allbedestroyed | Private tour for asorceress

As far as second dates went, Yennefer is fairly certain this one is in a class all it's own. While she's studied dinosaurs and their origins briefly when it came to familiarizing herself with his world's history; it was another thing entirely to get a chance to see them living and breathing.

As eager as she was for that, and for the added excitement of exploring a place she technically shouldn't be in (she did like the thrill of it); she was just as eager to spend more time with him.

Needing to blend in, and knowing the climate better now; she wears a similar outfit to their last date. Except this time it's in a more Yennefer suitable color scheme of black and white - black khaki shorts and a white sleeveless shirt. It should keep her cool enough, and if not, she can always utilize a spell provided none but Muldoon would witness her casting it. She wears boots for good measure as well, as she imagines there'll likely be some trekking through the wilderness involved during the tour.

She portals to the location he's given, stepping through it and glancing around before her gaze settles on him, a smile spreading across her face as she approaches. "How very official," she remarks with a teasing tap of his ID badge. "I hope I don't need one of those. No surname and all, could seem a bit suspicious," she grins up at him, and, given they have a bit of privacy decides to greet him with a kiss.

Seeing her appear is a bit of a relief. There was always the possibility she'd decide not to come, even with something as tempting as a dinosaur tour. When she appears he stops leaning against the vehicle and stands straight to greet her.

For many people the ID badge is the only proof that the warden smiles. The photographer had coaxed one out of him and Hammond always prefers to keep a joyful veneer on everything. But none of that is important when she presses her lips to his. He kisses back for that brief moment and quickly has to focus his thoughts again.

"I'll avoid it if I can. Otherwise we can get you a temporary badge. You might have Vengerberg as your surname." As before, he opens the passenger side door for her, closing it behind her before heading into the jeep himself. "Have you never chosen a fake name in all your time travelling other worlds?"

"When I first started to, I did; but eventually it became difficult to keep track of what name I'd chosen for what world, and why I'd chosen it," she explains as she slides into the passenger seat, smiling a thank you when he'd opened her door for her. "Vengerberg works well enough if I need a surname to blend in. Most strangers will accept you so long as you don't overstep their social customs, I've found; and if anyone became a little too curious about me, it was simple enough to use magic to deter them from scrutinizing further." Which was what they'd discussed she do here as well, should anyone they cross paths with start to ask too many questions about her presence here.

She's looking over at him while she's talking, but once she finishes she takes a moment to glance at their surroundings - trying to get a sense of where they might be, and if there are any security cameras nearby.

"It's quite beautiful," she comments, impressed by the green and lush environment. "Why this particular island though?" she asks, turning to look at him once more. "Does the climate suit the animals best?"

Muldoon isn't a mind-reader, but it seems both he and Yennefer work along a similar wavelength when it comes to planning. So without prompting Muldoon replies to her mention of people being overly curious with, "Well they do their best to keep track of people here. There will be cameras along the main route, the buildings and paddock fences."

In case she needs to cast some spell as they get underway, which is what he focuses on doing as he starts up the jeep. He has a fondness for these vehicles. Unlike the tour cars, these were sturdy 4x4s, which allows him to do things like park in awkward spots for portaling guests.

"The climate is good for the animals, it's naturally isolated, and the local government were willing to rent it out," he explains. Hammond would know better why he chose the island in particular, but those are the obvious reasons. "There are also other islands nearby for potential expansion. One of them is already in use for trialling new species, but they've moved some production over here."

As much as he loathes talking about animals like they're products, that's the nature of InGen's business. More pleasantly he adds, "It's actually not the worst setup I've worked with."

When he comments on the location of the cameras, she asks, "And will we be keeping primarily to the main routes?" There's a hint of mischief in her tone because it's a universal truth that the best sights were typically off the main paths; however considering he knows this island and she does not, she'll leave it up to him. And she'll be sure to keep an eye out for the cameras as they go. She could do a broad range spell to disrupt eletricity in general within a certain radius; but that would hardly be wise considering what else they relied on eletricity and power for.

"Ah, I see. So it's about profit as much as anything else," she remarks; quite familiar with the type of minds that operated as such. It wasn't just in his world, the allure of power and money was fairly universal.

At his last comment however she grins with some amusment, wondering at what would constitute as the worst setup he's worked with. He seemed fairly capable of dealing with just about anything when it came to environments. "Well, as I've said before, they are lucky to have you."

Spotting the first camera at a distance, she lifts her hand; disrupting the feed temporarily. Now that she knows the particular electronic frequency of what the cameras emit; it will be easy for her to feel and tap into their location even if she can't see them.

"Some of the time," he answers coyly. Of course they will be going off the beaten path, but she might as well get to see everything while she's here, and some of that means the main routes.

The reiteration of her compliment gets a tug of his lips into a brief smile. It's nice to hear. While Hammond prides himself on getting the best people in, it can often feel like he forgets they're supposed to be the best whenever they make a suggestion or raise an issue.

"Being an island helps a lot. It means we don't have to worry about any escaped animals getting very far. There aren't many native animals that can interfere, either. It makes it difficult for any unwanted visitors, too. All of which helps me keep everyone safe."

The path evens out a bit, even becoming a proper road before they come up to the Visitor's Center. He parks them around the side, rather than in the limelight of the front of the building. Being a member of staff who was here from the start, he knows all the side routes, and Yennefer is going to get a bit of a backstage tour.

"I thought we'd start by showing you the main centre. It's not finished yet, but that just makes it easier to show you without getting questioned."

After giving her a moment to prepare, he opens the side door and brings her into the main hall. Two giant skeletons are posed, locked in an eternal battle. Scaffolding blocks some of the skylights, and the decorative walls around the bottom floor. Muldoon starts explaining some of the features of the building, the command centre, the labs, the restaurant, and the educational ride that's in the middle of being built.

His coy response elicits a smile from her, she's quite pleased to hear their tour would involve some diversions from the main route. The reasons he lists for why the island is best suited are all sound ones, though the mention of the animals possibly escaping gets a raise of her brow. She wonders how far they could actually get, and is a reminder once more of the various potential risks such a park presented - he definitely had his work cut out for him.

But that train of thought is interrupted as they arrive at the Visitor's Center; from the outside it looks fairly innocuous, almost inviting; in a sense. She nods at his mention of exploring here first, and follows him through the main doors; stopping in her tracks to gaze up at the massive skeletons before her - far larger and taller than anything she's encountered before and it gives her some sense of the scale of these animals.

Listening while he explains, her gaze eventually shifts from the figures before her to take in the rest of the half finished interior. "I'm rendered somewhat speechless already and we've barely begun," she remarks with a slight chuckle. This isn't anything like any of the parks she's heard of back on their mainlands; and she has no shortage of questions already.

"It's difficult to fathom this one day becoming a place for people to visit..." she trails off, eyes wandering back to the massive jaw bones of the larger skeleton. "And even more difficult to comprehend how such an animal can safely be kept behind a fence. How are you certain the voltage is enough?" Of her many questions, this one is at the forefront of her thoughts.

Getting to see her reaction tells Muldoon quite a bit. He's starting to realise that he should probably take a few steps back before throwing her into the miracle of science she's about to see. But first, he cannot deny her curiosity.

"We used various calculations based on body mass, and then adjusted several times after trial and error." It sounds pretty clinical, but Muldoon's been trained on the party line. Throwing in official language sounds better than 'we guessed and corrected after we discovered we were wrong', which is essentially what it boiled down to. Hammond wasn't too happy with him phrasing it like that, though, and he's been scolded enough to tweak what he says.

Having answered her, he tilts his head slightly and asks a question of his own. "How much do you know about dinosaurs?"

"I see," she responds. The clinical nature of the answer gets a slight smirk from her, as she's familiar with needing to word something to make it sound more official rather than what the reality of it was. Trial and error was always a bit of a guessing game, even with certain spells.

"My information is gathered largely from what is available in common text books. They inhabited your world prior to humans and other mammalian species, and they were driven to extinction after an asteroid hit." She hadn't studied extensively, so certain species were likely to be foreign to her awareness; but just about every text book had a special section on the Tyrannosaur.

She nods toward the skeleton. "I hadn't factored in exactly what the scale would feel like, just in standing in front of a skeleton of a Tyrannosaur." She drops her tone and leans in a bit, just to ensure none might overhear if they were to walk by. "It would take quite a bit of magic to combat with a creature of such size, it's larger than some of the dragons we have."

That helps place her knowledge a little bit. Truthfully he didn't know a whole lot either until he came to the park. All his understanding was of the very living animals roaming the world, not the extinct ones. Once Hammond came along with his dream, of course, that put dinosaurs among the living, too. Which meant Muldoon had to learn, and learn fast. Luckily he loves finding out about new animals.

"Really? The tyrannosaur's not even the biggest animal we have here." His surprise is genuine, but he's playful in the obvious brag. With Yennefer he won't attempt to be subtle. She'd see right through it. Better to be somewhat upfront. Yet he's completely honest when he adds, "I would have thought dragons were massive. As big as towns." His brow lifts and he looks at her. "We're lucky the dinosaurs aren't magical beasts as well."

They were fascinating creatures to read about, so she had; but her interest had eventually waned due to how many conflicting pieces of information there were, and with no real way to verify who was accurate considering the animals were long gone. Up until now. Needless to say, she was quite excited by the prospect of witnessing them in person.

She scoffs playfully at his comment, followed by a smile at the brag; because as usual she enjoys it when he teases a bit, or lets a smile show through. "Well, some dragons are; but more commonly they are slightly less massive in scale. However they do still breathe fire, so I'd prefer running into one of your dinosaurs over that, if I had the choice."

"Which is the largest animal in the park, then? Or should that remain a surprise?" she asks; thinking she's starting to become rather fond of surprises since their first date, which is not a thing she would have ever expected.

It's nice to hear that dragons can still be the mythological giants he'd heard about as a boy. When stories become a reality, sometimes things deserve to be as majestic as the imagination makes them out to be. Dragons are definitely top of that list.

Admittedly that does make the warden mutter a wistful, "I think seeing a dragon would be rather nice."

He does not, by any measure, mean that as a hint. Only that he enjoys seeing new animals, and that just as she's excited to see his dinosaurs, so would he love to see a dragon. Among about a hundred other things, though a dragon would certainly be a memorable favourite.

"I'll let you find out for yourself," he tells her. Because trying to describe the size of these animals really doesn't do them any justice.

She gets a quick tour around some of the rooms in the centre. Those places he can risk taking her. Mainly the halls where the large windows allow them to catch a glimpse of the lab and the control room. While he has little to say on the lab, he is clearly fond of the control room, where he can get information on the park's goings on nice and quickly. He spends a lot of time there when he's not out in the park.

After this mini-tour he turns to her. "Shall we go out into the park?"

"They are quite remarkable," she responds genuinely. "Although few who cross paths with them actually survive the experience." Spoken as a cautionary reminder, though she understands the wistful tone. Even among her own world, they inspire a particular kind of wonder. As well as a healthy dose of fear. And, she thinks; it's not impossible that they would come across one, the next time she takes him with her to visit her world. She would be very curious to see his reaction, provided they could view the dragon from a distant and safe location.

She's careful to mind the cameras as he takes her on the brief tour of the interior, disrupting the signals as she goes so that even if one were to be carefully monitoring the feeds; all they would see would be a temporary interruption, or a looping effect. It doesn't take much of her concentration to do so, and she listens as he explains each room; finding the control room particularly interesting for how much it seems to be the central hub of operations, and how much of the park can be monitored.

When he turns to ask her if she's ready, her response is an enthusiastic - "Absolutely." She smiles wide in anticipation. "Are we heading out on foot or in the jeep?"

"I'd take the risk," he tells her. As if he needs to tell her. Both of them know how thrill-seeking the other is. A dangerous animal isn't anything new to the warden, and even knowing just how powerful a dragon is wouldn't deter him. Sure, he'd like to stay alive, but taking a chance isn't as off-putting as it is for others.

"The jeep," he replies with equal certainty. Even with the kinder animals, there's a lot of ground to cover. "Come on."

Seeing Muldoon stride about the place with some poor soul in tow isn't exactly unusual, and nobody really takes much notice of the two as they head back to the vehicle. When they get back in the radio chatters away small updates, which Muldoon clearly listens to but doesn't seem concerned by. He just likes to make sure his team are doing their job.

This time they're soon turning off the beaten path to the rougher roads maintenance and wardens use. They pass through one of the gates of the high voltage fence and find themselves in one of the paddocks with no roads to follow at all. For a long stretch it looks like any other part of the island. Beautiful, lush plantlife and rolling green plains. While Muldoon did have a particular first-destination in mind, something on the radio catches his attention. He turns and heads down a different route.

They crest a ridge and Muldoon puts the jeep into park. From here they have a lovely view. A stream, thick bushes dotted around, and a herd of triceratops happily mulling around the quiet area, occasionally calling to each other in gravelly huffs and grunts.

Initially she pays attention to the talk over the radio out of curiosity; but the further they go the less she notices it - it fades into the backdrop as she's far more taken by the sights surrounding them. It's less dense than the cloud forest had been, but every bit as lush, and the green plains are lovely. If she didn't know anything about the island, she'd think it would make for an ideal vacation spot. Somewhere to lay low and relax; apart from the rest of the world.

But, knowing the current inhabitants of said island; it's less of a vacation and more an adventure. Which, frankly; she appreciates both in equal measure, so she can understand the allure of why he'd want to work in such a place.

A realization that becomes very apparent once he parks the jeep and she gazes upon the view before them. Her eyes widen at the sight of the triceratops, gasping as she mutters a curse beneath her breath in the same language he's likely heard her swear in before; certainly not a language of his world. As she watches the animals move she's completely fascinated; and the unique sounds they make to communicate with each other are not quite like anything she's heard before. "They're beautiful," she utters, awe-struck; because they really were. "I didn't think they would move quite so fluidly, it's graceful, even." Particularly considering how large they were.

After a few moments of staring, her focus fixed on every small detail she can take in about their behavior as well as the unique appearance of the three horns; she manages to tear her gaze away momentarily to glance over at him. "Can we get any closer? Or would that disturb them?"

"Not with these ladies," he answers. "They're extremely territorial, and they've charged the jeeps a couple of times. Even flipped a few over when people weren't careful."

These lovely animals are half the reason Muldoon has such wonderfully sturdy vehicles.

As some consolation he leans over and pops open the glove compartment. From there he pulls out a set of binoculars and offers them to her. "A younger generation was introduced and they get taken in as the herd's children. You can see them, they're a bit smaller, and not quite as weathered as the others, like the one drinking from the stream now."

He waits for her to take a good look before he continues speaking in that steady, informative way of his. "Every so often they have hierarchical disputes, especially as the newer additions reach maturity. We have to keep a close eye on them. They reach the size of an African elephant and they are incredibly strong. Of all the animals in the park, they have probably caused the most damage."

Her expression shifts into some shock at the mention of the animals having flipped over a few of the vehicles. But, she's accustomed to territorial species and the havoc they would cause if they felt their area was threatened. "Best to keep a distance then, I'd hate to have to make a hasty portal from the passenger seat of a jeep just to avoid being charged," she remarks with a grin, taking the binoculars when he offers.

She listens with interest as he describes the animals taking in the younger generation, focusing the binoculars on the youngest and noticing the differences. "Their hides look similarly as tough as that of some of the dragons I've seen," she comments.

"Really?" she lowers the binoculars and looks at him with disbelief when he mentions that of all the animals, they've been responsible for the most damage. "Not the raptors, or the massive tyrannosaur?" She finds this difficult to parse, but then again her world was filled with a variety of dangerous predatory species; all of which caused significant damage whenever they roamed.

"The raptors are incredible intelligent. They test the systems we have in place selectively. Everyone knows to be careful of the tyrannosaur, and she's only one animal, easier to keep track of. Even when she does try to do anything it's not the same kind of damage. She's built to hunt, to rip and shred flesh."

With a wave, he gestures to the animals below. "Trikes are built to gore, to charge and ram. They can deliver more blunt force damage because of how sturdy they are. Which does more damage to things like vehicles and structures."

She's got him on a bit of a spiel now, so hopefully she doesn't mind him being unusually talkative. "A lot of people immediately think of the carnivores when they ask about dangerous animals. But big herbivores are just as deadly. Hippos, elephants, and buffalo are some of the most dangerous animals in the world. In some cases they can be even more aggressive than predators who pick their battles more carefully."

"These ladies are big and strong, and they know it," he says with a nod their way.

"I had heard that about hippos; though I didn't know elephants were as territorial," she comments, her gaze going back to the triceratops up ahead.

It's a different side to him she's seeing - talkative and highly knowledgeable on each question she asks; and she finds it an appealing side to witness. Particularly because she'll have a variety of questions, and is a naturally curious person at heart. It's clear he's in his element as a guide, and as someone who seems to know these once extinct animals incredibly well; as he'd have to, in order to keep everyone safe.

And as such, her mind can't help but go back to similar questions of safety when it comes to what he'd said before. "How would you stop them then? If they were to charge a car, or go after some unlucky employee who stumbled across them at the wrong moment?"

She's seen his skill with a rifle firsthand, but she assumes these animals were simply too valuable to be putting bullets into if something were to go wrong; assuming bullets could even puncture their thick hides.

Of all the questions to hear, he hadn't expected that one. Most people ask about size and weight and ages. Or how powerful they are, and which other dinosaurs they could beat in a fight. The one Yennefer picks betrays her cautious mind.

"That depends on their body language. Sometimes turning on the engine and revving or yelling works. Like elephants, simply reversing as fast as possible can be dangerous as it invites a charge. If I was rescuing someone else the key would be to draw their attention, to pull them back until I could get to whoever it is and give them an earful."

Since he's getting into an explanation, he shifts in his seat to turn towards her properly, a hand waving for emphasis as he talks. "With big game there's something we do when they're threatening to charge but we want to get away. We turn on the engine and reverse very slowly, but if at any point they go to charge, we stop. It's a risky move, but showing we're not engaging, and that we're standing our ground often works better. The trikes seem to respond to this if they're not too agitated."

"If they are?" He thins his lips and shakes his head. "You'd better hope someone good is behind the wheel."

For as many life threatening and risky situations she's lived through, a certain amount of caution was always at the forefront of her thoughts. And especially here in this entirely new environment, among creatures that, while fascinating; were as dangerous as many in her own world. Perhaps even more so, because she wasn't familiar with them or their behavior.

Thankfully, she was in good hands with Muldoon guiding them, and the explanation he gives has her expression shifting to a more pensive one; as if she's calculating what she would do if she were in such a position - facing down an agitated and charging triceratops. "Fortunately you and I both seem to have a fondness for driving fast," she teases. "Though in this circumstance it's far better with you behind the wheel." He knew the territory, and the animals best.

"There are certain creatures in my world that act similarly, where holding your ground is best. Unless you know you can outrun something, in general; it's best not to even try," she comments, glancing out toward the animals and thinking once again how remarkable they are. How peaceful they look, at this distance; with nothing to disturb them going about their day. "But, people are prone to panic; especially if their life is at risk." She looks back at him, pausing a moment as she wonders if bringing the topic up would be prying; she hopes not. "Have you ever had an encounter with these animals that resulted in more than just damage to a car?" Serious injuries, deaths; it goes without saying.

"Well now I have to see that sometime," he says. If she takes that as a challenge, he certainly won't complain. The idea of Yennefer as a fierce driver on top of everything else just adds to his appreciation of her and the wide range of skills she possesses.

It's not surprising to hear there are similarities in animals she knows. At a certain point, as long as you follow the general trend of Earth-like animals, there is inevitably going to be some overlap. Predators will learn how to play the odds, herbivores will be skittish until they reach a certain size and then all bets are off... The warden can't help but wish he could do a proper comparison, though.

As for her question, Muldoon nods, props a leg up to tug down one of his long socks and outlines a few scars dotted along his calf. "Dilophosaur bite. I got caught while trying to get a member of my team to safety. We both had to take the antivenin that day."

"We've had a few broken bones, lacerations, bites and infections. Thankfully the only deaths we've had so far were freak accidents with the builders, not the animals." Pulling his sock back up, he looks at her pointedly. "I'm very serious about safety. We've been extremely cautious. Too cautious, according to my boss, but that's why he hired me."

"There's likely to be a few winding mountain roads around here somewhere," she says with a smirk; absolutely taking that as a challenge, should he take her up on it. It did require a bit of trust on his part in her ability to not drive them off the road; but she was good with maneuvering a vehicle, and she had quick reflexes.

When he shows her the scar left behind by the bite, she reaches out to outline the border of said scar with her fingertips; curious at the shape left behind by it's teeth - not a massive animal by the size of it, but not small either; and at the mention of venom she glances up at him with surprise. "It's bite is poisonous? I've not heard of a Dilophosaur before, or if it was mentioned in the texts; not much was said of it for me to recall." Poison was a well known and very serious risk among a variety of creatures from her world. "From what I've experienced in my own world, if a poisonous creature bites you; rarely is there enough time to do anything about it, much less reverse the effects. You're quite lucky." It's not the first time she's had such a thought.

"I think when dealing with animals who would have normally remained extinct, there is no such thing as too much caution. Considering how unpredictable their behavior could be in what is a new environment to them." She's glad he's the one dealing with safety, rather than his boss. Too often it was the person with the 'vision' that got caught up in the idea of it all, swept away by it; only to forget the very real consequences that could occur if caution was not applied thoroughly and patiently.

"I'd see how you do on a less lethal road first," he tells her, his firm tone only playing at seriousness. Though he should have expected her to go for the most thrilling option she could think of.

The light touch tickles a little. He'd meant it to be demonstrative, but he hadn't expected her to touch him. Thankfully it's easier not to get too distracted by that when he has something else to focus on. Like being a good guide and providing all the information he has on the animals they're discussing.

He nods at her question. "As well as a venomous bite, it can also spit venom up to six meters. We didn't know it was venomous until it was already made. It made for quite a nasty surprise. Often the younger ones will prefer to spit and blind their prey, which is what I was trying to save the other warden from. The bite is more deadly, but it takes a little time to work. If we didn't have the antivenin it would have been a very different story."

One he wouldn't be telling, but that isn't anything new. At this rate he's going to convince her that he just goes from one near-death experience to the next. It's probably a lot scarier to imagine dealing with when you're used to having magic to help get you out of a difficult situation.

"You're right, but in a way it's not a new thing. Throughout history people have taken animals they know nothing about and put them in environments entirely unsuited for them." It's sort of refreshing, talking to Yennefer about this. She gets it. All of it. Not just from a romanticised perspective, but a grounded one. One who knows the dangers of it all, but also why things are the way they are. Even though it's not her world "As an old teacher of mine said: The mistakes of the past are there, if we're willing to look at them."

Muldoon gives the trikes another long look before he looks at Yennefer. "Shall I show you something else then?"

She gives a slight sigh as if to say 'very well', teasingly disappointed at his insistence that they first start on a less winding road. As she listens to him explain about the venom from the Dilophosaur, her immediate thought is on how they expect to allow such an animal to be viewed by the public; considering it's bite is not only poisonous but it can spit that venom as well. "I take it these animals are behind some sort of... glass barrier?" she asks, and she ought to be terrified of the existence of such a creature that could potentially blind you at such a distance, but for the fact that she's faced worse and somehow managed to live through it.

However, if she was without her magic; that would be a different story. And it gives her an even deeper respect for just how much skill his role here requires, how on top of things he would need to be at all times to ensure everyone's safety, including his own. If she didn't know him to be incredibly capable already, she'd worry about him more; but as it stands he has the scars and experience to prove he can handle himself.

"Your teacher had it right," she agrees wholeheartedly, glancing toward the triceratops as she absorbs that bit of history he'd given. They were such remarkable creatures, that was undeniable; yet she couldn't really understand the motivation or desire to bring them back from extinction and place them in an entirely unfamiliar environment - isolated here in this island. Questions she was curious about, but would ponder on as they went.

Her focus is brought back to Muldoon with the question and she responds with a smile, enthusiastic to continue exploring. "Yes, please. Where to next?"

The question tugs a smile at his mouth and he taps on the front window. "These glass barriers. There's a car tour. But I'm still arguing with them to put locking mechanisms on the doors. Right now a guest could just open it and get out while the tour is still moving."

It's one of his biggest annoyances. All his rational suggestions are ignored in favour of flashy innovations. He has to pick and choose which battles he really fights for. In those instances, the security of the animals always take priority. Locks on car doors mean very little compared to keeping the raptors in check.

That Yennefer agrees with that little bit of wisdom doesn't surprise him, but it does make him smile a little. It's not often he gets to share these things with someone as sensible as him who also doesn't panic easily. The more he talks, the more she reacts, the more he finds himself trusting her. Everything he says, she seems to agree with, and everything she says he certainly does. It's an oddly productive sort of date.

Muldoon considers the potentials for a moment before tilting his head at her. "I'll give you the option. Herbivores or carnivores? Herbivores are closer, but if you want to mix things up a little we can do some carnivores first."

"If it were me, I would insist on the doors being locked," she responds with a slight furrowing of her brow; finding it difficult to fathom anything else. Trusting the guests to not open the doors, or roll down the windows; or basically just do whatever they wanted in the moment while in the presence of a venomous creature was... highly unwise, in her opinion. "If you need a break in that argument I'd be happy to step in," she smirks, all too pleased to give whomever quite the earful on why anything less was simply foolish at best and dangerous at worst.

This date was displaying to her quite clearly how similarly their minds worked; especially in settings like this. Which, she thought; was a very good sign. She didn't think she could spend time with someone who didn't have a level head, maturity, and who valued practical wisdom. And as with their previous date; the more she gets to know him, the more she likes him.

"Definitely carnivores," she answers with a grin, not needing a moment to think on it. The herbivores were fascinating; frankly each animal would undoubtedly capture her interest in it's own unique way, but there was always something about carnivores. Perhaps they reminded her of back home; where most things in the wilds would attempt to kill or eat you if you wandered too far and weren't prepared. She was very curious about their behavior in general; and how previously extinct animals hunted.

If Yennefer were to insist on anything, nobody would deny her, Muldoon is pretty sure. Yet again he wishes he could have her as a colleague, even for just a day. She would convince Hammond of so many things... Assuming he didn't dismiss her out of hand for being a woman.

The answer doesn't surprise him, but he enjoys the enthusiasm with which she replies. Picking up the radio, he asks, "Do we have eyes on Regina?"

After a minute a voice answers, "On the north side, heading east. Doing her patrols."

"Right, thank you." With that he hooks up the radio and gets them on their way again. As he drives, he talks away to Yennefer. "The tyrannosaur is our biggest carnivore here, but she does what she wants when she wants. We should be able to catch a look at her on the south side of this paddock."

Yennefer was stubborn and quite outspoken, and in her experience people had a variety of reactions to that, all of which she was well accustomed to; particularly when it came to men taking issue with it. It didn't phase her, nor did it stop her from making her opinions known, needless to say.

She listens as he describes the tyrannosaur, her gaze scanning the surroundings as they drive; eager to get a glimpse of her. Having only seen drawn depictions in text books as well as the skeleton earlier; she wasn't quite sure what to even expect, but felt the anticipation building. Patrols, he'd said; making her think the animal was likely as territorial as the others.

A series of questions come to mind, however, she can't help but take a moment to chuckle, glancing over at him with an amused smile as she asks, "Who's idea was it to name her Regina?"

The awkward shuffle in his seat betrays his guilt before he even mutters, "Mine."

"I tend to stay out of it, but most of the animals get named by the wardens or vets. Except that all the names they were suggesting for her were ridiculous," he explains hastily in his defence. He wrinkles his nose as he recalls it. "'Rexy' and 'Tina' and 'Rexanna' were some of the better ones I remembered. After vetoing several dozen names I gave her one myself. I'm pretty sure a lot of them still call her Rexy, but officially -as officially as these names get- she's Regina."

Knowing the animal's habits like the back of his hand, Muldoon picks a particular spot and slows down to a stop. Here they can see through a patch of trees to a small pool of water. Even when she doesn't stop for a drink, she likes to do a sniff around this area.

Not long after the engine cuts out there's the sound of trees being disturbed. The ground begins to shake, in distant vibrations at first, and then stronger, louder. They pause now and then before continuing. Muldoon keeps his eyes fixed on the foliage beyond the fence, waiting for a glimpse of her. Then she steps out of the trees, into view. A massive creature, all powerful muscle and strong jaws, yet she moves with surprising ease and grace. She takes her time in looking around, sniffing the air, and then turning to investigate the area around the pool.

"Regina is certainly more dignified than Rexy," she remarks, still amused by the answer and his choice.

Her smile rather abruptly fades the moment the engine stops and Yennefer feels the ground beneath them beginning to shake; an ominous sensation to experience even for someone who has dealt with dragons before - any animal large enough to cause a disturbance like that just by their movements was one that sent the heart pounding; as hers was definitely doing right now in response.

But her expression betrays no fear, only complete and utter fascination as the animal eventually steps into view. She turns in her seat, angling herself so she can watch every movement of the tyrannosaur as it goes about it's investigating; seeming to not even be bothered by their presence. They must be used to the appearance of the jeeps by now, she thinks.

For several long moments she's speechless, eyes fixed on the animal and feeling a combination of awe, mixed in with the thought that this shouldn't be possible. She's torn between the two emotions, and eventually her curiosity is what gets the better of her. "How does she hunt? What does she hunt?"

Muldoon has a particular fondness of strong, independent women, animal or human. As Yennefer well knows at this point.

As clichéd and predictable as it is, the predators have a special place in Muldoon's heart. Especially something as majestic as the tyrannosaur. She's magnificent and deadly, and she behaves pretty much as Muldoon expects of a massive predatory animal.

The combination of a beautiful but deadly woman equally as excited as him by the sight of a beautiful but deadly dinosaur is a particular delight to the warden. As per usual he's happy to answer her as he watches fascination play across her face.

"Here? We feed her goats. We've been having discussions about enriching her environment, but for now we're keeping the goats tied or else they tend to end up running into the fence. In her own era, she would have eaten a lot of hadrosaurs, duck-billed dinosaurs, and smaller animals when it could. There's even evidence tyrannosaurs attacked triceratops in the past, but whether that was part of hunting or territory is hard to tell."

"As for how she hunts..." He turns back to the animal. "She's a surprisingly good ambush predator, and preferred that method much more when she was younger." He leans closer and points, highlighting her powerful legs. "You see those long, muscular legs? They allow her to keep a fast pace for long distances. That's how she prefers to hunt when she can. She'll exhaust her prey, chase them down over long distances while she harries them. She tries that on our jeeps, and even though we know she's there, she manages to catch people by surprise if they're not paying attention."

Yennefer can't take her eyes off the animal as Muldoon describes it's hunting habits, her gaze shifting to the animal's legs when he points out their ability to keep a fast pace. Yennefer nods at that and lets out a slow breath of astonishment at the thought of seeing such an animal running, out in the open, shaking the earth itself with it's strides; in pursuit of it's prey. "It must be an amazing sight, watching her run..." She trails off, picturing it in her mind for a moment as she studies the tyrannosaur.

And when he mentions that she manages to catch people in jeeps by surprise Yennefer chuckles, rather delighted by that display of ferocity - assuming by his word choice that those in the jeeps were safely on the other side of the electrified fence, so not actually in danger of her ambush.

She's silent for a few moments just taking it all in before her expression twists in confusion as she turns back to look at him. "Goats? That's all she's given?" Clearly, she finds this a tragic shame. "They're so small, and even if given the opportunity to actually attempt to evade her, they wouldn't get far. She ought to have a more enriching challenge." She's advocating for Regina already, after having only been in her presence for a handful of moments, but Yennefer always did have a soft spot for animals - even the ones who would absolutely attempt to hunt her if given the opportunity.

"She's amazing to watch no matter the situation," he assures her. Stoic as he is, he does see how amazing these animals are. Even if he doesn't gasp and plaster his awe across his features. Holding pragmatism and appreciation simultaneously is a fine line to walk effectively, but he's spent a lifetime doing just that.

"Goats or cattle. We vary it as much as we can between those two. She always gets over one hundred and forty kilograms of meat a day. Enough for eight people with hearty appetites." As her keeper, he has to prove he's doing his part. Or as much of it as he can when his hands are tied by budgets and company politics. "But you're right, ideally we'd feed her something closer to her natural diet. Except that would mean extremely expensive meals and we're not able to provide those yet."

After a moment, he finds himself sharing even more. Things he's only mused upon in private, and preoccupied his own time figuring out. "What I'd like to do is find a way for her to earn her meals. Like hiding them in puzzles, or giving her a way to chase the food that would actually give her a run for her money."

She can sense the respect he has with these animals, as well as the caution; and she's glad he's the one responsible for their care and protection; as well as the protection of the others working at the park. She's forming a picture of the place with each bit of information she takes in, each area they visit, and each animal. That fine line of appreciation and pragmatism is one she's currently struggling with. There's no denying the issues such a place represents, and yet she cannot help but by astounded by the sight before her.

Perhaps once that feeling wears off, reality will set back in and she'll shift back into the 'practicality above all else' mode.

"I assume your boss would take issue with you allowing her to hunt hadrosaurs," she remarks, already knowing the answer to that. It wouldn't really be practical, considering what he'd mentioned before. Technically, if they really wanted this to be as close to nature as possible; all the animals would be able to roam, hunt, and breed freely within the same extended space across the island; but that hardly presented a safe environment for people coming here to witness them. Or for their keepers to care for each species safely. It was a lot of guessing.

"That's not a bad idea. It would give her mind something more stimulating; engage her in a bit of problem solving." She muses on it seriously for a moment before responding again. "Horses are quite fast runners, better than goats or cattle. And much more accustomed to evading predators." She glances over at him with the suggestion. "You would have to put a fence in front of the electrified one, however; to ensure they didn't accidentally make contact with it." It wasn't a perfect solution by far, but it might at least give Regina more of a chase.

"Maybe when the park is open and successful enough," Muldoon answers. Though his reasoning is explained when he continues with a dry, "He could sell special tickets. Make a spectacle of it."

It's a wretched reason to allow an animal the kind of life it's built for, but the warden could see it happening. There are a lot of potentially dark routes a park like this could be taken. The road to hell is paved with good intentions, after all. Concede on one thing and you concede on them all.

His brow lifts in surprise at the suggestion. "Horses aren't a bad idea. If we could get them at a decent price. The issue there tends to be that people view cattle and goats as food, but horses aren't. We'd have to be careful of pushback."

"I've got a lot of plans on how to improve this place," he says after watching Regina for a bit. "But for now it's enough that the animals are safe, healthy and fed." He arches an eyebrow at her and adds, "Though I could do with things moving a bit faster."

She lets out a huff of a breath and shakes her head at the idea of making a spectacle of it, as he'd said; clearly disliking the concept. She's well aware of the dangers of 'good intentions', and how quickly that can turn south. At this rate, if she ever meets his boss it's likely to be a highly contentious interaction.

"I understand they aren't traditionally meant as a food source," she agrees. "Perhaps you might receive push back either way, just by using cattle and goats." Some people tended to not like being faced with the reality that certain animals ate other animals in order to survive. It was a harsh one, to be sure; but unavoidable, especially in the case of a carnivore so massive as the one before them right now.

At his comment of wanting to improve the place, she's immediately quite curious. "What changes would you make?" she asks, shifting back toward him. "Perhaps I could be of some assistance." The offer is given freely; he knows some of what she is capable of; and she's not averse to utilizing those methods if it meant ensuring these animals had a better quality of life. They didn't ask to be brought back into existence, after all.

"We might, but cattle and goats are more acceptable." People draw the line between 'food' and 'pets' in such nonsensical places. So eager to draw it somewhere and forget that their hamburgers come from somewhere. That's not a kind of ignorance a hunter can afford, and so he learned that truth from an exceptionally early age. Seeing adults refuse to learn it baffles him.

The offer gets a look of surprise. There's hesitation as he bites his tongue from making a comment that he's not sure how she could help. She's full of surprises, after all. He certainly couldn't guess her full capabilities if he tried, so he'd better not make a fool of himself attempting to.

"I'd like visitors to have unobtrusive viewing areas. Places they could view the animals without drawing attention or causing the animals distress. I already have my eye on a few potential spots," he tells her, trying not to sound as excited as he is about his side project. "I'd really like to make the paddocks larger and more varied, and to guarantee each species has its own area when they need to spend time away from humans or other animals. We do that in zoos already."

With a nod towards Regina he continues, "And I'd like to give some of the animals more engaging ways of getting their food. If they aren't engaged they get frustrated and difficult. The smaller carnivores would be the easiest. Maybe something like wood logs with food hidden in little holes for them to play with. Dinosaur toys, essentially."

She listens as he details the ideas he has, nodding in agreement at the fact that the animals ought to have, at the very least, places to retreat to; away from the guests. And certainly so if the guests were distracting or noisy. Considering they had the entire island, larger and more varied paddocks seemed like an excellent idea, and she half wonders why that hadn't been the priority from the beginning - but she can guess at the reason why. It's clear to see that this place was built as an attraction for the benefit of humans, rather than a sanctuary for the animals.

Her lips curve into an amused smile at the mention of 'dinosaur toys', but it's a good suggestion. She nods her head toward the tyrannosaur, "It's difficult to imagine what she'd find to be an engaging enough challenge, but it's worth the effort trying to sort that out."

Yennefer thinks for a moment of what ways she might possibly help to ease things along in the direction he's spoken of. There's a variety of things she could do, but about half of them she's pretty sure would attract unwanted attention in the display of power utilized, and in general she strays away from making too many waves with her presence in a world not of her origin.

"Whenever you decide to bring up these particular changes, it is a subtle enough thing for me to make the minds of those listening more... receptive to suggestion," she explains. "It's not complete manipulation of their freedom of choice, but rather a form of light persuasiveness. It's a similar thing to me ensuring that nobody feels the need to ask too many questions about where I'm from, or why I'm here."

Subtlety is always the kicker. Muldoon has no issue sneaking up on an animal, or manipulating scents or sounds to his advantage, but the art of persuading other humans has always been his weakness. He very much doubts Yennefer needs to use the spell she's talking about often. It would be easy for her to persuade with her looks and charm alone. The warden does not have the same advantages.

Nevertheless, the offer gets a smile. "Thank you. I'll keep that in mind."

It's likely that will be a long time down the road, but it's not like Yennefer doesn't have time on her side. Muldoon only hopes he'll still have her attention whenever he does get the chance to try and convince Hammond. So far things are looking up in that regard, but he'd better not get complacent.

He waits until Regina is drinking before starting up the jeep again. Both warden and animal pause as she lifts her head at the sound, looks around, then continues drinking. With her distracted, he started driving back down the slight ridge to keep them out of sight as he heads back to the main road. It's the safest route for the places he has in mind next.

"Which next? The poisonous dilophosaurs, or the most dangerous animals in the park?"

He's pretty sure he knows that answer to this one.

"Good," she responds with a smile of her own, pleased to hear the suggestion hadn't been something he'd found to be too morally questionable.

Charm and good looks could certainly get you far when it came to dealing with others, and that had been part of her training at Aretuza; but it also had it's limits. Certain people could be more stubbornly adamant than others, locked into their viewpoints and unwilling to budge; particularly the idealistic types. In those cases, magic was definitely useful.

She watches as Regina lifts her head, thinking how massive the jaws are; and wondering what it would look like to see her tearing into the prey of her choosing; back in her own era so long ago. Even here, behind the tall electrified sense; the tyrannosaur elicits a sense of instinctive wariness as much as fascination in Yennefer. So, needless to say, when he asks where to next; her answer is quite predictable.

"I'm surprised you even need to ask," she remarks with a teasing smirk. "I'd love to see the most dangerous animals in the park."

If Yennefer is to be predictable in one way, he's glad that it's in her desire for a thrill. His lips twist in a smile despite the place they're headed for. Even though they pass through a gate again and return to the main route, nobody will pay much attention to the warden's jeep heading to the raptors. Practically every spare moment he has is spent checking up on them, making sure their paddock is secure.

At the speed he drives it doesn't take long for them to reach their destination, though he does slow as soon as the fence becomes raptor territory. They'll be moving them to a smaller pen soon. It just needs to finish being built, but that can't happen soon enough in his opinion.

Somehow he manages to look even more serious than before as he scans the foliage on the other side of the fence. He doesn't realise how sharp his eyes get or how pronounced his heavy brow becomes. Nor does he really register the way he touches the gun at his hip for reassurance as he steps out of the jeep once he's parked it.

He opens the door for her and retrieves the binoculars as he does. After setting its focus and giving the area a scan, he leans back against the hood of the car.

"They won't be long," he assures her before adding with a thin drawl, "They never are."

She can both see and feel the shift in his demeanor overall once they near the new territory; and she follows the path of his gaze where it's scanning the foliage. She doesn't miss the moment where his hand touches the gun at his hip either; stirring a similar caution within her as she steps out of the car.

Standing beside him near the hood of the car, she glances over at him; thinking that's a fairly ominous statement, but she doesn't feel unsafe. Her senses, however, are sharpened as much as they can be; and considering she has slightly better hearing and vision than a normal human, thanks to her elven blood; she picks up the moment there's a faint rustling in the foliage.

Her gaze snaps to where the sound originates, off to the right. It's so subtle, and so quiet that if she weren't focusing intently; she'd miss it entirely. But the rustling continues, closer and closer until her gaze finally picks up on what's different in the swatch of green before her. She sees the subtle outline of the animal's head, then narrows in on it's eye watching the both of them. There's a slight intake of breath from Yennefer, unaccustomed to just how stealthy the approach had been. Who knows how long this creature had been there, watching them. Maybe it only started to make noise on purpose, to draw their attention.

That theory is confirmed, rather abruptly; when a second animal suddenly emerges from the foliage and charges the fence from the far left; snarling menacingly. Yennefer outright gasps in shock as her head whips around to the second animal, her hand raising instinctively to create an invisible barrier spell in front of the both of them.

It's not needed of course, considering the fence. But, her reflexes were quicker than her logical mind. The fence makes a sound as the animal hits it, then disappears once more into the foliage. The sound of other raptors can be heard then, moving around in the leaves unseen, then all falls eerily silent once more.

She breathes a quiet sigh, the barrier spells dissipating when she lowers her hand. When she looks over at Muldoon her features are sharpened and serious the way they would be if they were both out hunting in dangerous territory.

"Is it... harmed?" She asks, a small furrow in brow indicated that for all that that display had certainly startled and unsettled her, to say the least; she's somewhat concerned that the animal had charged such a high powered fence like that.

Muldoon's finger taps against the good of the jeep as they wait. It's only with the slight movement that he stops. Right on cue they try their old tricks, hoping that this time, at this part of the fence, they'll be successful.

What he didn't account for was Yennefer being startled enough to cast a spell. He stands straight, putting a hand on her shoulder to stop her... but as far as he can tell she doesn't cast anything before the raptor hits the fence and retreats. Their song and dance done, he relaxes.

Just as he's about to ask if she's ok, she beats him to it with a question of her own. His lips drawn into a thin line.

"Yes, but not badly. Not enough to get them to stop."

Only then does he take his turn, frowning as he asks, "Are you alright?"

"I'm alright," she responds, another slow breath exhaled as she steadies herself internally; she doesn't take her eyes off the fence for another long moment before she turns to him. "I hadn't been expecting that, it startled me enough to cast a barrier spell," she explains with a gesture toward the area directly in front of them. "Apparently my instincts were quicker than my rational mind. There aren't electrified fences in between the things that want to harm you in my world; after all." Said with a soft huff of a chuckle.

Even knowing there was a fence there, she'd still responded as if the threat was an imminent one; requiring immediate action. Years of fighting in a variety of wars between mages left it's mark, clearly. But she relaxes after a moment, her caution remains but curiosity comes to the fore front of her thoughts as she watches the now still foliage, the raptor that had been watching them initially having disappeared.

"I would think that display alone would be enough to cause quite a shock to the system with most guests," she remarks, wondering how they even planned to add this into the tour.

Hearing she cast a spell gets a look of surprise. He hadn't seen, heard or felt it, which is impressive even with the distraction of the raptors. He really must give magic the credit it's due. It's not that he keeps underestimating it, but he isn't used to such things being possible. Reimagining the possibilities around Yennefer will take some time and effort. All worth it, of course.

"Better you cast it than don't," he points out. As she's well aware at this point, he prefers an abundance of caution to a lack of it. Plus, it's not like she'd tried to hurt the animals, just protect them.

He follows her gaze to the paddock, brow creasing again. "I was told they were intelligent, but not this intelligent. The geneticists are delighted." Turning to Yennefer he continues his rambling. "They're extraordinarily fast, incredible jumpers, and as you saw, they work extremely well as a team." His frown deepens as he looks back at the dense foliage. "They're testing the fences for weaknesses. Systematically, thoughtfully. We're having to rethink how we house them. They're too dangerous to keep like this. They're too dangerous to keep at all, in my opinion."

She'd given him her word prior that she wouldn't harm the animals here; so she intended to hold to that. In general, Yennefer didn't harm animals unless they were actively trying to you know, tear her apart. Even then, her spells were defensive and meant to stun rather than cause permanently harm. After her interaction with the dragon all those centuries ago, her outlook had changed quite dramatically. With humans however, she was not always so considerate when they attempted to do her harm.

She listens as he describes the intelligence of the raptors, their speed, their capacity to problem solve. All of it is fascinating, but there is something undeniably unsettling about them as well. "Predators with that level of intelligence should not be kept anywhere near the public," she agrees with a raise of her brow.

"Especially in this type of paddock. It's only a matter of time before they figure out where there might be a slight weakness in the fence." Her eyes scan the fence before them and the foliage beyond it; trying to catch another glimpse of them but all is eerily quite and still. "I get the sense they are still watching us, even though I can see no movement." She shifts toward him then as she asks - "What did you think when you first saw them? How do they compare with the other predators you've worked with, in Kenya?"

"That's because one of them still is. In the bushes, by the large tree." It's not meant to frighten her, but confirm her suspicions. Yennefer needs no encouragement to trust her instincts, but he'll give credit where credit's due. Her senses are on point.

His attention is turned towards her when she moves closer, but he looks briefly to one side as he mulls over her question. "I was impressed. Some animals you can tell just by looking at them, that they're built to be successful hunters. With the raptors you wouldn't be able to deny it. The way they look, the way they move... You know to your core that they're deadly, vicious killers."

"I've been around predators my whole life and none of them compare. Cheetah speed, better pack hunters than hyenas, and I don't know anything that can jump like them. Or problem solve like them. I've had to deal with every kind of animal making a zoo keeper's life hell by figuring out weaknesses in their pens, but none are as deadly and difficult as these. Feeding them has become extremely dangerous." He gestures down the road. "That's why we're building a new enclosure for them. To be able to feed and house them more safely."

She narrows her focus toward place he indicates, and, after a moment she can see the faint outline of the raptor still watching them. It's vaguely unnerving, but not entirely unsurprising behavior. With the way Muldoon describes them as being so lethal, vicious, intelligent, and adept with stealth as well; Yennefer can't help but be impressed. Though it's in a detached sort of way because she's not currently being attacked by one, of course.

"Hopefully it's one that doesn't have fences," she remarks as she glances down the road toward where he mentions the new enclosure. Clearly, being jolted by electricity wasn't enough to get them to avoid charging. She's not even certain what sort of enclosure would be best suited for such intelligent and deadly animals.

"Of all the animals I've seen from your world, I must say; these," she gestures briefly toward the spot where the raptor is watching them, "are most like some of the creatures I've dealt with in my world." She rests a hand back against the hood of the car, relaxing slightly but remaining aware of the fence ahead. "Part of me is quite curious to see them hunt, learn everything about them; to know if there exists an animal they wouldn't attempt to coordinate an attack on. The other part of me thinks they are simply too dangerous to be here, among humans."

She turns to look at him then. "Your world doesn't have mages, or witchers, or other creatures anything like this. It makes anyone who interacts with them vulnerable, even with the fences and the precautions," she states in a practical tone. One that shifts to concern as she places a hand atop his forearm. "Don't take any unnecessary risks. Please." Her gaze is serious as she looks up him. It's not as if she thinks he's reckless, quite the opposite really; but that this is her way of displaying her genuine care and concern for him.

Being the animal expert in so many situations, in so many jobs, and for so long, it's not often that people stop to worry about Muldoon. After all, he's the one being relied upon to provide safety for everyone else. Yet that only makes him appreciate the gesture and the words all the more. He knows there's no condescension in them, no doubting of his abilities, only genuine concern.

The harsh lines of his face soften and he puts a hand over hers. "I won't. I promise."

As much as he loves danger, he does love living, too. Sometimes it feels as if he's the only one trying to make this place safe. He knows that's not true. There are allies in that eternal battle, like Harding and Ray, but they have their own areas to cover. He's not sure whether it's a good or bad feeling knowing that now someone else other than those two will be keeping an eye on whether or not they have to scold him for taking risks. Good, he thinks. It's Yennefer after all. Everything that means more time with her is good.

"Come on," he says then, opening the jeep door. "You've a few more sights to see."

The dilophosaurs are next, and they may have to do a little waiting for them. Curious little critters as they are, Muldoon won't be letting Yennefer out of the jeep for them. When it comes to being cautious, the dilos are up there with being deserving of it. Though he parks the vehicle up close enough to the fence, he keeps the windows firmly up.

"Have you done anything like this before?" he asks while they wait, both peering into the foliage. "Gone to another world and seen particularly strange animals? Animals that are more like the ones in your world?"

"I'll hold you to that promise," she responds with a soft smile. He's still likely to get some scolding from her, should the occasion warrant it; but overall she does trust his instincts and judgement. It won't stop her from being concerned however. That comes hand in hand with caring about someone. And, if she ends up developing a rapport with his other co-workers, the ones he actually likes and respects; then the scolding would be a collaborated effort.

Settling back in the jeep, she glances toward the raptor paddock one last time before they drive off; as if she half expects them to charge the fences again, just to attempt to startle them. Which isn't a bad strategy, predators making their prey afraid enough to run. But, they remained silent and hidden. The impression they'd left on Yennefer is not one that will fade from memory any time soon.

"A few times, yes," she answers as they sit and wait at the dilophosaur paddock, watching the foliage. A thought comes to mind then - "I suppose... technically, it might be possible to portal to your world, but going backward in time. To when these animals still populated the landscape." Magic had it's limits, but if there's anything she's learned over the centuries it's that the type of spells out there were incredibly diverse; and sometimes it was only a matter of finding the right spell book.

Still, she's quick to add - "I've never attempted it, and would be very reluctant to do so. I'm not even sure I could, but I can't help but wonder what it would be like. What your world looked liked so long ago."

The furrow of his brow is more thoughtful than troubled as he listens to her. Finding, yet again, that he has to expand his understanding of Yennefer, her capabilities, and what is possible in this increasingly strange universe. Magical portals is one thing, time travel is quite another. So he lets himself mull this over a bit before he says anything.

"I'd like to see the dragonfly that used to exist when these animals did," he admits quietly before his enthusiasm raises his voice again. "There was more oxygen in the world then, so even the insects were much larger. Their wingspan was almost a meter long, and dragonflies are the most successful predator in the world. Imagine seeing one that size at work."

Though he only lets himself daydream for a moment before looking at her again. "But I think you're right. Magic is dangerous enough without you going back in time as well. You'd be exhausted, the world would be dangerous, and you wouldn't have any other people to get help from if you needed it."

Which is a rather roundabout way of saying that he'd worry about her.

A dash of movement catches his eye and he sits up in his seat. Taking the binoculars, he scans the undergrowth until he spots what he's looking for. Handing the binoculars over to Yennefer, he points as he directs her. "See there, by the rock and the large fern? You should see an animal with two crests. They're curious animals, and tend to come along to investigate strange sounds."

She's somewhat captivated by his description - and just how different this world would be like so long ago, how more oxygen in the air would shape the plant life significantly as well. Her brow creases as she tries to envision a dragonfly of that size, how it would move, the sound it would make. They were already quite fascinating little creatures. Emphasis on little, of course, as all the ones she'd seen so far were rather small. It makes her wonder what other creatures existed back then that still populated his world now; and what the environment would look like, feel like. Adventurous sometimes to a fault, she's certainly tempted.

But, the reality was as he'd stated - it would simply be too dangerous to go alone; and if she made even a small mistake she would be putting herself at great risk. His comments earn a slow, knowing smile from her; as she can recognize the concern behind his words. "Is this your way of saying you would worry about me?" she asks with a slightly teasing lift of her brow.

Once he shifts in his seat she's quick to set her focus back on the foliage, and when he hands her the binoculars she scans around to the spot he's indicated; letting out a small sound of surprise when she sees the crests he'd mentioned. "How interesting - it's rather slight in stature," she comments, her gaze glued to the animal as it moves - it seems curious and almost innocuous. "If I didn't know about the venom I might think it to be far less of a threat than it is, just on size alone." But, based on the row of teeth she can see, there's no doubt this is still very much a predator. "How do they respond to the wardens?"

Oh he hears the question, but is happy to distract her with dinosaurs. Being a tour guide is by far more familiar to him than being in any way vulnerable. It's a good thing she can spot his fondness where he does show it.

"Their curiosity is stronger than their fear more often that I'd like. They'll come along to investigate anything and attack if they think they have an opportunity, or if they perceive any aggressive body language."

As he moves to get a better look, he comes closer to her, and lowers his voice a little. "You should be able to see some colour on her neck. They have frills which are really very impressive, but when splayed out generally means they're going to attack. They've caught out a few newer wardens with their head-tilt and the gentle cooing sound they make."

"Thankfully due to their size and the antivenin that was developed, they're not as bad to deal with as the raptors or the tyrannosaur." With a small mutter he adds, "Though their bite does hurt like a-." He stops himself, glances at her and rephrases. "It does hurt a lot."

She's not much better when it comes to being vulnerable, but so far the times she's displayed that while in his presence - the way he'd responded made her more comfortable, enough to show a softer side of herself. And perhaps that's part of why she's able to notice that fondness from him; even though he manages to dodge her question, she knows the answer to it.

When he leans in closer, she's momentarily distracted by that proximity and by his voice lowering a bit; her mind going back to their evening at the beach and of being in his arms. But she manages to still pay attention to his words; noticing the color on the dilophosaur's neck and wondering at what their frills must look like. "A clever distraction to draw the eye," she remarks. She's not sure how much she'd trust a gentle cooing sound from a carnivore, but she can't fault the wardens for reacting as they had. After all, these are extinct species; it's not as if it's common knowledge how to avoid an attack like one would with any other predator.

When he stops himself, she lowers the binoculars and gives him a look, part scolding but mostly amusement. "I can imagine." There's a grin on her face as she lifts the binoculars again to get another glimpse; then eventually hands them over to him.

"It's astounding." She sighs with a shake of her head. "I've only seen a few species so far, but already I feel as though my perception of your world is... drastically altered. Your species and dinosaurs are separated by such a vast gap of time. This shouldn't be possible." She muses aloud, and coming from someone who regularly alters reality with her magic, the of the statement isn't lost on her.

When she hands the binoculars back, he sits back into his seat a little to give her some space. If only to make sure he keeps himself under control while they're still on the tour. Besides, Yennefer always gets his full attention when she speaks.

The admission gets a small smile from him. "Would it help if I told you that I was the same when I first saw this? Everyone is. This is like nothing anyone's ever seen before." He nods his head towards the dinosaur in the paddock who hops over a log. "Once people see this, the world isn't going to be the same ever again."

Which is an intimidating thought. There's a lot of questions over morality, ethics, nature and science around all of this. None of which Muldoon is particularly equipped to tackle. No, he's focused on the animals. He's got a job and he's determined to do it well.

"It does make a person a bit more prepared for learning about magic," he adds casually. "Real magic and other worlds and strange new creatures." After a moment's thought he tilts his head at her. "But that's your every day."

His admission she finds difficult to believe, and this is displayed in her expression as she looks over at him; but there's a faint smile on her lips even so. "It's somewhat hard to fathom you being taken aback by anything," she teases; but it does help - hearing that.

She glances toward the dinosaur once more as the weight behind his words settle. "You're right. But it's already changed, for better or worse; the moment your scientist and your boss decided to bring these animals back." She leans her head back against the seat and looks over at him, thinking about the unique and dangerous position he's in with this job.

She can't fault him for taking it, as she would have done the same thing; were she in his position. Still, a part of her can't help but worry now; and that shows in the furrow of her brow and the concern in her gaze as she looks at him without speaking for a moment. The fate of this island and whatever it's trajectory may be; success, controversy, disaster, or failure - he's tied to that.

With his next comment, she internally snaps herself out of that line of thinking and her expression slowly softens into an undeniably warm and affectionate smile as she responds - "That it is. And how fortunate for me that I happened to cross paths with someone who understands that." She reaches out to place her hand atop his. "Not to mention someone I share so many other things in common with." Which, truly; was a rare thing. She'd met plenty of people she could call friends, but it was very rare she came across someone as like minded as Muldoon. She could easily see him taking up residence in her heart, if things kept on as they were.

His smile tugs a little wider at her teasing. Being able to give that impression not just to anyone, but to someone as smart and long-lived as Yennefer, gives the warden a little notch of pride.

Though that feeling changes into confusion as he watches her brow get heavy, troubled. Part of him starts to wonder if she's tempted to put an end to all of this. It wouldn't surprise him. He might be a part of it, but that doesn't mean he agrees with everything they're doing here. Still, he'd rather not have to come into conflict with Yennefer, so he's glad that expression passes and is replaced by a smile.

Taking her hand in his, he lifts it to his lips and kisses her knuckles in a silent reciprocation of her affection.

"I'd better not disappoint, then." He starts up the jeep and watches the dilophosaur chirp and dart away before he gets them moving again. "I'll show you the last few dinosaurs we have on the island, then... Well, there's not much to eat here. I wouldn't want to put you through the canteen's food, and the restaurant isn't open yet. I'm afraid the most I could offer you is a drink to cap the day off."

Her smile widens when he kisses her knuckles, and she lets out a soft hum of appreciation at the gesture. She enjoys witnessing these moments of his softer side, for all his serious exterior; he's actually quite sweet. But she'll keep that comment to herself, and also won't share it with anyone else - otherwise his reputation as the stern and stoic warden might never recover.

Still smiling as the jeep heads down the road, she chuckles at his comment of canteen food. "That's alright, a drink to cap off the adventure of the day sounds lovely." Though the remark he'd made does make her wonder what the workers here eat.

"If the restaurant isn't open, I'd hope you and the other workers aren't subjected to food that's too terribly dreadful. Considering the rigors of the job and the risk in general, you ought to at least have decent meals as compensation." She glances over at him, a bit of mischief and plotting in her expression. "I could have something sent in via portal every so often." As if that wouldn't raise suspicions, but she could always figure out some convenient explanation. Or, failing that; use magic.

The fact that he is capable of gentleness is one of the greatest secrets his partners are expected to keep about him. It's truly lucky Yennefer doesn't work with him or his reputation would be in dire risk of being undone.

"My boss has to cut costs somewhere," Muldoon points out. "Our meals are well rounded, but nothing to write home about. The meat is always dry, the vegetables never fresh, and a bit of salt and pepper are the only spices involved. But I've had worse."

That offer gets a glance. "Don't tempt me with things like that. I won't ask you to make me richer or stronger with magic, but a properly cooked and flavoured leg of lamb might get me to break."

In the grand scheme of things he has relatively simple tastes, but decent meat is a weakness. There's nothing more painful to a hunter than seeing his hard work and an animal's life wasted by a poor cook. It's the one area he has standards, and the island's canteen staff are surely here to torment him with it.

Yennefer is quite good at keeping secrets, but if they worked together she's fairly certain his reputation would topple within the week; for as professional as she can be, she's also quite affectionate and flirtatious and she very much enjoyed engaging him in those moments when the opportunity arose.

Her expression twists in clear distaste at the description he provides of the food. Dry meat, no fresh vegetables and only salt and pepper - she's deeply offended by it; particularly the lack of proper spices. It's not as if she hasn't had to survive on far less than that in dire situations, but that was different. This was an isolated island, it's not as if the workers had the option to get their meals at nearby restaurants or cook something themselves.

"I simply cannot abide by that," she states with a slight shake of her head. "I know of several places that serve particularly delicious lamb, I'll have it sent over," said with a tone that doesn't invite any argument. "And fresh fruit and vegetables as well, you're all likely to get scurvy at this rate," she teases with a dry tone.

She's not particularly surprised that food for the workers was where they'd decided to cut costs, but it's another mark against his boss.

Just because her tone doesn't invite argument doesn't mean Muldoon won't argue anyway. They're at least as stubborn as each other.

"Thank you, but it's alright," he insists. "Even if I did have the time, I don't think I'd be able to cook much better than the canteen. And I wouldn't know where to begin explaining how I managed to smuggle fresh food onto the island."

Because he can't look at her for long, she only gets a pointed glance. "And I won't have you spending your money on me like that. The food here is edible. It does the job."

"Besides." She gets another glance. "I've been here seven years and haven't gotten scurvy yet."

She lets out a sigh at his stubborn response; she might have expected as much, but it doesn't mean she's necessarily backing down on the offer. "You could tell them the truth - that you are dating a very powerful and very stubborn mage who is prone to occasionally fretting over your well being." Said with some cheekiness as she glances over at him.

"And for the record, money is not really an issue when you have lived as long as I have. You should reconsider letting me do something nice for you," she remarks with some light scolding, though there's a smile on her face as she does so.

It was the truth as well, she'd amassed a sizable amount of money and valuables over the years. Enough to keep her comfortable, even in a foreign world. Besides, she did like the idea of surprising him with something that he liked, especially after he'd surprised her with so many delightful things on their first date; and this date as well.

"Perhaps you have a supernatural immunity to scurvy," she teases.

It's not the idea of telling the truth that gets a chuckle, but the assurance that she only occasionally frets over him. The very fact she felt the need to add that little detail tickles him.

"Maybe if you don't get me anything too fancy, or too often," he concedes. Partly because she made him laugh, and partly because he doesn't want to actually annoy her. "And if you promise not to date any of my coworkers. Since that's exactly what they'll try to do if I tell them that's how I'm getting fed properly."

He has to slow as he takes them off road again and through another gate, back into an animal paddock.

'Occasionally' is definitely not a fully accurate descriptor, but the fact that it got a laugh out of him makes her grin. "Very well, nothing too fancy or too often," she concedes, clearly very pleased that he's going along with it. And she can't help but chuckle at his other stipulation. "Not to worry, I have my hands full dating just one warden," she remarks in a dry but amused tone as she glances over at him, reaching out to give his shoulder an affectionate squeeze.

Once they're traveling off the road again her attention it back on their surroundings, trying to catch a glimpse at which animal might be next.

With all the various gates they've gone through, and the unfamiliar territory in general; it's hard to tell exactly where they are anymore in terms of the island. Which makes her think how easy it would be to get lost in such a place, and how dangerous if one happened to get lost in the wrong paddock.

This is by far the most generally impressive paddock. The one most people will likely get taken to first for the awe factor. As the jeep crests a hill, Muldoon draws them to a stop and parks up for Yennefer to enjoy the view. A herd of parasaurs mill about not far off from the lake, and the brachiosaurs pull at the treetops. Even from this safe distance, their footsteps make the ground shudder. At the edge of the lake, gallimimus drink and chitter to each other. It's a temporary placement while some maintenance is done on their paddock, but they get along with the others just fine.

Settling in place, a smile tugs at Muldoon's mouth. It's a good view, and he is proud of his animals. It's a nice reminder to round off a good trip. Being able to go off road like this means he's managed to show Yennefer animals that can sometimes be picky about their appearances. Which is good, because he wanted her to see them. He wanted to share all of this with her. A thought which has him looking over at her with that understated smile of his.

"What do you think?"

The view before her is by far the most stunning and awe inspiring one she's seen yet. Each animal has brought about it's own unique reaction from her, ranging from caution to curiosity. But what she's looking at now; particularly the sheer height and size of the brachiosaurs is beyond anything she's ever seen before. It sends a chill down her spine - not one of fear, but of pure wonderment. She wonders if it's similar to how humans might react to seeing a dragon for the first time. She feels completely transported to another time.

Meanwhile, her expression tells the story quite clearly of the awe she feels - her mouth dropping open with a gasp as she leans forward in her seat, hands gripping the dashboard; she can feel the ground shudder and the car moving slightly along with it as the brachiosaurs move.

"It's the most beautiful sight..." she says softly. "I cannot believe how tall they are - their necks; and they all seem to be getting along, moving together as one..." She's basically thinking aloud at this point, her gaze shifting from each animal. She's silent in her observation for a few long moments; feeling like she could sit here for hours and not grow tired of just watching them. For all the risks and questions she still has about the 'how' of this place, she can understand the appeal of being able to work among such extraordinary creatures.

"Thank you for sharing this with me, Robert." She breaks the silence finally, leaning back in her seat; her smile bright and beaming as she looks over at him.

As beautiful as the sight before them is, it's one he has the privilege of witnessing every day. Seeing Yennefer's eyes light up with excitement and wonder is a rare pleasure. So he watches her quietly, letting her absorb the spectacular impossibility of it all. To be able to show her something new and wonderful gives him no small amount of pride. This is what he loves most about his work, and sharing it with someone he cares for is so much better.

It's impossible for him not to smile back when she turns to him, though as with everything his expression is more subdued. Still, he smiles and nods. "You're very welcome, Yennefer."

"When the park opens it will be easier for you to come and visit, you know. You can enjoy the rides and some proper food." Which is to say, he doesn't want her to be a stranger here. He wants to be able to make her face light up like that all the time. "And, as long as there isn't an emergency, I'll always make time for you."

She can tell he's quite proud of the sight before him, and she thinks it's warranted. His job is a unique one, only suited to a very particular sort of person and skill set; there's no doubt he works hard to keep the animals safe and happy in their foreign environment - and they look it, which impresses her. While his boss may only be concerned with profit; at least the animals have someone like Muldoon to look after them. And, if given half the chance; Yennefer would absolutely advocate for them as well.

His words make it impossible for her smile to fade, especially when he also smiles back at her (though it's far less beaming than hers, of course; but that's the standard). To express her appreciation and the swell of happiness she feels in the moment, instead of any more words Yennefer leans over to kiss him.

The console between their car seats makes it so that she can't quite press against him as closely as she'd have liked; so instead she tugs at his shirt in the process - both to steady herself and draw him closer to her.

After a moment she releases her hold on the fabric of his shirt, pressing a softer, barely there kiss against his lips as she murmurs - "You know I ought to get some sort of special compensation for having managed to make the ever so serious warden smile multiple times today." Said teasingly with a smirk as she gradually settles back into her seat.

If the kiss hadn't drawn him closer, that tug on his shirt certainly does. It sends a wonderful hot flush through him, and if it hadn't been for the awkwardness of the car he would have pressed closer to extend that lovely kiss. Still when she lets go of him, he doesn't quite relax back into his seat, as if stunned into place.

It takes him a moment to gather his thoughts together before he replies. A more difficult task than he'd expected with those softly spoken words against his lips.

"I have some whiskey and that wine you gave me ack at my bungalow," he finally manages to say. There's another moment before he's able to move his gaze from her lips to her eyes. "Unless there's some other compensation you'd prefer instead."

There aren't many women these days who can throw him for a loop, but Yennefer manages with ease. Muldoon hasn't had to contend with a women so confident and sexy in a long, long time and he feels exceptionally out of practice around her. She's not making it easy for him, either. How is he meant to think straight with her pulling moves like that? He's not sure, but for now he's reasonably sure he's doing an acceptable job.

If it weren't for the car console between them, she'd have liked to extend that kiss; she can feel her pulse racing as a result and she nearly forgets all about their remarkable surroundings - her focus narrowed in on how lovely it felt to kiss him and the way he responds each time; as if he's momentarily at a loss for words. It's endearing, and also makes her very tempted to kiss him again.

His offer pulls a grin from her. "I can think of a few things," she responds in a bit of a sultry tone, her gaze drifting back to his lips for a moment before she meets his eyes again. "Drinks would be an excellent place to start." Both the spark of heat in her gaze and her tone are purposefully suggestive.

She thinks again in that moment that it's probably best she doesn't work with him, as she'd shamelessly take every chance she got to attempt to flirt with and fluster him. Assuming of course that she wouldn't get fired within the week for verbally sparring with his boss on a variety of issues.

"I'm pleased to hear you haven't finished the bottle of wine," she remarks with a smile. "It's much better when shared, after all."

Here he is trying to be good and professional and she's giving him looks that could melt the most serious of men, while saying things which make it damn near impossible to concentrate on driving. Given what's on offer, however, he's got a good incentive to keep a clear head for the time being.

"I thought it best not to drink any more unsupervised," he quips back as he starts the jeep up again.

He takes the scenic route out of the paddock, allowing Yennefer as much time as he can to watch the animals before they disappear from view. Though he takes a shortcut to avoid the camera-lined main routes, he gives her a heads up when they start to approach the island's worker villages. There are walls and a gate which opens up automatically at the flash of Muldoon's badge. Inside are a few rather basic looking buildings, and most of them are residential in some shape or form.

It's to one of the quiet, nicer looking bungalows pressed up against the outer wall which Muldoon parks outside. Though he glances around, the area is very quiet this time of day and there isn't a soul to be seen. He opens the jeep door for her and closes it behind her once she's out before opening up the front door and stepping inside.

If there was any doubt that Muldoon was rather utilitarian, it would be dispelled by stepping inside his island home. Other than a few books and photographs, he hasn't added a single bit of individualised decoration to his home. Nor is anything really out of place, but that's more a testament to how little he stays here. Still, it's small but light, neat, and furnished properly as if ready for a magazine photographer.

Muldoon glances at Yennefer as he steps inside. "It's not a castle, but it does the job."

She can't help but chuckle in response to that quip, and once they're driving again she'd like to say her pulse begins to even out, but in truth it takes the majority of the drive for that to actually happen. And the flushed feeling of warmth beneath her skin has nothing to do with the humidity either. Though neither of these details stop her from observing and enjoying their surroundings however, taking her last glances at the animals while they pass; and making sure to take care of the cameras once they reach the worker's village.

The buildings within are nothing flashy, but she wouldn't expect as much. They look secure though, thanks the the walls surrounding the area; and that she'd guess is the most important part. When they reach Muldoon's bungalow and he opens the car door for her, she glances around as she steps outside. It's rather peaceful and quiet, the only sounds she can discern are those of the birds and insects humming. It must be nice, she thinks, being able to live and work in an environment free of the constant noise of the industrialized world.

The interior of his home is about what she had expected - clean, tidy, organized; and very much lacking in any discernable personal touches. It makes her smile as being so very him. "I have a feeling even if you did reside in a castle, it might look somewhat similarly uninhabited," she teases as she nudges his shoulder playfully with hers. "It's well decorated, and quite cozy," she compliments genuinely, then wanders toward where the few photographs are; curious to see what pictures he has chosen to keep on display.

The lift of his brow and tilt of his head has him conceding that point. He's not good at decorating. Generally he doesn't go looking for things. He simply uses what's gifted to him, whatever that may be. Being isolated on an island doesn't really encourage that sort of gift-giving either. He'd much rather a good whiskey than a cushion.

There are several photographs around. Yennefer would be forgiven for thinking Muldoon is a time traveller in disguise based on the one in pride of place. The black and white wedding photo has a couple posing seriously for their wedding. As it turns out, apart from heavy laugh lines and a thick moustache, Muldoon is the spitting image of his father. His mother looks quintessentially English and despite the rigidness of the picture manages to look both nervous and happy. Beside this picture is one of a black family, having wrangled several generations together for a family photo, unable to hide their vibrant smiles.

Almost all of the rest are from various points in Muldoon's life. Seemingly the only way to get him in a picture is to insist on a team photo. Images of the younger warden have him surrounded by people in uniforms which match his, Kenyans from tribal communities, or Indian rangers, in various combinations. All of which have Muldoon with his iconic totally-not-a-smile-smile whether he has his hat on or not to shade him from the sun.

"I don't expect you have cameras back in your world," Muldoon comments as he returns with a glass of wine and offers it to her. "It would be paintings, wouldn't it? Have you ever had your photo taken? Or your portrait painted?"

She takes her time studying each photograph, finding this glimpse into his past rather fascinating. A subtle grin remains on her face all the while, particularly as she notices the common theme - he's always in group settings, always the same barely there smile she's grown accustomed to and rather fond of. She guesses the wedding photo is that of his parents, and notes the resemblance he has to his father. "You look quite a bit like him," she comments, turning from the photos as he brings the glass of wine. "Except for the -" she gestures to his moustache-less face with a grin, nodding a thanks as she takes the glass from him.

She takes a sip and savors it for a moment before answering with a shake of her head. "No cameras, though the technology for it is not far off. Most of our technological advances come from magic first, then are brought into being with more practical means," she explains. "As for now, yes, regrettably," she drags the word out with some emphasis, "it is painted portraits only, and they are absolutely as tedious to sit for as you might imagine." She chuckles a bit and takes another sip of her wine.

"It's usually only nobility that has their portraits painted, but mages are often hired in positions to serve the nobles, so we're roped into it occasionally as well. My former teacher, Tissaia, would insist that having one's likeness captured is a high honor and ought to be taken seriously." She lifts a brow, indicating she does not necessarily agree, but there's warmth in her tone when speaking of her former mentor.

"So I've been told," he replies drily. Though it's not like he could disagree even if he wanted to. The similarity is unmistakable. In person it's much easier to see their differences. That doesn't stop friends and family alike repeatedly noting how much he looks like his father. Hopefully Yennefer doesn't long for a man with a moustache. Convincing the warden to complete his physical transformation would be a feat and a half.

The rise of her eyebrow is mirrored by the warden. Like with many things, on this matter he's in agreement with Yennefer. He can definitely imagine how excruciatingly dully sitting for one might be. It's not difficult to imagine how irritated Yennefer would be having to endure that, either.

Thinking of it has the corner of his mouth curling as he asks, "How many portraits have you had to sit through already?"

As a matter of fact, she happens to dislike moustaches in general; so Muldoon is in the clear. She gathers from his tone that the resemblance is something he's told often; and she can imagine the mixed feelings that might come along with that. Having not known her father, when she was told of her own resemblance to him there was some detachment there as a result; though mixed feelings of a different sort as well.

At his question she heaves a great sigh, because on this topic she thinks she's allowed to be just a touch dramatic. "Seven, I think. I lost count at some point." There's a subtle chuckle as she recalls one sitting in particular - "I fell asleep during one of them," she admits with an amused smirk. "It must have been a particularly deep sleep. Apparently I was quite irritated at having been woken, and may have cast a ...minor telekinetic spell which knocked the artist off his feet." She waves a hand. "But he was fine, just momentarily startled."

She turns her gaze back to him with a smile as she assesses how he might have reacted in a similar situation. "I have a feeling you would utterly loathe having to sit for hours for someone to paint your portrait."

Yennefer is entirely allowed to be dramatic on this topic. There is no way Muldoon will begrudge her any of her loathing. He does, however, look surprised at hearing that she fell asleep during one session. It's difficult to imagine Yennefer being anything but completely professional and put-together at all times.

Someone regretting having woken her up, on the other hand, he can believe easily. Though he does have to hide his smirk at the anecdote behind a sip of his drink. It's the price someone pays for thoroughly boring her, he thinks.

Swallowing down his laughter, he shakes his head in agreement with her assessment. "It's one of the great conundrums people face with me. How I can sit for hours or days staking out a hunting ground, but put a roof over my head and I can't bear staying still." He looks her in the eye, entirely honest when he says, "I would not survive seven portraits. I don't know how you could stand it."

Speaking of standing, he realises that the two of them still are. He nods towards the area with a couch which constitutes his living room. "Would you like to sit?"

Truly, there were few things more boring than sitting for a portrait; if Yennefer hadn't been under royal command to do so at the time; there's no way anyone could get her to sit still for that long. One of the many benefits of no longer working for such types, she's reminded.

"I hardly think of that as a conundrum," she remarks with an amused grin as she takes a sip of her wine. "It sounds like you simply require proper motivation and reward for your extended focus. Staking out hunting ground has a purpose, the patience pays off. Sitting around all day indoors, well, that's enough to make anyone restless." Or perhaps this is another area where they are quite similar.

She laughs at the honesty of his comment, a happy and light hearted sound. "I don't know how I managed to survive it either." There will never be another portrait painted of her. Pictures from other worlds, sure, though she's careful about who takes them for obvious reasons - she doesn't need her likeness to be easily tracked.

She nods at his offer and goes to sit on the couch in the living room area, propping her elbow up on the back of the couch so she's angled toward him as she speaks. "So, besides decent food; is there anything else in particular that you miss from the being on the mainland?"

Following her, he takes her lead, sitting on the other end of the couch and turning towards her. Though she manages to be graceful and natural in the way she sits, whereas he looks more awkward or out of place. The question gives him pause, and he frowns thoughtfully into the distance before looking at her again.

"I miss being able to easily wander into the wilderness for a while," he admits. "Not that I could with this job. The animals need too much care and attention." His brow knots further. "And sometimes I miss using my own guns."

Then the frown smooths out and he shakes his head before sipping his drink. "Nothing else I can think of. I'm used to travelling. I've stayed across most of the world, usually in rougher setups than this. Here I get fed, I get electricity and running water. We have jeeps and all sorts of tools. It's really very luxurious."

Only for him to almost interrupt himself a moment later. "I do wish there was a bar, though. Somewhere for the team to blow off steam after a long day. It's good for morale, and it's good for teamwork."

He doesn't look quite at home relaxing on the couch, but that makes sense - he's typically always on the move. She wonders briefly if he's ever sat here for more than the time it takes to look over the day's schedule. Perhaps she'll have to convince him at some point to watch a movie with her.

"I'd miss being able to wander as well," she responds with a brief glance out one of the windows. For all that this island offered - which was quite a lot in terms of beautiful landscape and previously extinct animal species to study (which she thinks she could do for hours, truly); it was still an island. There were only so many places one could wander, or hide away if they chose to.

She nods in agreement at the bar comment. "With a job like this, somewhere to decompress is essential. Though I sincerely doubt your boss would sign off on a place that readily serves alcohol on an island populated with dinosaurs," she remarks with a small smirk. "No telling how wild your group of wardens might get after a particularly stressful day." Said teasingly. Though, it's probably not terribly far off from the truth, she thinks.

She takes another sip of wine, studying the dark, almost purple hue of it. "The last time you drank about half the bottle of this," she starts, a spark of amusement in her eyes as she gazes at him, "did you actually enjoy the taste? I'm curious. I've been tinkering with the flavor profile, in addition to enchanting it's potency." Live to be almost a hundred years old and you tend to pick up a few hobbies, wine making had been one of them.

For someone who grew up with a savannah as a back yard, an island is unexpectedly stifling. He's never spent this much time on one before and it's been an adjustment. Trying to satiate his need to explore has ensured he knows the island like the back of his hand, at least.

"I'm sure he will. For the visitors." Irritating as it is, Muldoon knows where Hammond's priorities lie. Guests will always be put before employees or animals. "I set up a makeshift shooting range for myself originally, but it's the most popular spot for my team after a hard day. A bar might be preferable to that."

His brow lifts in surprise at her question, and the revelation behind it. He'd thought she'd simply enchanted it, not made it herself. Which is why guilt starts to sneak in around the edges of his expression. "It was nice." Only a moment later he admits, "I'm not really a wine drinker. I didn't pay much attention to the taste."

Yennefer is talking to a man who prefers a drink that will burn a hole through his stomach, after all. Hell, he doesn't even take his whiskey with ice.

"You make your own wine?"

"I can imagine," she responds with a knowing smile. Needing to shoot a target was not so unlike Yennefer needing to regularly find an outlet for her magic; things just worked better overall when you could vent in whatever way felt appropriate for the moment. But it does prompt the question - "The sound doesn't bother the animals?" She asks curiously, assuming the shooting range is likely far from any of the paddocks.

Noticing the slightly guilty look on his expression, she is quick to reassure; reaching over to place her hand atop his forearm with a grin. "The bottle was a gift, no need to worry. I just hadn't intended you to end up with the magically enhanced one." The results of which she still finds to be quite amusing, so there's no loss there.

She nods at his question, then adds - "I do, though I'm relatively new to it. I know you're not much for wine, but I recall you enjoying the one I selected for us on our previous date; so if you liked that and you also didn't find this," she nods toward the glass in her hand, "to be overly offensive, then I think I'm on the right track." In many ways, she was still learning; but she liked how to do new things. Even if in the beginning she had been quite terrible at it.

"My first go at it was... truly undrinkable," she admits with a dip of her head and a chuckle. "Probably the worst thing I've tasted."

"It's in a very secluded area," he explains, confirming her suspicions. Not everyone would have thought about making the animals anxious, but he certainly did. "And the natural layout directs the sound away from the animals."

Perhaps, when the park is expanded, that might not be enough to muffle the gunshots. But until then, he and his wardens have their private little practice range.

Glad as he is of her reassurance, he's more glad of the hand on his arm. Being polite and respectful of a person's space is difficult when he'd gladly hold her close. It's easier, and affirming, for her to close that particular gap. Even if it doesn't make it any easier to remain politely composed.

Hopefully she won't see through him squinting slightly as he keeps his focus on her conversation and not on anything else about her, as if every part of her isn't beautiful and demanding to be paid attention to. "Couldn't you fix the taste with magic?"

She's glad to hear the shooting range is in a secluded area, enough to not disturb the animals; but of course he'd have thought of that - given how much care he shows them. Even the deadliest of predators he treats with consideration as well as not forgetting what they're capable of. Perhaps she sees herself in that analogy in some regard, and it further endears her to him.

He's always been polite and respectful of her space, it's one of the things Yennefer appreciates about him; particularly in the beginning stages of getting to know each other like this - she doesn't mind being the one to initiate that closeness of touch; and at the moment that's exactly what she wants to do.

At his comment she shrugs a shoulder, taking a sip of her wine and setting it down on the table near the couch; then pulling the bulk of her dark locks over one shoulder. "I tried, but it just became worse - overly sweet and cloying." Her nose scrunches a bit from the memory of just how bad it had been. "Alas, there are some things even magic cannot salvage." She finishes with a sigh and a grin, her fingertips tracing idle patterns against his arm as she spoke.

She's silent for a few moments, her gaze lowered to where she touches his arm. Eventually a small smile tugs at her lips, and when she speaks again her tone is distinctly more intimate. "For as thrilling as the sights were to witness today, I have to confess; nothing made my heart race quite like that last kiss we shared." Her violet eyes lift to look at him, her gaze inviting and warm as she shifts closer to him on the couch.

As always, she has his full attention, intense icy gaze locked on her as she explains her trials with winemaking. Muldoon has always struggled with balancing things. All-or-nothing is his natural inclination. Yennefer has always made it easy, however, to be utterly and entirely focused on her in one way or another.

Still, it takes him a moment when she mentions their kiss, when she gives him that look. Pausing to lean over and put his own glass on the nearby table is like taking the time to remove the restraint he keeps so tightly wound around himself. For the moment he's relieved of the glass, he turns to kiss her, the now free hand cupping her head, fingers winding into those impossibly dark locks.

Yennefer is beautiful, even a blind man could see that. It's in her voice, in her scent, in her manners. Muldoon has seen beautiful women before, but Yennefer draws him in like no other. Her wit, her patience, her fiery compassion... At every turn she never fails to give him a new way to appreciate her. All of which means that he's been dying for this moment, where permission is given to kiss her, properly. Though he may still be attempting to restrain himself, to not overwhelm, there is nothing casual about his lips on hers.

For all that she's very much enjoyed seeing different sides of him as they've gotten to know each other; has seen him smile and even laugh - both rare things; this, she thinks, is her favorite side of him. Where he's set aside the restraint she can both see and sense in him in most situations, in favor of giving in to passion instead. There's something particularly satisfying about it, as well as quite thrilling. She'd had a glimpse of that during their previous date, while they were on the beach; but this is a different setting, more intimate, and private as well.

She doesn't hesitate to lean into the kiss, and into him; a breathy sound of pleasure leaving her lips in between kisses. Passion is something Yennefer is well acquainted with, it's as familiar as breathing and no less essential. The expression of it now, with him; is a slow but insistent urging that he do away with the remaining barriers of restraint.

Her hands slide from his arms up to his chest and shoulders, clasping the fabric of his shirt as she'd done in the car, except this time it's an expression of desire and encouragement as much as it is a way to pull him even closer as she deepens the kiss. Her pulse is racing once more, and as her fingertips skim beneath the collar of his shirt, her lips curve into a subtle smile against his; right before she nips at his lower lip.

The hand on the back of the couch curls into the cushions as he keeps his composure in check, barely, but in check nonetheless. For so much of his life that has been the goal. To keep those comments of his being 'intense' —sometimes complimentary, other times not— to a minimum. Especially on dates, where an abundance of passion can be seen as over eagerness. If there is anyone he is keen not to disappoint, it's Yennefer.

All of this goes out the window, however, the moment she nips his lip. He all but lunges at her. Instead of gripping the couch, he holds her waist, pushing against her to encourage her back against the cushions while his other hand dares pull her thigh closer, coaxing her to lie down so he can be on top of her. Or at least to come closer. To let him kiss deeper, harder, more.

He wants to touch. To press body against body. To have his hands feel out every curve. To taste the salt of her neck as deeply as the wine on her tongue. He will take any direction she has, but in this moment he's lost to his own desire, following one sensation into another.

Yennefer has received similar comments in regards to being 'intense'; those comments were more often than not spoken in exasperation. Almost in defiance of that, she's chosen to think of it as a positive attribute rather than negative. Considering the alternative; in her opinion it was better to be intense than to be dull or lacking in feeling, conviction, or passion. The challenge was in finding people that resonated with that intensity.

So needless to say, she gladly meets his intensity with her own eagerness; when he pulls her thigh closer her hands wrap around his shoulders, allowing herself to be pressed back down against the cushions as she pulls his body against hers. Her hands slide down his back while she hitches a leg up over his to allow him closer.

She could kiss him like this endlessly, tasting the whiskey on his tongue and taking in the scent of him - something clean and masculine that defied description; she only knew that she liked it, and craved more of him. Greedy to touch and be touched, she breaks the kiss just long enough to tilt her head, gracefully exposing the column of her neck. Inviting him to feel with his lips how much he's causing her pulse to spike.

"Taste my skin, feel me." She urges in a low, breathy tone; reaching for one of his hands to slowly guide it upward toward the fullness of her breast. She knows her own body, knows where she's most sensitive and isn't shy about her desire for him to explore more of her.

Every guidance is taken eagerly, like finding new routes through an unknown forest. His lips kiss the long line of her neck, teeth grazing skin in a tease of a bite that never quite happens. With her direction, his hand cups her breast and, with a gentle squeeze, ensures his own desire is unquestionable with the hardness between his legs.

To know more of her is to discover he wants more of her. The barriers of thin fabric between them become increasingly unbearable, especially when exploring hands can already feel how wonderful she is beneath his fingers. There is no clearer sign that Muldoon has taken her cue to embrace his own desires than when he pauses to sit up just long enough to take her shirt and rip it open. He descends upon the newly revealed flesh, to taste with lips and tongue and teeth, never quite biting though the inclination is certainly there.

Whatever repercussions she decides to bestow upon him later, he will accept. This is no time or place for hesitation. Not now when he can finally see and properly feel her body. It has been so long for him, and she is so beautiful in body and soul. Even the fervour with which he attends to her doesn't feel nearly enough, his yearning far outweighing his desire even as her taste and touch and smell and sound fills his senses.

She arches into his touch with a needy sound, tilting her neck further to give his lips better access. With each barely there scrape of teeth against her sensitive skin she wonders if he is purposefully attempting to drive her mad with that teasing - either way, it's delightful and sends tiny shivers across her skin. She hitches her leg higher over his hip, letting out a soft moan as she presses herself against where he's hard - it's not as if she doubted his desire, but feeling his want in such a way is incredibly arousing.

She's definitely not expecting him to do away with her shirt in such a manner, and the moment he does she responds with a low pitched chuckle and a sultry smirk at his boldness. It wasn't her favorite shirt, and besides; it was in the way. Her gaze is heated as she looks up at him, her hand curling around the back of his neck and urging him down to her newly bared skin.

The attention of his lips, tongue and almost scrape of teeth against her breasts has her writhing beneath him, aching with each sensation he's drawing out. "More," she practically demands, wanting him to nip at her skin. Yennefer is definitely the vocal sort, letting him know how much she's enjoying his fervor with throaty moans and gasps; her nails digging into his shoulders through the fabric of his shirt.

Which brings to her attention the fact that she's rather fed up with the shirt he's wearing as well. "Off," she murmurs, making it clear she means his shirt and not him as her hands deftly undo the buttons and slide it from his shoulders. She wastes no time in caressing along his chest, arms, and back; an eager hum of appreciation given at the feel of his body beneath her hands.

Once the buttons are undone, Muldoon barely pauses to pull it off and toss it aside. Scars are scattered across his chest and shoulders, in and around the soft hair which draws a line down his navel. Not that the warden gives her any particular time to look at them, given how much attention he's giving her.

That she's vocal is no bad thing. Though he clearly responds when she moans or demands, his own contributions keep to breathy pants and low growls as she digs her nails into his skin. With her encouragement he does nip and returns to her neck to sink his teeth in a little deeper in an experimental bite that comes with a roll of his hips and another growl.

Long legs have never been suited to the confines of a couch, however, and he's finding it awkward. Some frustration is fun, this is not. Though he has to stop enjoying her quite so thoroughly, there is another kind of pleasure in wrapping his arms around her and pulling her up with him as he stands. Keeping her close so that he can still kiss her as he holds her and brings her to his bedroom. It is almost militantly neat, so aside from having to navigate a closed door to get to it, there is nothing in the way as he brings her to his bed and lays her down.

She delights in the sounds he makes; and when his teeth sink into her neck and he rolls his hips, she's all the more vocal; finding it impossible not to be. Her hands grip at his shoulders as she lifts her hips to press against his, a languid sort of roll coupled with a low moan.

The couch isn't quite big enough for the both of them and the variety of ways she wants them to explore each other; and she'd been on the verge of suggesting they relocate; but fortunately they're sharing the same thought. When he lifts her she wraps her legs around him without missing a beat, meeting his kiss eagerly. She's glad he gets the door open as quickly as he does, otherwise she'd have used her magic and the force of which would have likely ripped the thing off it's hinges with how strong her passion is at the moment.

As he lays her down on the bed, she props herself up on her elbows; letting her gaze wander across his body now that she has the opportunity to do so. He's mentioned the scars before, but she's only glimpsed the one on his leg he'd shown earlier. Seeing the scattering of them across his chest and shoulders draws her gaze as well as her touch - she reaches out to trace a few of the deeper ones as if to memorize them; then lifts herself up enough to press her lips to his skin, tasting and kissing along his collarbone; then nipping just beneath his jawline. "I've wanted to get you alone like this since our first date," she hums against his skin. "Ever since our first kiss."

Most of the marks on his skin are from bites and scratches, save for one from a gunshot. He's not embarrassed by them, and he's used to lovers and strangers alike giving them attention. Though his own focus is firmly on her lips as they travel across his skin.

"I've wanted to get you alone like this ever since the kikimora," he rumbles right back, humming against her affections.

Then, with the smoother support of the bed, he interrupts her to thread his fingers in her hair and kiss her deeply. Having sated that rush of desire, he brings his attention lower, letting his kisses and nipping trail down her body until he reaches her shorts. Here he undoes them just enough to go a little below the waistband... and then moves on to help remove her boots. If he smirks at her for having teased her like that, well, she'll just have to deal with it.

"If I'd known that back then we could have ended our trip a lot differently," she remarks with grin that's pressed against his skin. She'd had no idea of his interest back then, and frankly the time between then and now of getting to know one another; and Yennefer building trust, respect, and genuine affection for him only made this moment now all the more meaningful and intense.

But she doesn't have time to reflect on that thought long before his lips are on hers again and all thoughts are swept from her mind. With a kiss like that, all she can do is give in, gladly taken over by the passion expressed; one hand clutching his arm while the other slides around the back of his neck.

The path his mouth takes down her body draws an encouraging sound from her; one that turns from a hum of pleasure when he dips beneath the waist of her shorts; to a sound of protest when he shifts away to remove her boots. "Robert." Somehow she manages to make it sound like both warning as well as pleading.

Yes, the boots must come off, but he knows exactly what he's doing with a move like that. She helps him by toeing off her boots once unlaced; impatient to have his hands and his lips back on her skin.

Since he's managed to pull himself away from her, he takes this opportunity to deal with the awkward things. His own boots are dealt with while she finishes taking off her own. Long hunting socks are quickly taken off before he turns his attention to his belt. It's bad form to wear a pistol while getting increasingly intimate, even if it is neatly holstered away. Unable to help himself erring on the side of caution, he puts it on top of the dresser, out of trouble.

That is the only necessary separation left, as far as he's concerned. Free from anything else that might try to seize his attention, he descends on her again, eager to feel and taste her. It's as though that long moment might have been weeks, or months. His reward, surely, is getting the last remaining piece of her clothing off. Something which might be easier if his lips would leave her neck and collarbone for even just a few seconds.

It's probably best to make sure the gun is out of the way, though she'd honestly forgotten all about it; completely lost to the moment. It's fortunate that at least one of them remembers things like that, as Yennefer's only focus is on getting her hands back on him. She reaches out for him the moment he's near enough and sighs blissfully once his lips descend upon her neck again.

Threading her fingertips through his hair, and maybe tugging just a little as well; she arches her neck with a moan when he finds a particularly sensitive spot. It feels so amazing that she's torn between not wanting him to stop, while at the same time aching for him to feel and taste her entire body.

She's always found clothing to be something of a annoyance; even the finest of fabrics still never felt as good as being naked. But, of course, practicality demanded she not traipse about entirely nude in most situations. But she hardly needed to concern herself with that now, so she lifts her hips just enough to rid herself of the last bit of lace, sliding them down and off.

The last of his own clothing soon follows hers, the heat of his erection no longer muffled by fabric, and only further encouraged by the touch of her skin. A hand trails down her body to between her legs. Calloused fingers rub her own heat, tempered only by the caution of exploring new lands. As desperately as he wants Yennefer, he's making sure every part of her invites him in.

All of this only proves to be more excruciating. Teeth pull at her lower lip even as his hips roll, seeking out that contact, that motion that both of them want.

She's slick where his fingers brush against her, the gentle movements making her hips squirm beneath him, seeking out more of his touch, more of him in general.

With the sounds she makes and the way her thighs begin to tremble, she guides him as to how she likes to be touched - slow, soft caresses against that sensitive bundle of nerves. She can't help but want to touch him as well; her hand trails down his abdomen to wrap around his length, stroking him lightly as she moans into their kiss.

Eventually though, she can't bear a moment more of him not being inside her, so with one last biting kiss, she places a hand on his shoulder to urge him over onto his back, hoping he won't mind the shift in position. With her hands braced on his chest, she sinks down onto him slowly, drawing it out until their bodies fully connect; her eyes slipping shut with a sharp gasp of pleasure. When she starts to move her hips, it's a languid, rolling pace; a direct contrast to the sharp dig of her nails into his skin.

The moment she touches him it becomes impossible not to pant against her skin. Teeth sink into her shoulder as he palms her breast. All of which makes it just as well she gives in when she does, because otherwise he would have.

Though he doesn't resist the change of position, it does disorient him for a split second. Confusion which doesn't last when such wonderful pleasure follows. It takes all of his willpower not to roll his hips while they join, but it's worth it. The moment she starts to move she draws a moan out of him. His hands fall to her hips, encouraging the motion.

The sight of her on top of him is exceptionally hot. Too much, really. He knows he'd easily and happily break like this, but that would be too little for something he's waited so long for. In one smooth motion, he rolls them back, hooking one of her legs over his elbow as he goes deep and hard.

With his hands on her hips, she quickens her pace just a bit; the heat of passion overtaking any ideas she had about attempting to go slow and tease them both with a bit of delayed gratification. Yennefer tends to oscillate between two extremes when it comes to sex - teasing and slow, or fervent and relentless. The latter of which makes keeping her quiet basically an impossible feat.

And while she'd have gladly ridden him like that until they both couldn't take it anymore, when he switches their positions she makes a low sound of approval at his initiative. A sound that becomes a louder, more wanton sounding moan when he drives into her that deep; her back arching. Her nails sink into his skin and drag down his shoulder blades, she utters his name in a tone that's both urging and praising for the pleasure she feels.

She wraps her free leg around him, pulling their bodies closer and lifting her head enough to capture his lips in a kiss that conveys just how desperately she wants him. And, impatient as ever, her hips writhe against his; needing more - movement, friction, everything.

There is nothing about what she does at any point which asks he slows down. A rarity in partners, he's found. Given who she is, and how vocal she is, Muldoon has no worries that if she wants something to change, she'll let him know. Until then he is all for relentless, frenzied sex.

The way she rakes her nails across his skin and moves against him, it's as if this isn't enough. As though she still hungers for more. He cannot abide that. He refuses to leave her unsatisfied.

With a few more firm thrusts, he interrupts the rhythm to slide back, pulling her with him to the edge of the bed until he can lift her up. There's a small table in the corner which he has to pull away from the wall, but it's light and so is she, so one hand supports her while the other tugs the furniture aside. Now with more room he can lay her down, putting her at a much better height for him.

Though she might not be able to kiss him this way, she will definitely get movement, and friction. Her legs thrown over his shoulders, her hips pulled to the edge of the table, he can go deep and hard and fast. A burning hot cock relentlessly hammering into her in pure animalistic passion.

Relentless and frenzied are much more her speed, particularly in this instance; where she's been wondering what he'd be like in an intimate setting ever since their first date. The anticipation building ever since that first kiss. Wondering what it would take to tip him over into territory where he's thinking only of passion; disregarding the restraint he maintains so strictly in every other situation.

It's a heady thrill seeing him like this, and being the recipient of such unchecked ardor. Wrapping her legs around him once more when he lifts her, she takes that brief opportunity when he's carrying her to the table to sink her teeth into his neck in a heated kiss. Enough to leave a mark, but the collar of his shirt might cover it. She rather likes the idea of leaving her mark on him anyway, so she's not terribly concerned in the moment.

With her legs thrown over his shoulders, she can barely breathe for a moment for the sharp pleasure it brings; both her neck and back arching upward with a cry of passion. When he starts to drive into her with such relentless force, she grips the edges of the table; eyes squeezed shut and face contorted in pleasure. "Fuck,", she cries out again; followed by moans increasing in volume - needy and insistent as she feels an ache begin to build deep within her core. It won't take much more to push her over the edge. "Don't stop," she manages to get out; her voice a desperate command.

Stopping is the farthest thought from his mind, anyway. Especially after that bite. If she's to leave him with something to remember her by, he'd better make damn sure she'll remember him too.

While she moans, he growls and pants, the aching of muscles drowned out by every other wonderful sensation flooding his body. The shuddering clatter of the table, the slapping of flesh against flesh, combined with their own voices makes for a song which only increases the passion and pleasure which it speaks to.

There is a struggle in all of this, however. The sounds along with the sight of her, arched in rapture, and the feel of her, are all far too wonderful. It's difficult not to careen off the edge himself, though he's determined not to. Not until she's ready. Though as he thrusts into her has his fingers digging into her thighs and his jaw tightening with the effort.

She's had her share of lovers over the centuries, and she's impressed by his stamina and vigor - driving into her hard and fast enough that all thoughts vanish from her mind; there's only sensation. The digging of his fingers into her thighs, hard enough to leave bruises she'll keep rather than magically heal; the scent of his skin, the panting of his breath and sounds of his own enjoyment. She aches to let go fully, but doesn't yet want to stop feeling him like this.

He's hard and hot inside her and with each thrust she clenches around his cock even tighter, feeling a wave of pleasure building rapidly. Her fingers grip at the parts of him she can reach; nails digging into his skin as she continues to moan and gasp her pleasure and encouragement; urging him on. It's a wonder they haven't broken the table.

As the heat within her builds, so does her magic as she feels her entire body tensing; getting closer to that edge. Her body is slick with sweat, head thrown back when that wave of pleasure finally breaks and she comes with a loud cry of ecstasy - her body shuddering with the impact of it. As a result of such a powerful spike of overwhelming pleasure, her orgasm causes a release of her magic - a ripple of telekinetic force that rattles the walls and knocks over anything atop the surfaces of the room. She couldn't have held that back even if she'd wanted to, and she didn't want to.

The tightness around him makes everything blindingly pleasurable. There is a notion which passes through his thoughts, to say her name, to speak to her and warn her that he's close. All words which stay unuttered except by every trembling of his voice, and the fierceness of his thrusting.

It's difficult to tell who comes first. He was already at the tipping point when she clenches around him, sending him over the edge with every part of her body and voice. Together they shudder as he gives a few last, deep thrusts before holding her hips firmly as he pours into her. He's left sweating and panting, moving one hand to lean on the table as he lets the ebbing waves of ecstasy crash over him.

The surge of blissful euphoria made him mostly oblivious to the initial awareness of that magical pulse. It's only as his head clears of the lustful haze that he retroactively realises the sensation he'd felt, the sounds he'd heard and, as he glances around at rattled drawers and lamps on their sides, the slight disarray he can see.

Magic isn't something he fully understands and, now no longer driven by animalistic urges, he's inclined to err on the side of caution. So once he's caught his breath, he looks down at her laid out across the small table. "Are you alright?"

She clutches his arm when he leans it against the table, her breath still coming in uneven pants and gasps as she feels her entire body practically humming with the aftermath of such pleasure. Feeling him spill himself within her as he let go at nearly the same instant as her was nothing short of exquisite and she's still riding on the high of that, and the release of her magic as well. If he's able to sense it, the air in the room is faintly electric as a result, nothing that would damage anything; but not unlike how the environment feels just before a storm, or a surge of rain.

The bliss she feels makes her eyes half lidded, her gaze contented though the spark of her passion still remains as well. The low, husky chuckle in response to his question is followed by a glance around the room to assess the damage. "I hope I didn't break anything valuable," she remarks, then rests her back against the table with a long sigh; stretching her body a bit as she feels her muscles relaxed and loose.

She reaches a hand up to cup the side of his face with a smile. "I'm alright, yes. That... happens sometimes," she gestures toward the room. "Particularly when I am driven to such heights of pleasure." Her smile turns a bit wicked as she gazes up at him, very much intending that as a compliment.

It is certainly taken as one. How could it not be when she smiles at him like that. It's enough to make him grin in turn, cheek pressing against her palm. His brow bounces as he replies with a definitive, "Good."

Taking a moment to gather himself, he pulls out with a small grunt and shiver at the sensation. Not that he particularly wanted to, but he can't keep her on a table forever. Those precious few moments were enough for his muscles to recover so that he can scoop her up rather than ask her (hopefully) now weak thighs to do any work. He brings her back to the bed, laying her down before laying down beside her.

The pre-storm sensation lingering in the air suits their intense time together. It feels particularly appropriate to Muldoon, who had been going through a somewhat extended dry spell before this. What a way to break it. What a woman to break it with. Even with his mind failing to organise itself in the wake of such bliss, it's hard not to simply look at her. So he does, taking in the sight of her, tired and satisfied.

Part of him wants to say that he enjoyed himself, but that seems redundant. Especially with the way he looks over her now. Instead, after a little consideration, he decides to do what he does best: Show, not tell. So he kisses her. Slowly, this time, and deeply, to be clear about just how much he enjoyed that.

There's a small intake of breath when he pulls away, almost a sound of protest as well for the disconnect of their bodies for that brief moment. But then he's pulling her into his arms, which is fortunate because her legs feel too unsteady for the brief journey and her thighs still tremble slightly.

She sighs once more as she's placed upon the bed, the softness a welcome sensation beneath her body. Initially she lays there with eyes closed, peaceful and blissed out; but she can sense him looking at her, and so she turns to lay on her side, one palm resting against his chest as a warm smile curves her lips to find her senses were accurate.

She can guess by the way he looks at her what he's thinking, and as if in answer to that nonverbal expression her smile only widens. When he leans in to kiss her, she makes a pleased sound, her hand lifting to rest just beneath his jaw; enjoying the scrape of his stubble beneath her palm. Her kiss conveys how much she's enjoyed herself as well; as she takes her time tasting his mouth, brushing her lips lightly against his before she pulls back enough to look at him fondly. "Who would have thought so much passion was beneath that stern exterior," she teases, clearly pleased by this knowledge. "Though, if I'm being honest I did suspect as much, after our first kiss. Perhaps even before that."

Her attention is then drawn to the prominent mark she's left on his neck, smirking as she brushes her fingers across it. "I hope you didn't mind my getting a bit rough with you." Considering the state of his back and shoulders, raked by her nails; she hoped not.

His brow lifts as his eyes shift to half-follow her brushing touch. That's going to be interesting later. Maybe he can hide it by doing up an extra button on his shirt...

"Not at all," he replies, returning his attention to her beautiful face. "I'm built for rough."

Which is his very muted way of saying he prefers it. Not that she particularly needs telling. Everything she did was practically reading his mind on how to spur him on. Although he'd known he would enjoy himself, he hadn't expected their intimacy to be just that good. The reality of sex is that it can often be clunky, especially the first time with someone. There was no fear of that with Yennefer.

He spends another long moment looking at her, simply enjoying the way her hair falls across her skin, half sticking to her but still in long, soft waves. There's a part of him which, despite his thoroughly contented tiredness, which could just continue kissing her, enjoying her presence with him in this space. But he's no longer as unrestrained as he was a few moments ago. Politeness takes precedence.

"Would you like a drink?"

"As am I," she responds with a grin, gesturing toward the marks he'd left on her legs where he'd gripped her tightly. She feels a pleasurable ache within as well, from how roughly he'd driven himself inside her.

That he's built for rough, that he enjoys it is another significant mark of compatibility between the two of them. Not everyone was suited for the kind of sharp edged passion she embodied and expresses; not to mention her magic - something that is an integral part of her, and at times has it's own chaotic expression, as evidenced by the still slightly electric feel to the air around them.

She's content to lay here with him in the afterglow of their shared pleasure, her fingertips trailing along the line of his jaw as she studies his features appreciatively; her eyes drifting toward his lips just before he asks her if she'd like a drink.

"In a moment," she responds, leaning in to press her lips against his in another slow, languid kiss. "First I wanted to do that," she grins as she pulls back. "A drink would be lovely. Water," she clarifies; considering their vigorous activities, she's rather parched but hadn't really noticed until he'd mentioned it.

Seeing the marks he'd left on her legs surprises him. In the heat of the moment he hadn't even noticed how hard he was gripping her. He opens his mouth to apologise, but given she's already expressed her appreciation of roughness, he closes his mouth again and limits himself to an apologetic look instead.

That kiss just draws him right back in again, leaning into her touch with a pleased little hum. It seems cruel then for her to pull away after giving such a lovely kiss. Perhaps she just enjoys the slightly dazed look it puts on his face. Or him struggling to get his composure again.

Needless to say it takes him a moment, and a big sigh, to get up. He pulls on his shorts, just in case someone comes knocking, and heads to the kitchen with an, "I'll be right back."

He leaves Yennefer in his now somewhat messy room for a few short minutes. It really is a bit of a state now. The wardrobe and drawers are all ajar showing his ridiculously ~~dull~~ practical choice in clothes. There are no photos here, only lamps and books that have been knocked over. As well as the out-of-place table, of course.

When he returns it's with water for her and orange juice for himself. It's only then that the mess hits him. He puts his own glass down and hands Yennefer hers before he starts putting everything roughly back in order again.

"You do make quite the impact," he mumbles.

She does rather enjoy the slightly dazed look on his face whenever their kiss ends, and the struggle of composure that follows. Which is both endearing and a little amusing considering how little restraint he'd shown just moments ago. It would seem that both the thrill of hunting and the thrill of passionate, frenzied sex are the two areas of life where he does away with composure altogether. Which bodes rather well for future hunting trips they'd take together.

There's an indulgent chuckle given at his sigh, and once he's in the kitchen she takes a moment to look around the room. Her thoughts are less on how sparse things are, or how his clothing seems in complete opposition to her own typically lavish attire; but rather on the absolute mess she's made of his bedroom.

She thanks him when he hands her the glass and takes a long drink before setting it down on the nightstand. "At least the walls didn't fracture," she remarks, lifting her hand and assisting him in the process of putting his room back together - telekinetically righting a few lamps and closing the drawers that had come open. "But if they had, I'd find a way to make it up to you," she finishes, her tone teasing as well as flirtatious. If ever her magic were to release in an even stronger manner, she thinks they'd probably be better off being outdoors. At least then there's no risk of doing irreparable damage to his belongings.

Once his room is set right, she stretches back down onto the bed, feeling no desire to put clothes back on for the moment. She reaches a hand toward him, beckoning him to join her. "I'm not quite done with you yet," she comments with a grin, wondering if he's the type to enjoy cuddling; she'll soon find out.

A lamp rights itself just as he reaches out to do so himself and it startles him a little. Magic as a concept is one thing, but seeing it included in such mundanities as tidying is still more than a little bizarre. The comment about being repaid, in that flirty voice of hers, does earn her an arched eyebrow as he pauses to give her a look which quietly says, 'Oh really?'.

With her help it doesn't take long to fix everything up again, and he finds himself slightly surprised to see her beckoning for him. Part of him had wondered if he wasn't just a pleasant distraction for her. Not due to who she is, but because it's become habit. A way to lower expectations after a string of poor dating experiences. Being two adults who know what they want is perfectly acceptable, but generally those encounters rarely involve much in the way of after care.

Muldoon won't say no to her, however. He doesn't want to. He enjoys her company and will keep it for as long as he's allowed to. Although Yennefer will find that while he's not opposed to cuddling, he's not very good at it. Robert Muldoon has not had much practice at snuggling.

So he comes back into bed slightly more clothed than he left, and lays down next to her. At least he knows enough to lift an arm to allow her close so that he can then wrap it around her.

To his look of 'oh really?' her grin turns to a smirk, a non verbal affirmation of the various ways in which she'd happily 'repay' him.

Yennefer has indulged in her share of pleasant distractions over the years, those of which seldom held her interest longer than a night. But that's not what this is, with him. The longer term relationships of substance she's had have been few in number; especially so considering her years. Much of this was due to her lifestyle - often on the move, often in dangerous situations. It required a particular sort of partner to suit that. The other part was her being quite slow to trust and open up. Though Robert had a way about him that made it possible for her to begin to show those softer sides of herself.

Like now, when she reaches for him; seeking the contact of skin against skin, to be close and simply enjoy his company, the warmth of his body against hers - an act arguably more intimate than actual sex in some cases. When he lifts his arm she slides closer, draping her arm across his chest and her thigh over his.

Pressing a soft kiss against the underside of his jaw, she rests her head down and a deep sigh leaves her as she gets comfortable. And, she can't help but notice he seems a little stiff, less languid than she is in this state of cuddling. A few moments pass in silence before a quiet chuckle escapes her lips. "I get the distinct impression this is not something you do too often," she remarks in a teasing, yet affectionate tone.

Here he was trying to force himself to relax when she starts chuckling. He's not sure what at until she speaks and it puts a strange little frown on his brow.

In many areas Muldoon is extremely confident. He's sure of himself, his worth, and his skills. That's part of why he can come across as so harsh sometimes. However, sharing the privacy of his own home, his own room, even himself in the (mostly) bare flesh, is a little awkward. It's neither the rigid formality of his disciplined career, nor the wild, desire-driven blindness of his sexual intimacy. Rather it's something in between. Something he so rarely shares that it's easier to keep those walls up with silence.

Teasing, however, warrants a teasing response in return.

"Bringing beautiful women on a tour around my secret workplace and then having, quite literally, earth shattering sex?" He pauses and looks at her to punctuate how exceptionally rare that combination is, before continuing with a dry, "Not often, no."

She can't help but laugh at his remark, particularly when coupled with that dry tone of his. She knows he's not particularly in his element at the moment, and she's understanding of that. But of course, being who she is, Yennefer tends to speak what is on her mind rather than thinking it in silence. A trait that can be beneficial in certain occasions while others, not so much. In this case however, she thinks it's better said than left unsaid.

"Now don't get bristly," she chastises in that same affectionately teasing tone, lifting her head from his chest enough to look at him. "I was referring to the part where after the earth shattering sex, two people sometimes enjoy laying together and relaxing in each other's presence." Her tone is somewhat sultry, not necessarily intentionally; it just typically sounds that way after such an extraordinarily pleasurable experience. She leans forward then to press a soft kiss against his lips.

"Am I to believe you don't find my presence very relaxing?" she asks with a raise of her brow, a glimmer of mirth in her eyes.

Speaking her mind is part of what makes her work so well with Muldoon. The warden doesn't work well when he's left to guess and pick up on hints. It also has the added benefit of calling him out on things he's not very good at discussing himself. Like his uncertainty around cuddling. Plus, she's good about punctuating her observations with nice little kisses which keep him calm.

"More stimulating than relaxing," he says, voice low as he watches her looking up at him with those enchanting eyes of her. To clarify he adds, "Which I prefer."

"I had a feeling." She grins and lifts a hand to thread through his hair, fingertips lightly brushing against his scalp; she's quiet for a moment as she studies him with a neutral, but warm expression.

While Yennefer is perceptive and quite literally a mind reader, she isn't currently reading his mind. And as such, doesn't know for certain if he's simply tolerating the closeness of snuggling while he might prefer otherwise. She doesn't think that's the case, as he doesn't strike her as the type to go along with anything he didn't fully and enthusiastically want (certain frustrations of the workplace excluded). But then again this is new territory for the both of them.

Which prompts her to suggest in a gentle tone - "We don't have to do this, you know. I don't wish to make you feel uncomfortable."

Even Muldoon knows that it's ridiculous to be uncomfortable with his arms wrapped around a beautiful woman in his bed. Something which explains the insistence in his voice when he replies in turn. "I'm not uncomfortable, I just..."

Realising he should probably be careful about how he finishes that sentence, he pauses to think about it for a second. Then he looks at her to finish it. "I'm just not used to this, like you said."

Because agreeing with someone very, very rarely upsets them. Pleased with himself and his decision making in this department, he does actually relax just a little.

It even gets a more honest mumble of, "I'm not really used to sitting still without waiting for something."

Which is true. At least Yennefer can rest safe in the knowledge that no matter where he'd be sitting, or laying, he'd still have that tension of expecting something to happen at any moment.

Private tour for asorceress

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