This was the part where she skillfully ignored what he was saying. It wasn't hard, all it took was looking at anything but him with a perfectly patient expression. Why? Because Rhydian Blackhold was built for exaggerations, most usually when he was trying to prove a point. Only reason her gaze did turn to him again was the mention of her kneazle's intentions.

It almost got a snort out of her. "Don't be ridiculous, he'd sooner rearrange your features but he's not doing it out of happiness or contentment or whatever so it's not the same principle and in any case he's not a cat." A correction she'd been making since the day she found Felix.

Nundu's weren't cats either, something else he should try remembering. Feline didn't immediately denote soft and cuddly. In fact only one sub-specie of feline fit that bill. Every other ripped and clawed and tore and hunted. To think they said she was one track minded. "We're gonna take a field trip soon." One day she would find a feline museum and force him along with her. Kinda like he forced himself into her kitchen going on about needing to know how to cook and other preposterous things that one weekend. Merlin, she'd probably kick him out the next time he tried that.

Alexa was about to give up on any hope of him making the right choice in an obvious lose lose encounter like that until he mentioned at the very end retreating. There was hope afterall...hope and buzzing. "Angry doesn't begin to cover it. I'd be livid." The kind of livid that had people kicking corpses but that didn't need saying, not when she was positive the buzzing sound was getting louder. "D'you hear that or am I actually going mad--Ow!" Her hand yanked out of his and shot right up into her hair when felt something yanking sharply at it. The moment she turned to see what might have done it, she felt something yank just as sharply on another lock. "Son of a garden gnome." She muttered, smacking the first pixie away. That didn't seem like it'd do very much good when a swarm of them quickly rounded the corner and descended on them.

Whoa.

Wand still in hand, Dale just stared into the hedges as though he was trying to see the very obstacles he might come up against. For the record, he couldn't see, uh... anything. Nothing but hedge. And he'd already gone through his arsenal of spells and everything, so all there was left to do was head right on in.

Before he could make a move forwards (though it was anyone's guess as to when he might have done so), Dale heard someone speak nearby. He turned his head automatically, because they sounded close enough that they might have been addressing him.

Which was true. Oops.

"Yes," Dale replied, noting the impatient tone and automatically side-stepping just a little in case she chose to breeze right past him. "Sorry. I was miles away." He glanced at the hedges again. "After you?" Least he could do after blocking the way and all.

After her??

Olly just looked at him for a long moment, trying to come up with a good reason why she SHOULDN'T be going in there first. Unfortunately, there was none. Or at least none that she could say that wouldn't make her look like a coward. And she didn't exactly want to make a bad impression on this random Ministry worker. What if he was in her department.

"Right."

Taking a few steps forward, Olly finally walked into the maze with her wand in her hand. She glanced over her shoulder and raised her eyebrows at the guy. "You're coming, yeah?" Olly could definitely use some backup here.

[

Tala was taking the maze seriously, it was way she'd even deemed a partner necessary, but Lynley she was.. Well, the woman just seemed kind of... Odd (which was saying a lot from someone like Taladona Jordan). She was trying to pin what it was about the woman that had her so amused, but Tala couldn't figure it out... Maybe it was just how seriously the auburn-haired woman seemed to take herself.

She was not as assured as she would like to have been by the older woman's comments. Was it obvious? Just how green behind the ears she was? Tala tried her best not to fidget at the thought. It was nothing to be ashamed of, nothing to feel self-conscious about, so why did she? "Right, yeah." She resisted the urge to worry her lip, she was wearing lipstick and having the "Rich Witch Sauce" on her teeth was one way to look dumb that she would like to avoid.

A soft laugh sprang from her lips. "I'll try my best." She said, rolling up the sleeves of her dress shirt and readying herself. "Whenever you're ready." She'd let Lynley set the pace.

Rhydian deadpanned a little at his partner. "You...don't get sarcasm, do you?" Cause he didn't need her to tell him that the only time her kneazle would snuggle up to him was if he was a carpet in the middle of her living room.

As for the 'not a cat'? That got a wave of dismissal. Teeth, ears, tail and terribly bad personality? Cat. Sometimes human, but usually cat.

But the field trip caught his interest, and had him looking at her curiously. She was going to take him somewhere? A sly smile touched his lips and worked it's way up to his eyes. Field trip must have been a carefully selected term, to avoid use of anything else. After all, she would be livid if he died. Which meant she'd miss him. Well didn't that just tickle him blue?

"Glad to hear I'd be -" His words cut off short as he ducked, fearing that the hand that suddenly went flying was for his fool head and smug grin. There was faint surprise when it made the sound of connecting with flesh that wasn't his own.

Straightening a little, Rhydian frowned in confusion and turned towards his partner. The words, once again died in his throat, replaced by the most undignified of all noises to ever have escaped his person. A high pitched, feminine scream.

It was followed up by a rather manly punch straight to the pixie tugging on Lex's hair, sending the creature sprawling. It was enough time to grab Lex's hand back and start booking it back the way they came. Didn't work much though, what with the Swarm (as it would come to be known) descending upon them.

Then, his movements turned into a sort of flailing like, hip-hop dance. It was the same as one did with mosquitos. Make all body parts move in an uncoordinated fashion and they wouldn't be able to find purchase. Keep moving. And, there might have been a few more undignified squeaks and squeals.

SPOILER!!: Taladona

Quote:

Originally Posted by nicole black

[

SPOILER!!: Lynleyyyyy

QUOTE=kayquilz;11766669]

Lynley wasn't sure if the young woman was taking this maze seriously. Hmph. She wondered what department she was in. Not Transportation, she would know the face from all of the files she'd looked at recently. Over and over again, too.

She already knew all the names of her employees.

Taladona, apparently, Jordan's posture change was visibly notable. Oh, Lynley was happy her job title had done that. It made her smirk. "Ah...werewolf support..." they needed one of those? Lynley didn't smile, but she did nod her head at the woman. "I can tell." About the just starting thing. She still had that youthful, excited glow about her. "Not a bad thing." She said quickly, gruffly, before the woman could take what she said the wrong way,

"And yes....we can partners. You need to be quick on your toes to keep up with me. I will wait for you if you fall behind, though...." since this was a team building exercise.

But it was against Lynley's nature. In real life, she'd be on her own, for her own.

Tala was taking the maze seriously, it was way she'd even deemed a partner necessary, but Lynley she was.. Well, the woman just seemed kind of... Odd (which was saying a lot from someone like Taladona Jordan). She was trying to pin what it was about the woman that had her so amused, but Tala couldn't figure it out... Maybe it was just how seriously the auburn-haired woman seemed to take herself.

She was not as assured as she would like to have been by the older woman's comments. Was it obvious? Just how green behind the ears she was? Tala tried her best not to fidget at the thought. It was nothing to be ashamed of, nothing to feel self-conscious about, so why did she? "Right, yeah." She resisted the urge to worry her lip, she was wearing lipstick and having the "Rich Witch Sauce" on her teeth was one way to look dumb that she would like to avoid.

A soft laugh sprang from her lips. "I'll try my best." She said, rolling up the sleeves of her dress shirt and readying herself. "Whenever you're ready." She'd let Lynley set the pace.[/QUOTE]

Lynley nodded at...Taladona(What kind of name was this?) and suddenly noticed...the girl was American. It was laced throughout her accent...and Lynley actually chuckled, to herself, at this. An American. Merlin's pants...first that KOOK from the French ministry..and now this...silly little American.

"Okay. I think we're ready. Wands at the ready--" she held hers aloft and led Tala into the maze....as soon as they entered, the sound from the orientation dimmed, and Lynley was on HIGH alert. "I have no idea what we'll encounter in here. Constant vigilance." She said sharply, as she peered around each edge of the maze before just BLATANTLY stepping out--what if someone tried to attack her?!

And as Lynley veered around a corner...they came to a fork. To take the right path...or the left. Lynley turned to Tala. "Which should we choose? Pretend it's LIFE OR DEATH. GO."

She wanted to see the girl make a QUICK decision.

She wouldn't dignify his question with a response. Nope. Alexa didn't always get sarcasm, it wasn't something she looked out for in conversations because she expected everyone to be just as straight shooting as herself. Who bothered with all that hidden meaning and deeper conversation rubbish??? Apparently him.

Had to admit, she was more than a little concerned by the look that grew on his face when she said field trip. This was Rhydian....everything was a date once it involved a day of the month and them going somewhere. No use even telling him not to think about it, he would anyway. Besides, there were bigger problems...

No........not the swarm of pixies......more like her squealing partner.

Lex stopped swatting for a solid minute, ignoring all the yanking and tugging and and biting to just STARE at Rhydian and the note his voice had just hit. Had he just....did he really....Ow! The young woman swatted at another but missed narrowly as a result of suddenly being tugged mid squeals...in the wrong direction. "Oi! No! Rhydian this is the wrong way!" She pulled free of his grasp once more then stood for a moment in disbelief at the route he had chosen to take on the matter. No wand drawn, but wiggles and squeaks.

Wow. Inspiring. Truly.

Deciding it best to put him out of his misery--and admittedly her out of her own--Lex too aim at a cluster making their way toward her and cast a quick expulso. What were the ODDS they were REAL fairies and she'd ACTUALLY killed them? What were the odds she cared when the explosion had been executed so brilliantly and it stopped the pixies in their tracks if only for a moment. "If you need rescuing all you had to do was ask." They'd talked about this before and right now he was making a brilliant damsel in distress.

It most certianly wasn't the wrong way. It was the most right way. Why? Because it was the way absent of any and all pixies. And so he headed down it with wild abandon, of the physical and verbal nature.

Until he felt her hand out of his once again. It may as well have been a rope around his neck, dragging him to a dead halt, though admittedly he still did his flailing limb dance. Managed to knock a few pixies silly with his knobby elbows and knees too. But everything went still at the spell that was cast.

He froze, staring at the woman that stood like a solid picture of confident perfection and protection, the pixies all but retreating or lying about the corridor. Save for the one that was hanging by its teeth, chewing on his sleeve. His admiration lasted about as long as it took him to realize the creature was still there, and then it was a rapid arm flailing movement until he jarred the little creature so hard it went flying into the hedges.

And there was a kind rip in his sleeve. How utterly upsetting. He picked at it, dragging air back into his lungs. "I was utilizing Plan Z."

Screaming like a blonde in a bad horror film. How dignifying. But well, he was almost blonde, so it was excusable. ".....Nice wand work." As in thanks. As in, let's not talk about this, yes?

The pixies looked all sorts of disoriented after the little explosion that had sent them sprawling across the maze. It was certain they weren't sure what to do next but just as quickly they seemed to find their bravery again, making another attempt. Kinda reminded her of having to de-gnome the garden back at Hogwarts, more specifically it reminded her of the one gnome she'd stomped mercilessly into the ground.

These pixies failed to understand that her wand was the least of their worries if she got worked up enough. Once again she raised her wand and watched them all fly clear of it immediately. 'Least they knew what was coming. Not nearly as daft as their fairy cousins.

Only took another well cast expulso and a slightly larger BOOM to have them all scattering off in the direction they'd just come from...so now there really was no turning back and they would have to hope there wasn't a dead end up ahead. No rules back at the gate against making new paths yourselves and YATIs needed to be resourceful so....holes would be happening if there was no other choice.

"Would have been nice to see Plans A through Y first." She quipped, finding it a little hard to believe this scream tactic hadn't been plan A all along. Lex grinned at his compliment, always more than willing to accept one about her explosions. "Thanks. Nice lung strength. Reckon you could have been at it all day." Wait, did he not expect teasing afterwards? It got better, hold on. "Just to be on the safe side, you should probably take my hand and let me lead you through this scary place." Condescending? Yes but there was now a smile, a hand extended and fingers wiggling in wait. Onward, yeah?

Following Lynley's lead, Tala raised her wand and entered the maze, her green eyes sweeping over the hedges and the path before them, searching for whatever might be hiding away from them. She looked calm, relaxed and she was, because this, in a weird way, was Tala's element. She nodded. "Constant Vigilance, yeah." Wasn't that a sort of Ministry... Motto, or something? It sounded vaguely familiar to the girl.

Unlike her companion, Tala's gait was not at all sneaky, it was slow, steady, almost leisurely, but she was hardly hiding away. She wasn't sure what to expect, but she was sure that she'd be able to take whatever it was on, even if her body was thrumming with nervous energy, she knew she could do this.

Okay, okay. Quick decision, gut decision. "Left." it was instinctive, without any planning or thinking behind it, probably not what Lynley had hoped for judging by the woman's seemingly more thoughtful nature, but Tala was not one for overthinking things, so left it was.

The path was so silent, eerily so, and Tala had to bite her tongue to keep from filling the silence with chatter, she needed to be able to hear whatever it was that might attack them... She'd heard talk of Dementors, Tala did not want to be caught off guard in that case.

Just out of Tala's vision, something slithered out from the hedges, two long, slithering sort of green vines that were slowly making their way toward the two women from just behind.... the vines were close now, snaking their way toward the shapely ankles so enticingly near...

SPOILER!!: SORRY TALA

Quote:

Originally Posted by nicole black

Following Lynley's lead, Tala raised her wand and entered the maze, her green eyes sweeping over the hedges and the path before them, searching for whatever might be hiding away from them. She looked calm, relaxed and she was, because this, in a weird way, was Tala's element. She nodded. "Constant Vigilance, yeah." Wasn't that a sort of Ministry... Motto, or something? It sounded vaguely familiar to the girl.

Unlike her companion, Tala's gait was not at all sneaky, it was slow, steady, almost leisurely, but she was hardly hiding away. She wasn't sure what to expect, but she was sure that she'd be able to take whatever it was on, even if her body was thrumming with nervous energy, she knew she could do this.

Okay, okay. Quick decision, gut decision. "Left." it was instinctive, without any planning or thinking behind it, probably not what Lynley had hoped for judging by the woman's seemingly more thoughtful nature, but Tala was not one for overthinking things, so left it was.

The path was so silent, eerily so, and Tala had to bite her tongue to keep from filling the silence with chatter, she needed to be able to hear whatever it was that might attack them... She'd heard talk of Dementors, Tala did not want to be caught off guard in that case.

Just out of Tala's vision, something slithered out from the hedges, two long, slithering sort of green vines that were slowly making their way toward the two women from just behind.... the vines were close now, snaking their way toward the shapely ankles so enticingly near...

LEFT? Lynley nodded and veered to the left side of the fork. All was quiet, and Lynley wasn't sure she could trust it. No....quiet was bad. "Do you hear something--" her whisper was sharp, cutting through the silent air like a knife. She felt...off. She could feel it.

Hmph.

And then..she felt it. The tiny, soft brush against her ankle. Lynley looked down and shot an instinctive stupefy at the plant, but looked over at Tala. "Devil's Snare-" she said immediately. Her ankles were completely wrapped around now, though. The plant acted fast. "We need fire--and lots of it--" because it seemed it was an enormous Snare.."I assume you know how to conjure flames--INCENDIO!" She cried, shooting a flame at the plant...it hit it, all right, and as soon as the flame slipped from her wand tip, the plant seemed to shrink back, quickly...

Rhydian straightened in what could very well have been viewed as an indignant nature as he watched the pixies scatter like dust on the wind. "I went through them in my head. None of them worked. Didn't have time to relate them to you."

What he was really saying, was that his brain worked faster than his mouth, as did his feet. It would be the first and last time she would ever hear such a thing from him.

As perturbed as he was by the attack of the fairies, the slightly more horrifying version of the dance of the sugarplum fairies, the smile didn't take long in coming. "Of course I could have. These babies weren't built just for looks." Had his sleeves been rollable, he might have done so and added a kiss to the flex of his bicep.

But the flex was short-lived, his hand already extending to take hers without a hitch or sign of pain at he comment. If anything, his grin widened as his fingers intertwined with hers. "After seeing what you can do with a wand, I'd be a fool not to."

Lex wasn't about to force the issue, not when she'd gotten in two explosions in the space of 5 minutes. With that she could content herself with just about any excuse Rhydian had to offer--like this one here. "Uh...huh. Right. I'm glad you didn't, otherwise I wouldn't have been able to do any of that and my wand would be left highly dissatisfied with the turn of events."

Turning a bad situation into a benefit. Bright side anyone?

Lex was all set to ignore his agreeing on going all day. Clearly he missed the fact it was a jab at his shrill screaming and she was more interested in heading down the maze before those pixies thought to come back so securing his hand in hers, she continued on. "Could have done something a little more epic but we don't need hedges on fire and large holes all over. No telling who else is walking the maze either and might have gotten caught in the cross fire." Shame too considering how long it had actually been since she'd last blown something up of notable size and worth.

"So what do you have against pixies? Not the right shade of blue for you? Shriller than you and you can't stand it?" One didn't scream like that without a story and this maze seemed to go one for a while. They had time and plenty of it.

It didn't take any convincing to follow her, though admittedly he was a little disappointed that she had spared no acknowledgement for his beautiful biceps. Some people just didn't know how to appreciate the finer points in life.

His eyes trailed over the hedges warily, as if expecting pixies to pop out from the foliage at any second. He could still feel their gross little hands tugging and pulling......A shudder went through him and for a brief moment his feet deviated him closer to his partner. It was a display quickly corrected and followed-up by a flick to a leaf sticking in his path. A reminder that he was a wizard. He could do magic. Maybe not against pixies like Lex, but he had his reasons.

Reasons which she apparently wanted to know. It brought a frown of dislike to his lips. "My brother used to set hordes of them on me. Thought it was hilarious." His tone indicated he had thought otherwise. Still did.

"What do you have against them, that you'd prefer blasting them to oblivion as opposed to stunning them?" And that, was Plan H.

There was that saying around the Department, something about constant vigilence and right now that was Rhydian. With the way he was walking and staring around you could swear he was expecting a flood. Lex watched him carefully when he ventured closer, wondering if she would need to use her wand on him afterall but he quickly fell back into the right step.

Lucky him.

The frown and most certainly that tone, hinted at the fact the story wouldn't be all that good to begin with--not for Rhydian at least. Listening on she could easily see why. "That's the problem with siblings." She grumbled, rolling her eyes only slightly. "Dunno why people gush over them so much. Annoying nuisances forever ruining things." Just look, his brother got him screaming higher than a girl at the sight of pixies. It was no great favour in the first place. "What'd you set on him?" .............He did get payback...right....?

Lex shrugged when the question was turned back to her. What did she have against them? "Absolutely nothing." They were...just pixies. Nothing particularly special about them and it didn't help that they were annoying. "I just happen to like explosions more than pixies. Choice wasn't all that hard to make. Already told you, only creature I've ever been good at caring is Felix." Everything else received the same indifference unless she was given reason otherwise.

He didn't think it was possible, to go from one extreme of smiling to such a deep frown so utterly quickly. But he did, and it wasn't leaving any time soon. "Take it you never had a good sibling then."

Sure, setting pixies on him wasn't exactly the trademark of 'good', but he would have taken that every day if he had to. "What did they ruin?" Because he most certainly wasn't answering her question, and that line of thought was far more interesting and appealing.

He risked a glance at her, suddenly realizing that he much preferred her carefree smile to this dark furrow of consideration and memory she had on her forehead. He was tempted to try and smooth it away, but stuck his hand in his pocket instead. "Bet you'd be good at some others too. If you could refrain from blowing them up first."

But pixies. They deserved it.

Just how accurate was that statement? What had Jessa done besides being born where and when she shouldn't have been? Sure there was touching what didn't belong to her and talking to her when she wished she would disappear but other people did that too and they were not despised nearly as much. Having no honest answer for him, Lex simply chose to counter with a statement of her own. "Take it you don't know what a good revenge plan is then." Didn't sound at all like he'd gotten by at the bugger.

And then this conversation began taking a dangerous turn; the same it had taken with Sabel nearly a year ago in a cafe with her in a shoulder sling. Lex could clearly remember the burning anger going through the man by the time she'd finished telling him exactly how her sister ruined things and she did not wish to see the same in Rhydian. Bad enough he was already frowning so there was really only one thing to say.

"I don't have a sibling." Might have been a tinge of guilt saying that but it didn't show and she quickly looked pass it. Disowning had to be better than bad mouthing, surely. "Just a general observation from watching the people around me who have siblings. They don't seem all that great is all."

She didn't bother considering what he'd just said, mostly because she didn't need to be good at other creatures. "Doesn't matter, Felix won't let me get other pets anyhow. No need to be good with them and I only blow up the exceptionally annoying." Like the pixies. She doubted he had protests on that front.

He didn't respond right away, not too sure if he even wanted to dignify that seemingly rhetorical question with an answer. There were several he could give, of course, but in the end he opted for a vague shrug of the shoulders. Who exactly could tell if this was a diligence exercise, or a way to screen new employees. Perhaps the leaves were microphones and cameras. Perhaps the pixies spies. Who, could really say?

His mood lightened a little at such ridiculous, but highly plausible thoughts and at the train of thought her next words deviated him to. A noise of some sort of acknowledgement left him, and he swung their hands between them a little, the frown fading and the lightheartedness returning. "Well, you should meet my sister. She'll likely want to adopt you, and then you can decide for yourself, first-hand, if siblings are 'great' or not."

At long last, the grin he had missed returned to his lips as he glanced at Lex. "Well, I'm glad you've made that distinction. Would feel rather uncomfortable if it was a prejudice towards fluffy tails or lolling tongues."

She would take his silence as understanding, mainly of the fact she didn't really want to talk about whether or not she had a good sibling. Jessa was an 8 year old girl. That was all she was. That was all she knew and the only reason she knew it was the 8 candles on the cake she was forced to stand before on New Years Eve. Merlin knew she had better things to do that night.

Had she not been aware of the fact Rhydian was slipping back into his regular mood, she might have allowed the cringe that bubbled up at the mention of not only meeting his sibling but being symbolically adopted by her as well. Needless to say, the nose wrinkling was unavoidable despite her best efforts. "I don't have the best luck with siblings. It's just not a good idea." Legit. No good with her own. No good with her friends'. Even Vivi's little brother had gotten into her bad books before he grew a brain and stopped ignoring her.

And look at that, he'd gone back to grinning. All good things happened when you pretended you didn't have a little sister, she was starting to be convinced and even allowed a chuckle. "I don't have a problem with canines, they just aren't the same as a kneazle." Even he couldn't deny that by virtue of the fact he was too big to fit into her lap and be cradled and forced into snuggles like Felix was. Not even getting into his lovely temperament that was nothing like the mean spirit in her kneazle. He said it himself, he was no attack dog and Alexa liked them vicious.

"You don't have the best of luck with other people's siblings." The arched eyebrow told her it was kind of like the 'lack of luck' she had with other things, that were proving to have exceptions. "You've never tried your luck with my sibling. Can't rightly and correctly say whether it is or isn't a good idea."

He stated it as a matter of fact. She could argue against doing something, but not against the truth of that point. Fact after all, was fact. Irreversible despite wants or perceptions.

A chuckle bubbled up inside him and he shook his head. "Thank Merlin we are not the same." Couldn't handle all that aloofness. And he was already high maintenance enough.

Alexa side eyed him then, knowing all too well where this line of conversation was bound to lead--or well trying to lead but she wouldn't be having it and relayed as much with the shake of her head. "Any sibling, doesn't matter, it's not a good idea." As adamant as she was on the matter, she did refrain from mentioning that the greatest problem would be reluctance on her part. Once her mind was set against something there was very little to be done about changing it.

"What makes your sister any different--and no, being your sibling doesn't count." Rhydian was his own person. The chance his mother had popped another one of him with longer hair and skirts was unlikely.

Somehow she managed the smallest of smiles as they moved back to talks of kneazles and pets and well, him actually because she felt that somewhere in the conversation he'd inserted himself. "It's good you're nothing alike." Lex agreed. "Felix would be less inclined to have you over otherwise. We'd have to start having pizza night at your place--though the fact you have a stocked fridge makes me inclined to think I should be crashing...there...anyway..."

Huh. Was it just her or was everything getting just a little colder? Had someone messed with the temperature charms in the place?

The next corner was taken with very little caution but the curiosity was growing. It was getting colder and the further she walked was the more she was convinced.

The smile that Rhydian gave Lex was not argumentative, but all too knowing. She tended to do things like this, make up her mind where evidence was lacking. And he tended to reciprocate with a suggestion to test the theory, one way or another, for one good or another. It didn't always work, and he wasn't interested in pushing. He was about new experiences, not about asking people to change.

But she had a good question, and it had him pursing his lips in thought. "Because she....just is." It was hard to explain. "She's...hard to explain." Truth. And hopefully intriguing enough truth. Then again, Lex's hesitancy might overrule any intrigue.

A shiver ran through him, and for a brief moment he thought that the breath from his sudden laughter could be seen in front of him. It wasn't really that cold, was it? "Agreed. It is definitely good."

Though...that fridge. Should he tell her? A sideglance was given, as well as another plume of breath. That was strange....

"It's only a mini fridge."

He was definitely seeing it now. Feeling it. The unnatural cold that breached clothing and skin barriers. And the world....it had gone strangely silent. Almost black. Rhydian's steps slowed and his grip tightened on Lex's hand, making sure she was still there, having the sickening recollection of......

That was when he saw it. When thought stopped along with breath and the beat of his heart. All for a moment that seemed to stretch into an age as the Dementor floated towards them, materializing out of the cold and darkness. An unwelcome specter among the living.

Lex had been listening, listening and surveying the general area while she waited on a response. Needless to say 'because she just is' didn't cut it for her one bit and the skepticism was evident in the way she side eyed him.

The skepticism, however, was replaced by a sort of wondering shortly after. "Why a mini fridge? With an appetite like yours that sort of thing seems useless unless you magically extended it." So really, why a mini fridge? Those weren't all that practical and they just didn't have that home-y feel to them. More like something you'd find in a hotel.

The thought of 'constant vigiliance' came to mind when Rhydian's grip tightened on her hand. Could only have been so many things...she was simply reluctant to believe it.

Couldn't be...there was just no way so when Lex caught sight of the hooded figure making it's way closer to them, carrying the chill with it, she didn't know what to make of it. There was no way it was real. This orientation wasn't only for the fully trained, even the new recruits were allowed in here and they might not have been as well prepared.

A pale and sickly hand reached forward, stretching toward them but even then she couldn't be convinced it was real. Might just be a boggart. That was possible wasn't it? Though...it wasn't her worst fear...."Don't suspect you're dealthly afraid of Dementors....?" And a step back just in case this really wasn't Rhydian's boggart and that thing had real intentions to suck their souls.

What was it with people and using extending charms? Sure, it made more sense for a fridge than for shoes But similar problems still stood. One was liable to loose an arm inside an extended fridge. Not to mention, did that mean a cooling charm also had to be used? And what happened if either charm failed? Then food was either lost, or spoiled. Both of which was a waste of money and well, good eating.

He would have said so, had the environment not been so distracting. Not to mention the presence of the dark creature. He'd never seen one before, and by the expression he caught on Lex's face from the corner of his eye, she likely hadn't either. Or, she had and simply couldn't believe what she was seeing. It was strange, a Dementor inside the ministry. One that looked and felt very real. But that wasn't his first concern.

He wasn't aware of when his wand had made it into his hand, but he was acutely aware of Lex taking a step back. One which he followed eagerly. Running, as appealing as it was, wasn't really an option. These buggers were fast.

"Hate to admit it, but my deathly fear is much more attractive." First and only time he would say such a horrid thing. Didn't seem like the Dementor much liked the comment either, it's mouth gaping open in a silent scream and endless black hole. Joy seemed to be sucked from the very air and death birthed in that hollow silence, as the form started hungrily towards them.

The silver light came from his wand without hesitation, collecting and coalescing into the raven he knew so well. The bird soared towards the black figure like an arrow of light. It halted inches before the Dark Creature, its wings snapping open, feathered arms blocking the Dementor's passage.

Yeah...she hadn't really been holding her breath on that one. Very faintly a voice questioned what did scare him so much more than pixies but this was hardly the time. It was like a repeat of her Third Year, being cornered by a Dementor up in the Gryffindor Common Room, only now it was a maze and she wasn't clinging desperately to one Alice Fischer thinking it wasn't the way she wanted to go.

Granted, she was currently thinking this was not the way she wanted to go but the circumstances were very much different. The feelings associated with it? Those were old.

There was a certain heaviness in the air; a sinking feeling of despair building up inside her. Of course she knew the only thing to do was cast a patronus to make it leave but her partner who was clearly a little quicker in thinking this time around than she was had already gotten to that. Happy thoughts weren't the easiest to come by right now but she found something; happiest memory she could conjure and cast at the Dementor sending a silvery blue cheetah darting from her wand and to the aid of the raven. Seemingly the less patient of the two, it snarled and made advances, forcing the creature further and further back.

"Come on, we'll take this way." Lex said, yanking at Rhydian's hand to pull him down the aisle in the direction opposite the Dementor. No need to stick around. Those patronuses knew what they were doing.