JC was very impressed by the countryside that he could see from the plane's windows as it came in for a landing in Spain. He held hands with Pauline as it came in for a landing at the airport. The two had gotten along quite well together and had very much enjoyed working together through Animalia Ambassadoria and JC had also been very respectful toward his attachment to the Albers family, and specifically Sophie. It made her a well-accepted part of the Albers family. Of course, that connection, born out of JC seeing Sophie as a sort of mother figure, helped inspire some of the differences in where the honeymoons would be. After all, JC knew enough about what a honeymoon entailed that having that trip be with someone who he considered his mother in all the ways that mattered didn't sound quite right.
Thankfully, the option on the trip to Spain and visit to Countess Irena de Vasconcellos' villa, which was growing into one of Animalia's latest colonies. Like many of those in Europe, it was largely centered around an old estate that was in the personal ownership of the Animalian most connected with it, in this case, Irena de Vasconcellos. The Pyrenean Ibex Animalian had seen to the expansion of certain elements that surrounded her villa, and from what JC and Pauline had been told while her Human neighbors had largely retained their Human forms, the fact that Irena had paid for nearly all of the housing upgrades and inconveniences that went along with the full-on construction of Costa de Cabra had actually won over a fair amount of support. From what they had heard from Heather, that many of these neighbors had adapted some localized businesses to work with any and all possible tourists coming in in ways that the Spanish government hadn't done with similar areas.
"Hopefully no one is too upset with our Spanish," JC said to Pauline as they came out of the terminal from the aircraft, "as I think I've seen somewhere that the Spanish in Spain is a bit different from the Spanish in Mexico."
"There might be some irritation if we try to insist that what we took in high school and college is the only way," Pauline commented, "and a fair number of them probably speak English quite well."
"International trade and all that," JC surmised.
They did collect their bags and luggage, only find a male Pyrenean Ibex Animalian standing near the exit doors with a small cardboard sign that read: JC and Pauline Albers. JC's wings flared a little, but he did recover enough to approach the Ibex Animalian, wheeling his luggage behind him. To his surprise, the other Animalian was a bit curious about them as well.
"I'm JC and this is my new wife, Pauline," JC spoke carefully, "do you speak English? My Spanish may have... a... geographic accent that you may not like."
"I speak English, as does my wife," the male spoke in English, though with a strong accent as well, "You can call me Lopez. Countess Irena is expecting us to return shortly."
"She's minding the hotel?" JC wondered, thinking that the countess was busier looking after her villa than running any sort of hotel sort of business on the colony.
"Much like when Mrs. Green was here as an attendant to her grandmother on her honeymoon with her husband, it has been arranged that you will be in a guestroom at the villa, sufficiently far enough from mine and Irena's room that we don't bother you," Lopez answered, "Mrs. Green did tell you, did she not?"
"Heather told us that the idea was hers, and was originally intended for Sophie and Roland," JC answered, "but since she and Roland had their own plans made... it could work for Pauline and I... We never expected that the countess herself would be directly involved. We thought we'd get a hotel room on the colony's grounds and the ability to see some of the various sites to see."
"Heather also told us there were some interesting art museums in the general area," Pauline added.
Lopez only smiled, “the countess has had dealings in the past with Americans… and has followed Animalia Ambassadoria to some degree. Particularly after her conversion. That has inspired the wish to be there for friends, and friends of friends. This would include many aspects of the area that would be great for visitors. Nice beaches and decent swimming, there are some art museums. We even have some agreements with tour centers that you could arrange a day to drive north up into the Pyrenees for rock and mountain climbing.”
They followed him out and to the waiting car that was in one of the waiting lanes not too far from the doorway. It gave JC and Pauline a look at the late afternoon light and horizon of the city around them. There wasn't much immediately around the airport, but there was enough that they could tell that it was very different from Lyre/Animalia, Nevada. It added to some of the curiosity and interest in the two Microraptor Dinotopians and that went along fine. Loading their luggage wasn't too bad, though they found that the car seats weren't the sorts that were engineered for their tails, though, given that neither Irena nor Lopez had long tails, that may not have been too much of an issue. They sat forward enough that their tails, or their longer feathers on them would be crushed by their own weight or bent out of place by the seat, though they had to steady some things with their arms to maintain it.
They were also more impressed with the villa as Lopez pulled up the driveway that went in a horseshoe shape in front of the villa's main front door. There was also a well-kept yard, complete with flowered bushes underneath the front windows.
"The flowers look nice," Pauline commented.
"Thank you," Lopez answered as he put the car in park, "I do my best to tend to them."
"You're the gardener?" JC wondered.
"By profession, I was," Lopez answered, "by now... it's more by hobby... I love keeping things clean and trim and beautiful almost as much as I love Irena."
The two Microraptor Dinotopians nodded as they climbed out of the car and collected their luggage from the trunk. Lopez was also quick to come around the front of the car and lead both of them toward the front door. The male Pyrenean Ibex Animalian quickly opened the door to find Irena waiting just inside the doorway and waiting for them. Irena stood calmly and looked JC and Pauline over as the two of them looked to her and occasionally looked over the furnishings. Eventually JC worked up the courage to say something.
"Thank you for having us, Countess...de Vasconcellos," JC managed, "it was most generous of you to have us..."
"Friends of Heather Green can be friends of mine," Irena answered, "and you may call me Irena. Spain may be a constitutional monarchy... but many of the noble family's positions are not quite as strong as one would think. We can thank the Civil War and then Franco for that. And the colony here does well for things other than my title."
"I thought Spain was a republic... like France," JC commented.
"For a time during the Civil War, it was," Irena answered, "and technically under Franco it was as well. But the Republicans had many Communist influences and weren't necessarily kind to the nobility and the nationalists under Franco didn't restore the crown until AFTER Franco died. So technically, Franco's government was also a republic, though most would align Franco with dictatorship and Fascism. Once Franco was gone, the monarchy was restored, but also under a constitution that grant the Spanish people representative voice in the government. And which has helped Spain as a tourist destination, at least in the parts around here."
"Yes, your husband mentioned something of art museums, beaches, and drives up to the mountains," Pauline nodded.
Irena nodded with a small smile to Lopez, who pointed out toward the front door and then went out. He was likely going to place the car in the garage.
"And those are all options for you," Irena nodded, "as I'm sure your entire honeymoon won't just be about physical pleasure... though, that is fun. We can talk more of that over dinner. For now, let me show you to your rooms. It will make things easier and will let you get ready for dinner, which isn't too far away. We've brought in some of the same dishes that we served Heather, when she was here with Rex and Tyra, when they were here."
Both thanked Irena for it and they went about moving their luggage to the guest room that they were offered. It was a nice room with two windows with white drapes that hung over them. It left things a bit dim as the sun was beginning to set over the western horizon, but they did still allow for a good view of the area that went down to the sea to the west. It made for a beautiful vista and JC noted that they'd need to find a spot outside for a similar sort of view for a good picture, though there was also the knowledge and concern on being wet. A shower was fin for grooming and hygiene, but his and Pauline's feathers didn't work well with being submerged in water. Thus, pictures of the ocean were fine, but swimming in it wasn't on either of their to-do lists. JC remembered having this sort of opinion before he was uplifted.
The bed was also comfortable and was covered with an orange blanket and pillows that sort of matched the window drapery. It was also well larger than what they had. The Albers had bought a bigger bed for them after their uplifting, and it was bigger than the twin bed that Sophie normally slept on, but it wasn't as big as the queen-sized bed that Remington and Vera had when they were human. Neither was quite sure on what the sizing system was for larger Animalians, and especially the larger Dinotopians, and since Microraptor wasn't a large dinosaur species, neither had much reason to think on that. Pauline ran a hand over the bed's fabric and found it soft and that the material didn't catch up on the claws on her hands too much. She then flashed JC a knowing smile on what they would be doing after dinner when they "went to bed." JC returned the smile.
They came out and joined Irena again and here, Pauline spoke first. "The room is very nice, thank you."
"You're welcome," Irena gave a polite smile, "I do try to be a gracious host. Hopefully the dinner will be to your liking as well... and you may indulge some of my own curiosity."
JC and Pauline then nodded and followed along. They were greeted again by Lopez when they came down the stairs and moved toward the main dining room. JC noted some photographs along the wall that showed various people, many of whom, he figured to be Irena's family members. Particularly when the last one showed Irena and Lopez together as Pyrenean Ibex Animalians and with rings on their fingers. It sort of reminded JC on his marriage to Pauline, and he hoped it would last.
"So... if I may ask," JC began as they came into the dining room, "have you two been married long? As... well... if you have... I was hoping you might have some secrets that you could share for a pair of newlyweds."
Irena gave a small chuckle, "we have not been married long. For me... becoming an Animalian was a rebirth. I was eleven in the Civil War and it claimed the young men in my family. And in many ways for naught, as while they side they chose won the war, it did not really benefit until AFTER Franco died and his hold on power relaxed. But becoming an Animalian did offer a rebirth and would allow for the Pyrenean Ibex to come back, even if as an Animalian. Of course... not to many Spanish nobles were too interested in becoming an Animalian."
"And I've tended the countess' grounds since before she became an Animalian," Lopez added, "she was a grand and kind lady even then. But cultured and dignified. And to a young man with an interest in gardening and horticulture... she was a bit beyond what I could reach for. But I loved working for her and seeing her smile. Seeing her as an Animalian... it was a surprise at first, but the same person was still there and I was happy to serve. Even as old age began to catch up with me."
"But he was endearing," Irena took his hand, "and as Lopez wasn't as burdened by my becoming an Animalian as others... that allowed for some things to grow, and it got to where I took him as my mate... I had the Horizon doctors come in, so that I could convert Lopez... we were both vaccinated again, and we could then work on an appropriate wedding. Small, to respect Lopez's wishes and the fact that I am the last of my family. But there were plenty of congratulations from Heather, who I met when I first visited Animalia and from Ms. Renard-Argente who as the head of France's colony has had some "trade connections" with what Lopez and I have been building up here. In this... I am afraid that the two of us have not been married all that long."
"Talking and listening is about the best we can offer," Lopez added, "compromise helps too, I suppose."
“And you met Heather in Animalia?” Pauline wondered as they were ushered to two seats and where plates of heated steaks were waiting.
"Yes," Irena nodded, "at the time she was just starting her reform and seemed to be sincere in doing so..."
"Yes, my former owner... Sophie... she actually did a lot to help with those efforts," JC stated, "it helped create the discovery that many of the things that Heather had errored on actually started with ideas that could be seen as good... just taking the wrong decision on how to go about it."
"In a way that is what I gathered," Irena nodded, "and I have been pleased to see that she is doing well in Dino City..."
"You said something on former owner... you were pet birds?" Lopez asked, "Horizon figured out how to not only uplift but convert mundane animals?"
"In a sense," Pauline spoke, "we were both mundane African Gray Parrots, though I was owned by a family where the only one that had the time and knowledge to properly care for me died and the rest either didn't have time or knowledge on how to do so. Horizon made the purchase for that purpose."
"That does explain the coloring," Irena mused, "I wouldn't have thought dinosaurs would have had such coloration..."
"Given their living relatives, actually they can," JC spoke, "and that was all part of the project. For many paleontologists and scientists believe that all modern birds are the only dinosaurs to have survived the KT extinction event. The idea and the test grew out of the recognition on certain "dormant" genes that played a role in Heather's conversion and thus the conversions of all Dinotopians that were once Human. Thus... the test was essentially to have evolution go backward. And it did work when Pauline and I were uplifted... though they think we kept our plumage from our original form because of that starting point and didn't take on the coloring that they think the actual Microraptor had."
"And this Microraptor evolved into birds?" Lopez wondered.
"More that it's on the part of the Theropod branch that would lead to birds," Pauline corrected, "it didn't directly lead to birds... but many of its relatives are more bird-like than other Theropods... including other Coelurosaur Theropods."
"Like how Tyrannosaurus is the largest Coelurosaur but is not a super close relative to modern birds... though closer than a Carnosaur like Carcharodontosaurus," JC added, "it shows the connection between birds and dinosaurs, but isn't direct."
"Interesting..." Irena said with some amazement, "and it would seem that this Microraptor also evolved to be very unique... with the wing feathers on your legs."
"Yeah... we both lost a lot of our ability to maintain good, powered flight," JC admitted, "and certain movements on land are a bit more... complicated, but we can retain a fair amount lift at slow speeds that none of the other flying Animalians can match. In a sense, we can glide better than they can."
"Amazing," said Lopez as he chewed on some of the salad that was served for himself and Irena.
"We can show it later in our visit if there is an open spot with a potential soft landing that can be arranged," JC offered.
"Of course," Irena nodded, "but for tonight... I would assume that you have your own... intimate plans."
JC and Pauline both blushed and hoped that wasn't seen through their feathers. If Irena and Lopez did notice it, though, they didn't say anything. Much of that ended up coming to a guess that the two of them were also in the early stages of their own relationship/marriage and likely had their own plans that were similar. They talked further on the sights to see, and the nature of the art museums in the city and what the nature of the supposed bus tour up to the Pyrenes would be part of. All of it provided for things that would hold some tourist interest for both Microraptor Dinotopians. However, when they returned to the bedroom that had been offered them, there other and more intimate plans in mind.
"Well, it would seem that Heather did make a good friend," JC commented as he fiddled with a dimmer switch on an electric lamp that was on one side of the table, "and they were quite friendly."
"Indeed," Pauline agreed, "although I suspect they are looking for their own fun right now... If the faint scent of arousal from the countess was to be sure..."
"I'm sure," JC commented, "though... was she the only one?"
"Oh no," Pauline admitted as she tossed her shirt at JC, "as it is our honeymoon..."
JC shook his head, letting Pauline's shirt fall to the floor and undid the button for his pants. Pauline only smiled back at him.