða spila í vatninu aðeins lengur?" he asked, smiling when he got several grunts and coos. He stayed and relaxed in the water, playing with these amazing animals.

 

[Ohia_Lehua]

Hearing that there wasn't a timeline eased Dior's mind. She didn't was the pressure of a due date looming over her and that resulting in her pushing the Stellers before they were ready. The last thing she wanted was to force the sea lions into a box they weren't prepared to step into. The fact that she would be the only one handling them was also a surprise. She had assumed that one they were brought up to par they would find someone else for the job.

Dior didn't know how she felt about training them for means of a performance. She still had hopes that once she was done with the sea lions that they would be released back into the wild. It was a far reach but it was a linger hope that she had when she looked at them. That would be something she would have to get out of her mind. She wanted what was best for them and the more she thought about it the more she realized that with the past history this was probability the best place for them.

"I don't need to be reimbursed." She waved off already thinking of stimulants that she had seen wild sea lions use that she could replicate as well as what they already had at The Shedd. "And keeping logs won't be a problem. I can submit them daily if needed." With all the notes she kept it wouldn't be hard to type up a daily report if they wanted it. "And I like the you have fresh fish available. I'll submit my dietary plans. Whatever The Shedd can't cover or doesn't have access to just let me know." The only thing she wasn't too sure on was him as the on site vet. Maybe it was just because they got off on the wrong foot but she didn't like the idea that if something was to go wrong she would have to come to him.

Dior would have thought the conversation between the two of them was fair, until Kaden commented on her last set of questions. What had lead him to think that she thought him to be inadequate. Sure she wasn't a fan of him but until there was reason to think one way or another she was Switzerland, as far as she was concerned. She wanted to say something back but he ran off like a child who just took a cookie out of the cookie jar.

"Did I say you were inadequate?" Dior fumed. She didn't like people putting words in her mouth and didn't take well to the way he tried to throw them back at her. "If your having personal problems and that's how you think, fine. Whatever. Not my problem but don't take what I say and misconstrue them because you're fragile ego." She huffed moving from the offices where the food for the animals were kept. It was about time that the Stellers were fed. "бестолковый мальчик."

The Stellers morning feed chart listed a range of different fishes and cephalopods. In truth it was a fairly healthy meal plan but with them being underweight Dior wanted to add some healthy fats to their meals. Getting what she wanted was easy enough and when she returned to the colony at least Wilhelm seemed happy to see her. Metis on the other hand was her same old self.

"Неужели мы голодны?" At the smell of fish Metis calmed down and the twins took a back seat to Wilhelm gruff and barks. It was nice to see that at least this part of their captive life was normal. They ate well and didn't fight over food. Dior kept an eye on everything and jotted new bit of information in her note book. When all the food was gone Dior walked around the pool, splashed water over her hands to reduce the smell of fish and took up her spot in the corner again.

With a new time of day and right after feeding there was a bunch of new things that Dior wanted to write down. Soon the park would be opening and that would add a whole new aspect to the sea lion's reactions to things. How would they handle all the noise, smells and sighs of people. Dior wanted to take a more hands on approach but she knew that building a strong bond was most important and for now that meant sitting and watching as they grew accustom to her. Dior had no plans on leaving until the park was closed and the sun was down. These first few days would be the days that they remembered the most once she started to interact with them.

 

[raiguy]

Kaden smiled as he fed the otters. They seemed to love to chase after the fish, as well as getting after the crabs he let into the tank. He had spent enough time in the water with them that he knew when they were hungry. He couldn't help but chuckle when he saw them moving so sleekly through the water, leaving a small trail of bubbles.

He wondered back over the past four years. He had almost regretted taking the job here at first, wondering if he shouldn't have gone to one of the big world organizations. He had the credentials, but didn't really want to leave his family. The Shedd also allowed him to do research whenever he was able to, and they thought it would be of value. He had done research in the Baltic sea, most of the seas and oceans around Australia and Africa, as well as the Atlantic, Caribbean, and Pacific oceans surrounding the US.

He loved finding new things about animals that would help with interactions between animals and humans, as well as how to best preserve the environments of these aquatic animals. He was actually looking at a trip to follow the migratory patterns of the Steller sea lions to see if they could learn anything that would help these four new lions, as well as any new sea lions that were sent to the Shedd. He didn't know if that trip would be put on hold or not, but decided that it would happen or not, outside of his control.

His parents had been pretty happy to find out he was staying in Chicago, especially due to the fact that his younger sister was at Loyola studying medicine. It meant that she was able to stay in the city with him on occasion, without having to find a place of her own. He enjoyed it, as Alice was easily his best friend.

He was brought out of his thoughts by Jamie barking at him. He looked up, seeing interns touring the outer enclosures. Kaden smiled and waved at the interns, wondering who would finally round out his team. He had been operating understaffed for the past year and a half after one of the team members was asked to go on a two year long trip to the Antarctic circle. He really couldn't begrudge Ingrid that chance though.

"Það er allt í lagi. Réttlátur the nýliða túra og sjá hvað allt er eins. Það er ekkert að vera brugðið á," he said to Jamie, smiling as the otter seemed to calm down. He sat down at the water's edge, relaxing as the interns walked by. He knew this would be a trying week for them, as they would be relentlessly examined. The Shedd wanted the best people for the animals, and that meant quite a bit of shuffling to find the right fit.

He slid back into the water, enjoying the otters playing around with the toys. He watched as Jake showed off the new skill he had learned, seemingly flipping the ball out of the water, before bumping it back into the air. Kaden smiled, before presenting Jake with a treat. He knew that most of the trainers for the live shows did this, as it was positive reinforcement, yet he wished there was a way for these animals to learn the new skills without the use of the treats. He sighed, before stepping out of the water.

He knew it would be time to go see how the Ringed seals were doing. This was the part of the day Kaden loved most. He was certified to dive in almost any place he could think of. He had gone to as many scuba classes as he could, having the certifications for most, if not all, of the levels that lead up to being a master diver. It was the one luxury he took away from work. He had started it when he was 11, and had just kept working to get better.

With the seals, he was able to use some of those skills to interact with the seals underwater. It helped him see how they were interacting with each other, as well as how they were physically. He suited up, carrying his gear through the hallway between the sea lion and seal enclosures. He knew Dior was still with the Stellers, and had to applaud her for her dedication to these animals. He quickly slipped into the water, finishing putting his small tank and weight belt on, before adding his mask.

He could already see the three females, Akna, Sedna, and Malina swim towards him. He smiled around his regulator, before starting to slowly observe the seals. The big males, Nanook and Pana, quickly slid into the water to join the females. Kaden quickly lost track of time as he watched the seals, making sure everything was okay with them, or if anything needed to be done.

 

[Ohia_Lehua]

Well the plan was to stay here all day but after pages and pages of reading. Hours of watching and writing things were starting to just repeat themselves. With their lives contained to this enclosure they only had what was on hand for stimulation. Dior could only imagine how they must be feeling. Half of the day gone and they were already at the point that they didn't pay her much attention. Even Metis seemed unconcerned when Dior stood, stretched or moved.

"Вы, как скучно, как я?" Already used to her voice there was no negative reaction when she spoke to them more when she stood up to stretch and flex. The ground was hard and while she wasn't doing anything but sit there her body was cramping from not moving. "Я собираюсь уйти, но я приеду обратно." Dior already had her things packed and picked up her backpack and waved bye as she exited the area. Testing the waters so to say by walking closer to Tiasa then she had before. A smile crossed her lips when all Tiasa did was lift her head to watch her. It was a start and more then she knew she had at the beginning of the day.

With nothing to identify her as an employee of The Shedd, it allowed Dior the freedom to exit the park without being hailed for a million questions. A quick bike ride to the apartment and Dior picked up a few things, dropped off her nice clothes and then on second thought traded out her backpack for a shoulder duffle before leaving. Her phone told her that there was a sports store not far from here and she took off on her bike in that direction.

Like most stores the moment she walked into one someone offered their assistance. With their help Dior was able to find a number of different sized, different weighted balls, a pretty soccer ball that set her back $160! Something about it being an official match ball. Whatever the reasoning it was the only ball like it in the store and it was what Dior wanted. She wasn't the best at soccer but she knew how to juggle a ball along side the best that she knew. From there she followed the directions to a pet store and browsed around not finding what she wanted. A stop at the local fire station was able to help her though as was the tailor shop.

There was a few other stops that she made on the way back to The Shedd. Once back she headed to the back area and collected a few more things before heading back to the enclosure. Dior was feeling good about her two hour outing and took a roundabout way back to her Stellers, soccer ball rolling on the ground in front of her being guided by little taps of her foot. She didn't know if the sea lions would play with the soccer ball but she thought it was pretty with all it's colors and if nothing else it would be a good way to whittle away the hours and might encourage the lions to play along side her.

 

[raiguy]

Kaden, spent a couple hours in the pool, observing each seal individually. He looked a little concerned as Nanook seemed to be favoring his left side. He quickly swam to the surface of the pool, before shedding his mask and equipment. He knew that these Ringed seals would respond to calls. They had been at the Shedd since birth. They were part of a group of seals that had been born here. It was a very happy day for everyone at the Shedd.

He called for Nanook to come up, seeing the seal swim slowly to the shallow edge of the pool. As soon as the water was too shallow for Nanook to support his weight, he stopped moving, not wanting to venture out of the support the water was giving him. This immediately threw a flag in the air for Kaden. He quickly walked over to the wall, before dialing Todd's number, speaking rapidly into the phone, before hanging up.

He was banking on Dior being over with the Stellers. He dropped the small tank and weight belt, as well as his flippers, before opening the door and crossing the hall. He opened the door slowly, happy to find Dior in the enclosure, with a soccer ball as well.

"Dior, I need your help. Nanook, one of our Ringed seals, is favoring a side, and won't leave the water. Todd is on his way, but I need someone's help to get the rig under him so that we can lift him and take him to our special tanks. You're the only person here that I know has the qualifications, and quite frankly can trust with this seal. Can you please help," he said, the concern evident all over his features as he waited, trying to figure out what exactly it could be that was going on with Nanook.

 

[Ohia_Lehua]

Dior had just settled down in the Steller's enclosure when Kaden invited himself in. She was about to say something about it but he spoke first. There was something about one of the ringed seals. Whatever she felt about Kaden was all pushed to the side in favor of helping out with the injured Nanook.

"Of course I'll help." The fact that he felt it necessary to ask wounded her in a way that she wouldn't have expected with someone that she didn't even like. "It's not like I'm some kind of monster." Because she had just gotten there there was nothing to pack up, only the soccer ball and her duffle. "Come on lets go." Dior brushed past Kaden and dropped her bag and the ball outside of the Steller's door.

"You coming or not?" Dior asked before heading to where the ringed seals were kept. On the way there she stripped off her hoodie. She knew the water would be cold but she was used to it. She had surfed colder waters before, dove off the Alaskan point to prove a point. Then again it didn't really matter how she would feel, she wanted to help Nanook and make sure he was alright.

 

[raiguy]

Kaden followed Dior quickly, knowing that he was lucky there was someone as well trained as Dior was nearby. He knew they would probably have a rocky relationship at times, but he was realizing that he was happy to be on the same team as her. He saw her stripping down to her suit, and quickly moved into the water by Nanook.

"Lets do this so we can get him taken care of," he said, not wanting to offend her by acting like she didn't know what she was doing. He quickly moved into place, before helping to get Nanook into the rig they would use to lift him out of the water and into the portable tank. He knew that this was the easiest way to move the seal, as it would support his body weight, without stressing the injury.

As Todd arrived with the rolling tank, Kaden smiled at Dior. "Thanks for helping. I'm honestly really glad that we have someone as well trained as you here. It's a huge asset, not only to the Stellers, but also to the rest of these enclosures," he said, taking her hand and squeezing it softly.

He quickly turned to follow Todd and Nanook, before moving to the examination tank. He quickly and safely moved Nanook into the tank, before moving about to see what he could tell about the injury. He knew Todd was reviewing the enclosure tapes, and would hopefully tell him if anything happened while the staff was away for the evening.

As Kaden was waiting to see what blood work came back with, Todd came in, a grimace on his face. "It looks like Nanook and Pana got into a bit of a tussle, from what I saw on the video feed. Nothing serious really seemed to happen, but it seems like Nanook was injured in the spat. It seemed like they were playing, trying to learn to fight like in the wild, and they got a little carried away," Todd said.

Kaden nodded thoughtfully, before sliding into the water next to Nanook. He ran his hand over Nanook's back, smiling softly. "Were you just playing, and this happened? I definitely can't be mad for you doing what comes naturally. Lets see what some rest does for you, away from the group," he said softly, before climbing out of the water.

"Right now, it looks like all we can do is let Nanook rest here, away from everything, and hope the bloodwork is normal. I feel like everything is going to be okay, and it sounds like he may have strained something a little more than usual. Until we get bloodwork though, lets just wait to see," he said, smiling at Todd as he watched Nanook rest, seemingly falling asleep on the spot.

 

[Ohia_Lehua]

Without her wetsuit on and just her surfshorts, swimsuit and shirt the water easily cut through the material and soaked Dior to the bone. If she wasn't so concentrated on the seal's safety the chill that came along with the water would have been a distraction and a slight problem but as it was there were more important things to worry about and on her own list she came last.

The seal was well trained and used to being handled and didn't fear the rigging like the wild seals and sea lions did. She had rigged an animal before but it had never gone this easy and before Todd even arrived Nanook was in the rig and positioned just right. Dior was about to remake about how well the animals reacted to everything when Kaden spoke first., thanking her and praising her.

"Yeah." Compliments made Dior uncomfortable and she took her hand back as quickly as possible without seeming rude. "Well if you need anything else you can page me." She was old school like that and still rocked a waterproof pager. She had a cell phone but had learned early on that if she were to dive in the water or get wet the phones didn't last long.

She didn't think to ask Kaden to tell her what was wrong with Nanook when they figured it out and by the time she had thought of it Kaden and Todd were gone. "Ну мало уплотнения Я увижу вас позже. Будьте безопасны и вести себя." She waved at the remaining seals before leaving the ringed enclosure as well.

Dior was once again back in her claimed corner standing and watching the stellers. Metis was weary but for the most part ignored her. That was until she took out the soccer ball and bounced it on her knee. That caught all four lions attention and she did it again. Wilhelm barked one then twice the second one loud and deep.

Curious to see what was happening Tiasa swam closer but darted back under the water when Dior held out the ball. Wilhelm on the other hand rushed the to the ball and barked at it. Dior didn't move and Wilhelm barked at it a few more times before bravely touching the ball with his nose before fleeing. Over and over he worked up the courage to touch the ball just to run away until the last time when he touched it and jumped out of the water near Dior instead of running. It wasn't an aggressive movement just one of curiously.

Amused by his reaction she set the ball on the level ground and watched at Wilhelm nosed it again, this time the ball rolled and he barked at it and chased it. Tiasa seeing that this was some kind of game had swam closer but stayed within the safety of the water. When he continued to nose it and it rolled into the water Tiasa dove under the water just in time to miss the bigger male that was after this floating rolling thing he had just found.

Just by Wilhelm and Tiasa's reaction to the ball Dior could conclude that they had never seen toys before. Wilhelm was easy to please but Metis wanted nothing to do with the toy and retreaded to her rocky perch above the pool. Tiasa on the other hand was getting used to the ball, it looked like she didn't want to miss out on the fun that Wilhelm was having and was slowly getting closer while Aegle watched her sister from the far side of the pool.

There was other balls and toys in Dior's bag that she could have brought out but she didn't want to overwhelm or scare the lions. Plus watching Wilhelm and Tiasa play with this new found toy was a joy. Even better when Aegle dared to swim around the playing two. Metis even looked like she wanted to join in on the fun with they way she stopped watching Dior and followed the ball.

 

[raiguy]

The blood work came back about an hour and a half later, thanks to the in house lab and technicians at the Shedd. From the results, it seemed like there was some inflammation due to a torn muscle. It had felt a little different Kaden thought. This just meant that Nanook had to stay separated until the muscle had time to heal. Kaden knew medicine wouldn't help, and he didn't want to risk causing anything else to go wrong when nature would repair the slight tear.

"Jæja, það virðist eins og þú ættir að endir upp tilvera fínn, Nanook. Héðan í frá, leyfir halda roughhousing í vatnið, þannig að við fá ekki meiða lengur, ha?" he said, smiling as Nanook barked at him, the sound seeming happy. Kaden smiled, before heading out to let Nanook rest.

He wandered to Todd's office, popping in to let him know of the situation. Todd just nodded, checking the video feed to see if anything else had happened. He looked up at Kaden and smiled. "Our new team member just introduced the Stellers to toys. They seem to be taking to it pretty well. You might want to go let her know that staff are going to be leaving soon, and that means her," he said.

Kaden smiled tightly, realizing he wanted to stay later, but knew that with it being orientation week, the permanent staff were leaving a little earlier than normal to give the interns and coordinators the Shedd to themselves. "Okay, can do," he said, before heading to the enclosures.

He knocked softly on the door to the Stellers enclosure, before opening it. He smiled when he saw Wilhelm playing with the ball. Metis turned towards him and barked, before going back to watching her domain. Kaden chuckled at that, knowing Metis usually just acknowledged him, before going about her business. Wilhelm had been the only one who seemed to really bond with Kaden while he worked with them during the time they were waiting for Dior to arrive.

He had never gotten into the water with the Stellers, yet had seemed to interact well with Wilhelm. He knew the twin sisters were okay with him, much like Metis. Still, they weren't like his otters, or even the ringed seals. He walked quietly over to Dior, before smiling. "I stopped by Todd's to let him know what's going on with Nanook. He reminded me to tell you that we actually have to head out in about 5 minutes," he said after looking at his watch.

"With it being orientation week, the permanent staff, like you and I, are required to leave so that the interns and coordinators can move about the enclosures. It'll help the coordinators place the interns correctly, and they don't want us there adding pressure to the interns," he said, before stepping back and turning as Wilhelm barked at him. He smiled and moved to the edge of the water, before holding his hand out flat and in a non-threatening manner. His smile grew wider when Wilhelm bumped his hand, before almost nuzzling it and then swimming away to play with the ball. "Ég naut virkilega tíma okkar saman, smá strákur. Ég er fegin að sjá að þú hefur svo dásamlegur maður að vinna með þér núna," he said quietly, watching Wilhelm swimming around with the ball.

He turned toward the door with the smile on his face as remembered that he needed to get his stuff so that he could head back to see if his sister was at his apartment or not. He also needed to make sure he caught the bus, otherwise he'd have to walk home with all of his gear.

 

[Ohia_Lehua]

"What?" Five minutes? Dior had no plans on leaving tonight. That was another thing she was going to have to get used to. Having been left pretty much alone with NOAA and her work with NMMP gave her the allowance to bond with the animals without other outside interactions. NOAA for the reason that they didn't want more human interaction with a wild colony then necessary and the NMMP because the guys and gals got territorial about their animals and Dior could understand why. Each person trained their animals differently and needed to have a strong bond with them for them to complete their missions. And while this was nothing like force protection or mine detection Dior wanted to do things her way. What did she care about the pressure that the interns felt with her being there. Better that they fear her and do things the way she wanted them without having to correct them, then them thinking that they were all friends and slipping on her standards.

Seeing that Kaden already had a bond with these animals just pushed all of Dior's buttons. It wasn't fair to compare the preexisting relationships that the lions had when she herself had only spent hours with them. Still it bothered her that they were all so acclimated to him. Why was I even brought in if they seem to do so well with him? "предатель." Dior muttered under her breath as she stood up.

Dior dug around her bag for a fish and traded the willing Wilhelm for the ball. She didn't reach out to him, Dior wanted him to reach out to her. She didn't want to just be their friends, she wanted to be a part of their colony and that process would take longer then just mere friendship. "Может быть, я научу вас быть атака морских львов. Точка и укус. Что вы думаете?"

Wilhelm just barked and Tiasa snorted making Dior laugh. "Ах. Я хотел бы остаться, но выдра человек говорит, что я должен идти." She picked up her bag and slung it over her shoulder. "Завтра ваша другая игрушка должна быть завершена, и я буду забрать ее утром. Я думаю, вам понравится он." Dior walked along the edge of the pool taking one last deep breath before leaving. "Спокойной ночи и увидимся завтра."

Dior's hand was on the handle of the enclosure when she felt a bump on her bag. Turning she was completely expecting to see Wilhelm there but was amazed to see Metis standing as still and as tense as a rock. It was one of those moments that time slows down for as Dior and Metis stared into each other's eyes. No one moved, said a thing and Dior wasn't even sure she breathed in those few seconds but like that it was done and Metis slipped back into the water and back to her lookout not even bothering to look at Dior again.

For Dior the moment was one of the bests. Her heart pumped and joy that she hadn't expected split her face into a huge smile. Metis had acknowledged her, stood with her by her own will with nothing in ways of a reward. This was why she did this, worked with animals. What they said with their actions was worth more then anything a human could say.

"завтра." Dior whispered as she exited the enclosure.

Dior clocked out without saying bye to anyone. She was new and didn't know anyone well enough to make a side trip to say bye. Had she come across anyone she knew they she would have nodded and said goodbye but as it was she meet no one on her way to where her bike was. It didn't matter where she chained her bike up the Kona hei hei dlx was easy to spot. Her favorite of the three bikes she owned but sometimes not always the best. Right now she was kind of wishing she had the safariland/kona specialty made civilian patrol bike. The duffle with the balls, her wet clothes, her wet suit, nook, notebook, pens, clipboard and number of others things was kind of getting heavy. If she had the patrol bike she could have just thrown the bag on the rear rack and been done with it. Now she had to trek it a mile home. Sure it wasn't that far or that big of a deal but now that she was clocked out all she wanted to do was go home and take a nice hot shower.

 

[raiguy]

Kaden sighed as he left. He hated not being able to stay with the animals. It was one of the reasons why the otters acted the way they did with him. He usually spent the nights at the Shedd, sleeping in his office on the foldout couch he had. He knew that he had his apartment waiting for him, but it was lonely when his sister wasn't there. It was one of the only things he hated about living alone.

He shook his head as he found a place to stand on the bus. Luckily it wasn't packed like it usually was. He had enough stuff with him that it could have been just a little bit awkward to stand with his large duffel across his shoulders and back. Instead, he was able to set his duffel on an empty seat, and stand without disturbing anyone.

It was a short bus ride back to his place, and he wasn't paying too much attention. He got off on his stop and then walked into the complex. He smiled as he got off the elevator, hearing music coming from his apartment. It looked like his sister had come to visit him. Kara always seemed to find the stereo and start blasting music when she came over. He was happy to see her musical tastes weren't in line with most kids her age. She was 12 years younger than him, surprising his parents when his mom became pregnant right before turning 32. After his sister, two brothers, and then the baby girl of the family followed before their parents reached 40.

Kaden quickly unlocked his door, before dropping his bag beside the door and slipping out of his shoes. He had changed into gym shorts and a t shirt, before throwing sweats on over them. He looked around, spotting Kara on the couch, her textbooks spread out. He chuckled, seeing her textbooks strewn across the coffee table. He knew she was facing another round of tests, especially at the prep school she was going to. It was a scholarship only school, and she was doing very well, near the top of her class.

"Well, it's good to see you aren't listening to Justin Beiber, or any of that shit," he said, smiling as Kara jumped hearing his voice. Imagine Dragons' Radioactive was pumping through the speakers, and he couldn't help but smile, remembering taking her to their concert and seeing her fall in love with their music.

"Big brother!" Kara said, jumping off the couch and into his arms. Out of all the siblings, they were easily the closest, although their younger siblings were still dealing with those preteen and early teen issues.

"How are you, baby girl?" he asked, sitting on the couch while holding her close. He was happy to have her here, realizing that this week would be good to have someone else around the apartment when he got back from work.

"I needed a place to study in quiet, and thought of your apartment. I hope you don't mind, but mom said I could stay with you this week to make sure I had the time to study," she said, smiling.

Kaden shook his head. He knew she would get her way, but he was kind of surprised their mom agreed. Especially if this was quiet studying. He smiled and then settled into the couch. "Well, what are we doing for dinner then?" he said, thinking about ordering food in and just relaxing. He hadn't had a night like that in easily three months.

"Chinese and movies?" Kara said, reading her big brother to a T. She smiled and then jumped a little excitedly as he just nodded. She knew she would get to pick the movies, and he would probably fall asleep during them.

Kaden smiled, knowing she would win pretty much any movie choice. He was just happy to have someone to relax with and not have to think about work, or anything along those lines. It would be a well earned night to relax and just try to unwind from the long months of working without any breaks.

 

[Ohia_Lehua]

The bike ride home was nice and relaxing despite the heavy weight of her duffle bag. By the time she made it to the apartment building the sun was setting and the blue sky was darkening and the streetlights were starting to turn on. With the sun going down the chill in the air was getting colder and Dior was glad to be home when she was.

"Greetings Miss Dior."

"Ward." Dior nodded in greeting as she passed by the front desk. It was nice that the AMLI cared enough to learn the names of all it's occupants. For Dior it sounded like a head ache but she understood why they did it. It created a bond between the people who worked there and the people who lived there making it feel more like home. The other and more important reason was security. With every face and name that the employees learned was one less creeper entering and exiting the building and harassing the people who live there.

As luck would have it Dior had the elevator all to herself as she rode up to the top floor using the fireman's trick to bypass anyone who would have called the elevator while she was on it making the trip a quick one.

Once home the first thing Dior did was take a nice long hot shower. There was nothing that she loved more then a hot shower, well... that wasn't all that true, relaxing in a nice steaming bubble bath was better but she wasn't in the mood to draw a bath tonight.

When Dior was finished with her shower, her hair washed and her body shaven, it was past time to cook something for dinner. Like her sea lion friends Dior loved seafood and for tonight's menu it was going to be salmon with wild rice and sauteed zucchini, squash and mushrooms. Of course paired with a glass of wine.

The night was one that was filled with the nothings of someone alone with nothing to do. It was a feeling that Dior was familiar with but no matter how many times she had befriended this feeling, these times they still left her feeling restless and unsettled. It reminded her too much of younger days in the large house all by herself.

Mind filled with unease Dior cleaned up the kitchen from dinner and filled the dishwasher with her plate and wineglass. Because she didn't have her things yet there was no tv to watch, no jukebox to play her records but she did have her computer but she didn't want to mess with it.

It was still early in the night, the moon low in the sky and far too soon to head to bed. With little else to do Dior dressed for the elements and pulled her bike from the wall. If nothing else she could at least head out and find something to calm her mind even if it was only to learn the place of her new home and what was to be found around it.

 

[raiguy]

Kaden should have known that once he sat down, he would be bombarded with questions about work. Kara loved the Shedd, much like her older brother, and Kaden had often gotten her into the enclosures behind the scenes. Still, she was always trying to delve that much deeper into his life. He couldn't help but smile.

"Kara, nothing has changed since the last time we talked. It's orientation week, so all the possible new interns are being worked through each enclosure to see who will stay and fit where. That's all that's really going on. We got the specialist for the Stellers, and she really knows her job," he finished, hoping it would satisfy his curious little sister.

He loved his family, but it always seemed like more and more things popped up when dealing with them. Either it was the fact that he was still single, or living in an apartment instead of a house, or any number of things. He usually was able to grin and bear it, but there were times where it was too much.

Often times that ended with him walking the city, seeing how Chicago came to life after dark. He knew the city like the back of his hand, and also knew where to avoid if he didn't want trouble. He had told Kara this when she started school, and she had so far listened to him. At least, that was what he was told.

He sighed softly when The Notebook was turned on. He knew that Kara would be out within 20 minutes, as she often fell asleep during these types of nights. Suddenly, a romance didn't seem like fun to him. It just reminded him of how lonely he was. He sighed again, before stretching. As Kara watched him, he pulled jeans on, followed by his shoes and then a coat.

"I'm going to go longboarding. I have enough to worry about at work that I can't calm down. I just need to relax and move around the city. I'll be safe, and be back at a semi-decent hour. I'll have my keys and phone, so call if you need me," he said, picking up his Atom drop-through longboard. He had splurged on a few others, but this was the one he took when he just needed to ride and get away.

He stepped out of the apartment, and locked the door behind him, before taking the stairs. He nodded towards Ward as he left, before dropping the board to the pavement below him and then pushing off. He quickly let the streets take him wherever they planned to, trying to work through everything at work.

 

[raiguy]

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