RP: This Isn't Puff, Ladies
Characters: Charlie Weasley, Moira Lacrosse[NPC], New Researchers[NPC]
Location: Welsh Dragon Reserve
Date: 30 July 1999
Status: Private
Summary: Charlie provides training for his new recruits.
Completion: Complete
"This isn't Puff the Magic Dragon, Ladies," Charlie intoned from their place in the blind where a charm kept the sound from escaping out where the dragon was growing restless.
"Watch who you're calling a lady, Gov," Moira Lacrosse, one of Charlie's Senior Researchers and his second-in-command, teased to lighten the mood without making light of the safety lesson itself.
Charlie Weasley had started every group off with the same safety lesson, experienced and inexperienced alike. Lacrosse had made the mistake of tuning him out once, back when she was a new Researcher in Romania, after she'd heard his spiel several times. He'd ripped her a new one in front of everyone for it. Of course, he'd been right. The Researchers and Keepers who ignored or became complacent about safety were the ones that became barbecue. Unlike some leaders, Charlie Weasley made sure that his people paid attention when he was speaking. If they didn't, he called them on it. Loudly. Embarrassingly. Lacrosse remembered her chewing out well. He'd made her feel like a four year old getting a lecture from Mummy about not touching a hot stove. She'd been so humiliated she, and everyone in the vicinity, wouldn't even think about not giving him their full attention next time. Invariably, Charlie had to deal out something similar a few times a year. The most recent happened early in the month when one of the newly promoted Senior Researchers thought his new position exempted him from listening. Not so. Charlie Weasley was notorious for fair treatment. If public embarrassment was fair for a Researcher, then it was doubly fair for a Senior Researcher, who should be in a position to know better. These two new recruits hadn't been around for that, but they heard tell of it from the others. They had been especially attentive to everyone teaching them these past two weeks.
"Take note of how her under scales are shimmering when she rears up," Lacrosse started the next phase of today's lesson after Charlie concluded the safety precautions they were to take. "We don't know for sure what that means yet. It has not been reported before." They had a pretty good idea, but Charlie Weasley hated when his staff made assumptions instead of forming theories and conducting proper research to test them. So right now, they had some really good theories, but it would probably be this week or next before they would know for sure if some of them were right, and longer for the research on others.
"That is why you are all to have self-inking quills and your field books on you at all times. It is also why you should make full observational notes. Don't make any assumptions about what is or isn't known about these dragons. The Welsh Green research is all utter shite. Pretend you know nothing about them except how dangerous they are. Pretend you have just come across them in the wild for the first time. Your very first assignment is watch and note everything. Draw. Note the markings. Any changes. How often does the dragon feed. What times of day. How soon after feeding does the dragon take a dump. Tell us how you know it's female," he glared briefly at Lacrosse for giving the gender away because she wasn't supposed to do that with new Researchers. "Write down everything. Observations. Questions. Theories. Possible lines of research. Lines of research you might like to follow and write down why you're personally interested. What's more, don't think this is a time wasting exercise. One of the new recruits from last fall is about to have his first paper published because of this same assignment." For a researcher, having your work published in a professional journal was the way to be recognized in your field.
"Lacrosse will be here to supervise and show you a few more things we want to make sure you notice about the dragon. She is primarily here to observe how you put the techniques you've been taught in the classroom and the enclosures into practice in the field. You may ask questions, but you may be asked to take note and observe for now. Your field journals will be evaluated at the end of this three day assignment and you'll be given time to ask any questions again that we chose not to answer that you have not answered for yourselves."
Charlie smiled as he prepared to leave to make the rounds of the other observation blinds, "Congratulations on the first assignment of your new career, gentlemen."
Location: Welsh Dragon Reserve
Date: 30 July 1999
Status: Private
Summary: Charlie provides training for his new recruits.
Completion: Complete
"This isn't Puff the Magic Dragon, Ladies," Charlie intoned from their place in the blind where a charm kept the sound from escaping out where the dragon was growing restless.
"Watch who you're calling a lady, Gov," Moira Lacrosse, one of Charlie's Senior Researchers and his second-in-command, teased to lighten the mood without making light of the safety lesson itself.
Charlie Weasley had started every group off with the same safety lesson, experienced and inexperienced alike. Lacrosse had made the mistake of tuning him out once, back when she was a new Researcher in Romania, after she'd heard his spiel several times. He'd ripped her a new one in front of everyone for it. Of course, he'd been right. The Researchers and Keepers who ignored or became complacent about safety were the ones that became barbecue. Unlike some leaders, Charlie Weasley made sure that his people paid attention when he was speaking. If they didn't, he called them on it. Loudly. Embarrassingly. Lacrosse remembered her chewing out well. He'd made her feel like a four year old getting a lecture from Mummy about not touching a hot stove. She'd been so humiliated she, and everyone in the vicinity, wouldn't even think about not giving him their full attention next time. Invariably, Charlie had to deal out something similar a few times a year. The most recent happened early in the month when one of the newly promoted Senior Researchers thought his new position exempted him from listening. Not so. Charlie Weasley was notorious for fair treatment. If public embarrassment was fair for a Researcher, then it was doubly fair for a Senior Researcher, who should be in a position to know better. These two new recruits hadn't been around for that, but they heard tell of it from the others. They had been especially attentive to everyone teaching them these past two weeks.
"Take note of how her under scales are shimmering when she rears up," Lacrosse started the next phase of today's lesson after Charlie concluded the safety precautions they were to take. "We don't know for sure what that means yet. It has not been reported before." They had a pretty good idea, but Charlie Weasley hated when his staff made assumptions instead of forming theories and conducting proper research to test them. So right now, they had some really good theories, but it would probably be this week or next before they would know for sure if some of them were right, and longer for the research on others.
"That is why you are all to have self-inking quills and your field books on you at all times. It is also why you should make full observational notes. Don't make any assumptions about what is or isn't known about these dragons. The Welsh Green research is all utter shite. Pretend you know nothing about them except how dangerous they are. Pretend you have just come across them in the wild for the first time. Your very first assignment is watch and note everything. Draw. Note the markings. Any changes. How often does the dragon feed. What times of day. How soon after feeding does the dragon take a dump. Tell us how you know it's female," he glared briefly at Lacrosse for giving the gender away because she wasn't supposed to do that with new Researchers. "Write down everything. Observations. Questions. Theories. Possible lines of research. Lines of research you might like to follow and write down why you're personally interested. What's more, don't think this is a time wasting exercise. One of the new recruits from last fall is about to have his first paper published because of this same assignment." For a researcher, having your work published in a professional journal was the way to be recognized in your field.
"Lacrosse will be here to supervise and show you a few more things we want to make sure you notice about the dragon. She is primarily here to observe how you put the techniques you've been taught in the classroom and the enclosures into practice in the field. You may ask questions, but you may be asked to take note and observe for now. Your field journals will be evaluated at the end of this three day assignment and you'll be given time to ask any questions again that we chose not to answer that you have not answered for yourselves."
Charlie smiled as he prepared to leave to make the rounds of the other observation blinds, "Congratulations on the first assignment of your new career, gentlemen."