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Office of Department Head Harmony Skylark As you stand outside the office of Harmony Skylark, you'll notice a handmade crocheted sign that reads Check your harsh vibes at the door. It is wise to follow this advise before knocking as the department head will no doubt be checking your aura before you enter. When you step inside, you are overcome with the feeling that you've entered a giant blanket fort. Colorful fabrics cover most of the walls and where there is empty space, pictures of creatures magical and mundane are featured in over-sized bamboo frames. Please take a seat on one of the comfy couches that may remind you of your grandparents in both how they smell and feel, all the furniture here is second hand. And as the scent of incense fills your nostrils, your eyes will wander over to where Ms. Skylark is seated, cross-legged on a pillow right in front of her desk. Best not to ask questions. OOC: Feel free to come play! Visitors are always welcome! |
Jose walked by Harmony's office.. then stepped back. knocking on the door he called out "Harmony?" he knocked again and this time on his last knock it creeped open enough for him to peek his head through. "are you in here?" this time his whole body was in her office. Placing the box down he pulled out one of the bottles. "if I'm here might as well spray her office too, she did say spray the empty ones" he thought while starting to spray the back of her office. |
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When she did arrive at her office door, the creature lover was surprised to find it already ajar. Hm, that was interesting. The Department Head creeped closer Smiling to herself, the red head continued to sneak into the room and right up behind him, waiting until she was close to call out, "BOO!" Ehehehehe. Scared yuh. |
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"do you need me to do anything else? this was the last room that hasn't been sprayed yet so I thought I'd do it for you." he needed to explain why he was in her office, he didn't want her to think that he was snooping around or stealing anything, yeah that would be bad. |
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Harmony had herself a good laugh and when she was done, she wiped at the tears that had formed in her eyes and straightened up, clearly pleased with herself. "The opportunity presented itself and I simply could not pass it up." Seize the moment and all that, that's what Harmony lived by. And no, she wasn't bothered at all that he was in her office. Harmony was the trusting sort. Besides, she'd dealt with dragons in her past so a snooping employee didn't threaten her in the least. Since Jose wasn't snooping and seemed trustworthy, she simply smiled and picked up the bottle he'd dropped. "I appreciate your hard work, Jose. And no, I think that you've helped plenty." She did do a walk around the office, observing the spray job he'd done. Hopefully the Chizpurfles would get the message that their presence wasn't going to be tolerated any longer. Poor dears had been evicted as of now. "Tell me, did you spot anything suspect in your travels around our level?" |
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"oh your too kind" he bowed as she mentioned anything suspect, was he supposed to be keeping an eye out for anything other than the Chizpurfles, oh no.. Think Jose, Think .. "oh no sorry Harmony, I didn't see anything at first glance but if you wanted me to take another walk around and see if I spot anything I can" atta boy Jose, way to offer to do more work, thats just the way he was as he smiled at her some more. Picking up his transport coffee mug he felt its weight and it felt almost empty, shaking it lightly he confirmed that it was almost done.. "looks like I need more" Jose didn't go anywhere with out his coffee mug. |
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Very polite, this one. Harmony appreciated his manners and bowed her head, a small smile playing on her lips. As for his report on the happenings in the other areas of their level, she was relieved that he hadn't found anything. "No, no. You've done more than enough, Jose. I really do appreciate your work ethic." And Harmony turned and went to her desk, rummaging around in the top draw. "If you'll just...bring..." WHERE was her sandalwood incense? It had do be here SOMEWHE-OH! "This incense!" The red head held it up with a grin and wandered over to him. "If you'll just bring this to the work area on your way to refill your cup, that'd be great. That way others can light them as they see fit." She could tell many weren't enthused about the current smell permeating throughout level 4 so change was in order. |
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Taking the incense in his hands "sure, no problem" and wait was she a mind reader too?? "always need a cup of coffee" he laughed as he said his goodbyes "now if you ever need anything I'm always free" well he wasn't always free, he has been spending some time with Elizabeth he had just met when he first moved here and things were starting to get serious well he thought so.. *cough* "have a great day Harmony" he left as he closed the door behind him slowly so it wouldn't slam. |
He had a meeting with the boss. A MEETING with the BOSS. William was a little bit nervous about this--- no, he was a LOT nervous about this. His palms were sweaty and his nerves were tingling. He ran a hand through his hair as he waited outside Harmony's door to collect himself, then raised a hand and knocked. Helllllllllllllllllllllllllo? :3 |
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Rising from her seat, she sauntered over to the door and opened it slowly, head peeking out first before the rest of her was visible. "Ah William, so nice to see you! Please DO come in!" The red head stepped back to let him through, a radiant smile playing on her lips. It was so nice to be back! |
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"Hiiii," he replied awkwardly, shuffling in and making his way over to her desk, though he waited to sit down. He had to be on his BEST MANNERS today, as per his father's coaching. "Having a cuppa?" Willy thought he might try for some small talk, since he saw the mug on the desk and all. |
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Wandering along behind him, the department head followed towards her desk and settled behind it once again, indicating with her hand that he should sit. "Just finishing one, actually! Would you like some tea? Or maybe some baked kale chips? Just made a batch!" |
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He twiddled his thumbs and decided to unbutton that high-up top button of his shirt while he waited for the... fresh kale chips and tea. Being polite hum de dum, being patient... |
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She'd selected a dolphin mug from her collection because if she recalled correctly, he'd looked rather stunning in her dolphin print sarong, was it? Seemed fitting he'd keep the dolphin trend alive where tea drinking was concerned. And while the water was heating up, she brought out a container of baked kale chips and set them on the desk in front of him. "Did you know kale is good for the eyes! Keeps 'em healthy and all. I've found my eyesight has most definitely improved since I've started eating it!" YUP. She could definitely give him the recipe if he wanted! Once the water had warmed, Harmony poured it into the mug over some mint tea leaves. She then carefully placed it in front of William. Once the sugar and milk were set out, she sat back in her chair once again and smiled at him expectantly. "So, to what do I owe this pleasure?" Surely he hadn't just come for the tea. |
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"I like 'em," Willy approved in between munches. Oh, and there was the tea. He tilted his head as he picked up the mug and realized it was COVERED in dolphins. Dolphins. Great. Immediately, his thoughts flashed back to that time he'd had to give up his pants in order to save his boss from a mutant..... yeahhhh. His face was definitely reddening. But, even WWW could make the most of an awkward situation... "I feel like you chose this mug with a porpoise." That was the best he could come up with, and after adding some milk and a generous heaping of sugar to it, Willy hid his smile behind the brim for a moment. The tea was not bad too, probably better than the kale chips because of the sugar, so he took his time sipping it before he replied to her question. "Well," Willy held on to the mug as though the dolphins would help him out, "I've worked here for about... three, going on four years now, right?" Paaaaaaaause. "And I think I've done a pretty good job, pitching in with other divisions when needed, and you know, there was that mutant thing... and the chizpurfle thing...." And he'd still stuck it out despite all of THAT. Even men who played with baby dragons for a living seemed to have a touch more competency than this Ministry sometimes. But despite all of that... Willy set his mug down with a more serious expression. "I can't help feeling like I've been overlooked, Harmony, after all this time." Well, four years was a LOT of time to him. He hadn't even taught at Hogwarts that long. "I don't really know how you do promotions or payraises, but... I would have liked to have been considered for the Dragon Commissioner position. I would have liked to have been considered for any kind of promotion. Or raise. I... still would like to be considered. Really would. You know?" Maybe saying 'you know' at the end wasn't the best way to ask for a raise, but he was starting to get nervous again. Should he throw a PLEASE in there too?!? No, no, he needed to take a breath and wait for her reply... |
SPOILER!!: *pets him* "Ideal snack if you're trying to eat healthy but still crave crisps," Harmony shared, helping herself to a few too. She was thinking of bringing her recipe down to the food court in case they too wanted to share them with the ministry as a whole. Healthier food choices would surely encourage a healthier lifestyle and who could argue against that? The red head snorted at William's pun, clearly pleased with the word play. How very clever of him! And he was such a good sport about the whole mutant situation too which she had appreciated. A sense of humor and positive attitude were positive attributes and ones Harmony was pleased to find in her employees. "I'll have to remember that one for the future!" Ah yes, Harmony had expected to hear from him about this at some point. The department head sat back in her chair, an unwavering relaxed expression on her face. She was slightly hurt by his assumption that he'd been overlooked but she remained passive, letting him finish before she said anything. And yes, there was plenty to say. "First of all, thank you for coming to be about this. I appreciate when people are honest and open about their feelings and I'm glad that I heard your grievance from you." Because hearing it from someone else might have broken her creature loving heart, honestly. "And I assure you that your hard work has not been overlooked. I appreciate your dedication to this department and your willingness to help in all areas when needed, though there have been some concerns about your actions that were brought to my attention." She paused here and poured herself more tea, letting everything sink in. After adding a bit of milk to the tea, the red head continued on. "I was told, during our time in the vet clinic, that you were off doing some exploration, of sorts." And calling it that was probably generous as the department head who had approached her had deemed it trespassing, basically. "And in areas that you were not authorized to be in, according to the source. While I assured the concerned party that I had seen no issues with your behavior where your work was concerned, I could not let the complaints go unnoticed." Which was unfortunate. "In the higher positions, as I'm sure you're aware, you need to collaborate with other departments when necessary. I hope you can see why complaints from other departments about your motives were somewhat alarming. And so I decided to watch you and see if any more complaints came in." Deciding to let William speak up at this point, she clasped her hands in front of her and watched him curiously, her expression not unkind. "Do you have any comments before I continue?" |
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Then they got into the meat of this meeting. Willy had no idea how she was able to remain so calm through this all, when he felt like he was surely sweating through his shirt. Maybe he should have asked for a glass of cold water instead of the tea, so the mug stayed put on the desk. He listened without saying anything, only nodding slowly when Harmony thanked him, at least, for bringing up his issue. However, her reasons for overlooking him were.... ridiculous! RIDICULOUS! He knew exactly who she was talking about, who would have the NERVE to complain about a perfectly innocent tour. Only shifty people showed umbrage when faced by a few harmless questions! REALLY! You don't have to be a detective to figure that one out, folks! But Willy was really working on reining his temper in. Instead of saying anything, he too heard Harmony out, with only narrowed eyes and a somewhat clenched fist resting on the edge of his armchair. "I can collaborate with other departments just fine," Willy spoke up when she was finished. OF COURSE he had comments before she continued. "It just seems that other departments are less than willing to collaborate with me." He tried not to deliver that line too bitterly. "May I ask from whom the........complaints....... came? In all fairness, I probably should have filed a harassment complaint with HR back when it happened..." Because really, that MLE woman had been extremely unprofessional. Oh, and by the way? His motives had been INNOCENT. Harmless. SELFLESS, even. But he would explain, he would. He just wished Harmony had come to him sooner. |
SPOILER!!: William As Harmony was somewhat an expert at sensing vibes, the red head could immediately feel the change of vibes in the room as the topic of discussion shifted in a more serious direction. Not only that but William's aura was now quite muddied red, reflecting some anger. Harmony took this into consideration as she shifted in her seat, expression impassive. She was willing to hear everything that he had to say just as she'd heard the complaining party out at the time. It was only fair and as the dragon enthusiast seemed particularly upset about what had happened, perhaps it was best to give him a safe space to express his feelings without adding too much to the discussion. "Harassment is a serious allegation and I do hope that this matter can be fixed so that no one experiences any negativity like this in the future." As for the complaining party, Harmony had no qualms about saying who'd voiced concern to her. "Emily Browne was the one who came to me though she was speaking for more than just herself when she expressed displeasure with some of the things you were doing." The red head had not appreciated some of the things that had been said during that meeting but she kept an open mind all the same. "And I made it clear to her at the time that where your personal relationship is concerned, I had and have no desire or right to get involved. I do, however, have a duty to make sure that everyone's rights are being respected in the workplace." "Can I ask you what you were doing that created this animosity with the other departments? I don't mean to imply that it was mischievous, just that your presence in another department seemed to spark the conversation I had with Emily." Also, she was curious how things were now. "I'm also wondering if there have been any other altercations since we've returned to the ministry." |
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"Emily Browne," he repeated in a low voice, gathering his thoughts at first. "She approached me while I was at lunch across from the Ministry, when we were locked out. Actually, 'approached' is putting it mildly. She parked herself at my table and then proceeded to mock me all lunch hour. You know how I wore your sarong that time I gave up my pants? Well, despite the fact that I'm definitely NOT friends with her and don't know her well enough to understand her sense of humor, she seemed to think it was okay to insinuate certain things about my... masculinity because of the sarong. Like, nonstop insinuations and digs about it." Honestly, William COULD take a joke, but only for so long. And if it had been Oliver, for example, joking with him, the whole encounter would have gone differently. But the boss of his girlfriend being downright rude to him, and then having the nerve to complain about HIM? No. That was not okay. He did appreciate that Harmony told her his personal life wasn't her business though. As it should be! "I can tell you I didn't feel respected in that situation, at all, and I probably wasn't nice to her about her disrespect," Willy gave a shrug, "but it wasn't in the workplace, so... I think it was pretty unfair of her to complain." And even more unfair for him to be held back from a promotion because of it! So about the other department.... "I think..." he hesitated, and let out a small sigh, folding his hands together for a nervous moment, "are you asking about the Department of Mysteries? Because I swear I only went in there with a friend because we thought they might be behind the lockout. We were trying to check it out and make sure like, they WEREN'T hiding anything that might be related to the mutants or the magic gone wrong..." It was all Joćo's theory! Willy wasn't one to throw his friends under the bus though, not yet. "And we backed off when that guy freaked out." That Mysteries guy. William hadn't even helped with the Ministry break-in because he was there. See, he took his warnings and looked out for his own skin. As for any other 'altercations'.... William's ears AND cheeks took on a reddish hue. Why did he feel like he was sitting in his Head of House's office for a prank gone wrong? "No ma'am," he replied with a very serious shake of his head. |
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Okay. She was good. She was centered. "As I've said, anything that took place between the two of you in that setting, though I do frown upon it, is none of my business." So no, she was less concerned with that than with the other things Emily had brought to her attention during their talk. Things which William was shedding some light on now, actually. The now slightly more relaxed department head rested the stress ball on the desk and folded her hands, her attention on what the dragon expert was saying. "What happened in the Department of Mysteries alarmed several people." Harmony understood that William and his accomplice had good reason for going but still. "Pointing fingers and trespassing, no matter the reason, only points accusing fingers back at you and that seems to be what happened this time around." Which was unfortunate. "And while I do trust that you had the best intentions and I admire you wanting to get to the bottom of the lockout and the mutants, I think there were better ways to go about it." But all that was in the past, yes? Apparently so from what he was telling her. "Listen, William, I quite enjoy having you in my department. You're a hard worker and you're willing to get your hands dirty. You're also a team player which is something I value." And that's what she wanted to see more of. "Now while I do not have to justify my hiring a new Dragon Commissioner from outside the office, I do have another rather exciting position I've been wanting to fill and I'd like to promote from within." She just needed to see someone rise to the occasion and show that they could handle the job. "So I assure you that there is still room to grow but I need you to assure me that I can count on you to be more careful. Your actions reflect back on this department and while that may be unfair, it is life." |
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Maybe he should invest in one of those. Seemed to work for the boss lady. Willy nodded again and straightened up in his seat, no longer so tense. He raised his eyebrows instead, calmly listening for now. "I hadn't considered the...pointing fingers thing," he admitted. Huh. Had Joćo gotten a talking-to about this from his boss? He'd have to meet up with that kid later. He got the message, Harmony. Sneaking around was bad, even with good intentions at heart. He looked up when Harmony finally said some positive things about him. "I assure you," he spoke enthusiastically, "that I will think a little more before I ... do anything that could reflect back on the department. I will be much more careful." So, he understood. But did that mean he wouldn't be getting a raise for another three years or....? =( |
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"Now as you may or may not know, the ministry has spent a considerable amount of money what with the lockout and changing locations among other things." But the departments endured as they always did, making small sacrifices here and there to help. "But due to your hard work and dedication, I am willing to offer you a two percent raise." She smiled now, hoping this was something he would be receptive to. "How does that sound to you?" |
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He leaned forward a little and picked up his mug again, since most of his talking was hopefully done. Wily nodded at Harmony's explanation and, in the vein of thinking more before he acted, didn't reply right away. He made sure to take a good longgggggggggg sip of tea from the dolphin mug. "A two percent raise sounds great," he replied slowwwwwwly, cracking a small smile as he set down his mug, "but, is there any negotiation room on that?" Like, say, bump it up three percent? |
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When the dragon man did speak, Harmony let out a little laugh and shook her head at him. "You're something, William. Unfortunately at the moment, there is no wiggle room on this issue." But that didn't mean there wouldn't be another raise or promotion in his future. "Keep up the good work and perhaps we can meet back in a few months and re-visit the subject of a promotion. How does that sound to you?" |
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And he made his boss laugh. Well, no harm done there. He smiled broadly and gave Harmony a small shrug. "Alright, I'll take it then. Thank you SO much for hearing me out and everything. That sounds great." He stood up politely and offered her a handshake across the desk. |
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"My pleasure, William. Have a nice day." |
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Yay, that was all done then. William felt MUCH better walking out of the office than he had walking in. He was beaming as he made his quiet exit, deciding he should go find JanJan to tell her the good news |
we've brought a JUUUU! SPOILER!!: Derek! Ember started walking towards her head's office, and smiled back at Derek over her shoulder. "This way, my friend--" she said, and she giggled a little as she popped some more goldfish in her mouth. She stopped right outside the door and knoooocked. Right. Was Derek even a friend, though? Hmph. He didn't like her hug... She turned to look at Derek a bit. "It would be rude to just...walk in...you know...manners..." she explained, as if she were afraid he was going to feel impatient with her. He seemed to really want this mutants! Ember wanted to see le mutants, too! But she would TRY not to stick her nose in anything it didn't belong in--which, at the moment, wasn't much! Hehe. She popped another goldfish in her mouth. Yum. The strange-fake-cheesy goodness was GOOD. And little fishies were cute--but she couldn't think about this too much or she would feel bad about eating them! |
Haaaaai :3 Derek followed the girl and deadpanned when she called him 'my friend'. That was so weird he didn't know what to think. So he just left it. He also avoided eye contact with bluehead. Once they stopped at the door, she knocked and explained why she had done so. .....Riiiight, he knew that. Merlin, when he thought that girl couldn't get any weirder... The crunchy sound she was making as she chewed the goldfish made him uneasy for some reason. It felt like it was timing the really long time it was taking for the Department Head to open the door. He tried not to look too nervous as they both waited. |
Helloooooo :3 Harmony was seated lotus-style on a large pillow in front of her desk. The red head had her eyes closed and was currently trying to calm herself given the situation at Hogwarts and the upcoming physical fitness exams she was meant to give. So much to do, so little time. Thank Merlin she was so ace at centering herself. Her aura could use a bit of brightening. "OOOOOOOM. OOOOOOOOM. OOOO--Come in!" |
And still no response from Derek, but this was okaaay! Poor bloke was probably just nervous! She sighed and turned back to the front. Waiting for Miss Skylark to answer. AND SHE DID YAY. Well, she didn't open the door, but she DID tell them to come in. Ember waltzed inside and looked very excited to see her boss--on the floor! Yoga? Meditation? Whatever the case, she beamed at her boss. "Hi, Harmony--I--well--" and she suddenly plopped down and got into the same position as Harmony and before to breathe iiinnnnn deeply...and out. And she neeeeeded to calm herself down because she just got excited so easily! And then she wouldn't be able to spit out what she needed to! Sooo yeah. All relaxed and sitting and eyes closed...she siiiighed, releasing one more breath before opening her eyes and looking up at Derek. "Well..my friend here...from...which department?" She laughed a little because she couldn't remember! Silly Ember. Was he an Accidents guy? Probably! Yeah yeah, it was Accidents and Catastrophes! "He has mutants he needs to attend to, apparently, and I had NO clue what he was talking about so I thought I'd bring him hereeee!" she said, in a sort of sing-song voice. "This is very relaxing, Harmony..I should do this...more often.." she said, nodding a bit and giggling a LOT. |
Derek had a serious, but confused expression on his face when they were invited in by the Department Head, and he was utterly shocked when the blue-haired girl opened the door. What......... the flobberworm was all that? My..... whoa. That woman was insane. Or both women were. Amber was now also on the floor doing the exact same thing as... Harmony. Merlin, why couldn't he have one normal day in the Ministry? Derek felt awkward as he was the only one still standing, but didn't sit down or anything. That would've been worse, he was sure. He simply stood there watching the two of them as they did their yoga - in a very inappropriate time, in his opinion. He gulped once or twice before Amber spoke up again, explaining the situation. "Accidents and Catastrophes." The lab technician said, blinking at Harmony. Surely she knew him, didn't she? And the Department Head definitely knew which mutants he was referring to. "I need... to collect some more samples." Derek thought it would be sensible to tell her. Although he didn't think any more explanations were needed. What he was going to do with the samples was his business. Well, the Ministry's business, but he didn't feel like going on about his job. They'd understand that, yes? Hopefully they would. |
Ember had a lovely aura about her, did she know? Harmony smiled warmly at her as she joined the department head in her relaxation exercises, happy to have the company. She wasn't at all bothered by Derek's refusal to sit, either. His aura revealed just as much about his opinion on her as Ember's did. "Ah yes, Accidents and Catastrophes!" The creatures lover smiled up at the lab technician and nodded in understanding. "Lovely department and I'm familiar with your work, Derek! I'm so glad you'll be continuing your work with those poor dears." The mutants, she meant. Despite the destruction they'd caused, they still deserved to be treated with love and respect. "Thank you so much for bringing him to me, Ember. So helpful!" Beaming all around! "I was actually thinking about starting up a yoga club," Harmony shared, pleased that her employee was showing an interest in a practice that she so revered. Now was not the time for this discussion, though. Back to Derek. "The mutants are resting comfortably in our creature holding room. If Ember wouldn't mind escorting you there, you can take the samples you need down to your lab." |
She was relaxin', enjoying her time on the flooooor. Samples. Samples. Samples. Samples. She said the word over and over in her head before--OH. Derek! She snapped out of it and nodded. Right. She wasn't here to do yoga with her boss--unfortunately--she was here on work stuff! Well, work stuff for Derek. Oh! It might be the poor Chizpurfles, huh?! Wouldn't Ember like to see those! Now she was REALLY beamy and smiley! OH. YOGA CLUB. She hopped up and squealed. "Oh--Harmony--You SHOULD! I could help! I would JOIN! I would post flyers EVERYWHERE if you wanted to! Oh my that sounds so FUUUUN!" she said, bouncing around the office like a ball or something--right, Ember, caaaaalm down. She took a few deep breaths and then looked at her boss once more. "And all right--I'll take him--my pleasure--we're pals--" she beaaaaaamed at Derek and played with her hair a little. Uh - HUH. "Come on, then Derek--let us go see these little mutants!" she cried, waving at her AWESOME boss and heading towards the Holding Room. |
Derek gave Harmony a short nod when she acknowledged his Department and that she was familiar with his work. He pursed his lips at her next comment, though. Poor dears? Poor dears????? Did she know those horrible creatures had DESTROYED his lab??? She either didn't remember it or she simply didn't care. Derek didn't approve of either option. The lab technician kept a serious, almost impatient face when the women started talking about Yoga again. Oh Merlin. It wasn't like he had all the time in the world, you know?? He had work to do! Actually, did these two even know they were BOTH being paid to be working at the moment as well? They were finally going to see the mutants. Finally. Derek gave Harmony another nod as he turned around and left the strangest office he had ever set foot into. |
__Through the standard means and secure delivery postage channels, a very important piece of owl mail is placed on the Magical Creatures Department Head's desk. The missive is on special letterhead and sealed with a lime green wax seal.
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Harmony had just finished a most delicious seaweed and lemon smoothie and was about to do a mid-morning stretch when she took note of the unusual letterhead. The red head glanced curiously at Cupcake who was curled up lazily at her feet, a small smile playing on her lips. "Let's see what they've got in store for us today, shall we?" Health Evaluations, huh? That was interesting. The creature crazy department head always did her best to ensure that her employees worked in a positive aura-enticing environment so to see that St. Mungo's thought something like this was necessary made her raise her eyebrows. Perhaps a yoga club at the ministry wasn't so far-fetched after all. Deciding her stretch would have to wait, she pulled a fresh piece of parchment towards her and began to scribble. Surely this was notice board worthy, yeah? When she'd finished, Cupcake was carefully nudged to the side and Harmony sauntered her way out of the office and towards the notice board. She could think of a few employees in particular who might not want to have their daily routine interrupted by these examinations but it was for the best. Perhaps she too would go and get a check-up. Perhaps. |
'Check your harsh vibes at the door' Naturally, the man had questions. Plenty of them. But they seemed to be answered with one word and one word only: eccentric. His vibes weren't harsh, by the way. They were urgent. They were more of the almost-panicked state that the thirty year old was currently in. But harsh? No. Vibes checked and a mental prayer sent out to Merlin that the Creatures Head currently was inside and not in the middle of changing, Bryce knocked on the door and waited. He wasn't exactly sure what he would do if she wasn't in. Turn around? Send off a Patronus? Wait by her doorstep like some sort of keen crup? The last one wasn't him, just like it wasn't very Bryce Howell to be standing there growin more and more impatient as the time wore on. So, he was going to read over the notes he had made. The scrawls. The messy handwriting that he was starting to have trouble understanding, mainly because his attention wasn't fully on the piece of parchment. Come on, Skylark, open up! |
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Hearing a knock, the red head was brought back to the present and she smiled serenely. Visitors were so lovely and she did hope that whoever it was enjoyed kale chips. She'd just brought in a fresh batch so they were extremely crispy. "Come on innnnn!" |
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... ... This woman was mad. Insane. Was this an office or the inside of a large blanket fort? Was she holding small meetings here or a group yoga session? Was she really a Department Head or someone's grandma who had been taking one too many youth rejuvenation potions? The wizarding world won't know the answer to those questions and, frankly, Bryce didn't want to either. The man didn't even have any words, funnily enough. He simply stood there, opening and closing his mouth and trying to find the words to describe..... this. Words, Howell. Words. Gathering up his senses, the man looked over at the Creatures Head. "You have a, er, interesting set-up here." Not his usual harsh words. You're welcome, Harmony. "I got an interesting visit from one Headmistress Truebridge of Hogwarts," he said, moving further into the room and glancing around it again before settling on the Head, "Remember that meeting we had a while ago? Well, it turns out that Hogwarts has an infestation of............" Merlin, what was it? The man unfurled his piece of parchment and glanced at it. "Chorts! Infestation of chorts." Did she know what those were? Care to enlighten him? "They're in the forest and causing the wintery weather conditions. The Floo lines are faulty and a team needs to be sent by the 1st." As for the digging, he gave his messy scrawl a weird look before disregarding that. Whatever it was, it wouldn't help them. The piece of parchment was scrunched up but he kept his hazel eyes on the woman. "She wants us to work together to drive them out and restore the weather. So are you in?" She'd better be. |
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"Isn't it cozy? I find that one works best when they're in a comforting environment. This design reminds me of the RV I grew up on." The red head wore a dreamy expression as she stared off into the distance, lost in thought. It took Cupcake moving from her place by Harmony's feet to shake her out of it. What did Bryce want again? "Chorts! Merlin's beard, I didn't think they migrated anywhere near Hogwarts. That is truly strange indeed." The department head got up and went to her bookcase, scanning the shelf. "I know I've got some information here som--Here it is!" And Harmony removed a large leather-bound book from the shelf, scanning through before stopping somewhere in the middle. "This is a Chort." The creature-crazy department head had moved towards her environmentally conscious companion, letting him see the large picture that took up most of the page. "Dreadfully aggressive and smart. They won't be easy to get rid of but I'm up for the challenge." She smiled now, her expression enthusiastic even. "I suppose we'll need to assemble teams." |
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Riiiiiiight. Not the time. And not the time to daydream, either? But he'd let her have this one. Kind of needed information and help from her. Which she went onto do. Thank Merlin! "Maybe they decided to go on holiday," Ha. Ha. Throat!clearing. "I was so sure it'd be the Cold Ones after that meeting." Which, thinking back to it, meant that their source was unreliable, as always. Bloody Quibbler. Bryce leant a little closer to look over the woman's shoulder and at the picture of the-- "Gulping Gargoyles, that thing's uglier than the Venus Flytrap!" More menacing looking too. Again, he was glad that he wasn't in the Creatures Department. Give him a flesh eating plant, any day. "Put together a team of weather experts and Chort experts. Or people good with defensive spells. Think you have enough?" He had one that he was going to be relying heavily on. Just the one. Hazel eyes landed on the woman again. "How do we get rid of them?" |
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Bryce's little joke about the Chort earned confused looks from Harmony. He really should stick to his day job, poor guy. Great effort, though. "I thought there was a strong possibility it could be them but I must admit, I'm glad it's Chorts instead." Cold ones gave her the heebie-jeebies. "I wouldn't say ugly! It simply has a look that supports it's survival in its natural environment." The red head ran a finger over the picture and then tapped the mouth area. "I've got some people in mind who might be helpful in a situation such as this. They'll need to be prepped, though. No one has had to deal with Chorts in these parts for quite a long time." Harmony placed the book down on her desk and leaned against it, eyes locked on Bryce's. His question was a good one and she had an idea but it wasn't exactly fool-proof. "These creatures are territorial. They'll want to have control over an area for breeding and feeding purposes. Perhaps if we bring in something that'll challenge their residency, a bigger creature, it'll drive them to try and fight or flee." And then she added, "They're smart and we won't have much time so if they do come for the creature we bring, we'll need to capture the Chorts immediately so that we can return them to their native land." PAUSE. "What do you think? You in?" |
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His little joke hadn't gone down well with the woman but he was going to pretend that it didn't sting him a little. "I must admit: I'm not looking forward to facing any of these creatures." Chorts. Cold Ones. Why was she defending these creatures? They wouldn't defend her if it came to that kind of situation. Eat her, he was sure of it. Destroy her, even. "Sure you'll be fine once you have a plan that everyone sticks to." Which she did. Thinking about it in terms of creatures wasn't helping but plants? Sure. Bryce nodded slowly as he took it all in before piping up, "The creature can't be too big or untameable. We're flooing to Truebridge's office, after all." Or going to try and do so. Fingers crossed that the Floo Network would work in their favour. "Okay. I'm all up for that plan. And I have some spare snowsuits somewhere." Meaning that they were good to go. All they needed were their respective teams. "Think you can meet me in the break room with your team when you're ready?" |
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"We'll be okay. I have a good feeling about this mission." And while it wasn't ideal, considering they'd be facing creatures who could possibly destroy them, it was sort of exciting. "I'll have to consider our options, creature-wise, then. I'm sure we'll come up with something good." And she'd need competent employees to accompany her, ones with experience where dangerous situations was concerned. "Ah yes, protective outerwear will be perfect. I suggest using the Impervius Charm on those as the Chorts have extremely harmful bodily fluids." As for them meeting up in the break room when her team was assembled, that sounded good to her. "We'll be there soon, then." And with that, they had their plan. Now they just had to set it into motion. |
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"Good. I'm guessing at least one of us would need a clear head for this." Meaning to take a few breaths and have a pastry, Howell. Bryce nodded again at her words. "Big and mighty but not too big." But who was he to mention what kind of creatures she should bring along? If it was plants-based, the man would have been jumping for joy at the idea of bringing along a flesh eater. Creatures being able to produce harmful bodily fluids -- no urine, please -- was exactly what they needed, wasn't it? It was the bad icing on a cake, the sour cherry in a bowl of fruits and that pesky thorn on a rose. Perfect. /sarcasm "I'll charm all the suits, then." Or get Ronnie to. "Thanks for the heads up." Good. She agreed with his plan. Perfect, even. And no sarcasm there. "Okay, I'll leave you to it, then." The thirty year old gave the woman another nod before turnin on his heel and heading out of her office. |
Hadley smelled the familiar scent of the Magical Creatures department. She had missed it. Now she was back. After what had felt like a million years spent on her world adventure to delve into the depths of the spirit world, she had returned to continue writing her book, and to put all of her knowledge to good use for the ministry. She had managed to do a fair bit of research with Poltergeists, too, and was fortunate, or
unfortunate enough, to have been invited to a manor on the top of a very steep cliff in Switzerland to live with a family of Poltergeists for a month. Well, not a family so much as a
gathering of. She approached the office of the department head, and saw that there was indeed a new department head. Well, actually, they probably weren't new to the job anymore. It had been a very, very long time since Hadley had been here. She looked at the sign on the door 'Check your harsh vibes at the door' and raised her eyebrows slightly. What did this mean? Obviously she was about to enter an office of friendly vibes and positivity? She could only hope so. After all, she had not really had much to do with the previous two department heads who had been there at the same time as she, and Hadley was certainly happy to meet someone who preferred to stay away from harsh vibes. Hadley sure hoped she wasn't carrying any harsh vibes. A lot of the grief she had suffered from the previous few years was, hopefully, gone. She felt at peace now more than ever, like she had a new outlook on life. At second glance, she saw that the sign had been crocheted. Hadley was certainly impressed. She raised her hand and rapped at the door three times, waiting patiently for an answer. |
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Hearing several knocks on her door, she set the papers in her hand aside and sat up straighter. "Come in!" Perhaps a visit would help ease her restless soul. |
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Wow. Hadley looked around, her mouth open slightly. She did a full 360 look of the room and felt the corners of her mouth pull up. "Oh I love this office!" she remarked, walking closer to the Unit Head, almost regretting saying that. Probably not the greeting Hadley had in mind. "Hi, we've not met before. My name is Hadley Willowgrass, I'm one of the Spirit Liaison Officers, I've just been on leave for the past few months," she said warmly, offering her hand. "I just got back today and wanted to come in and introduce myself and get a bit of a handover, as such, of what's been happening lately." |
A paper crane flew inside the office and landed on the table. It bears the handwriting of the Junior Undersecretary. Quote:
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From Gavin's Office He did not make anyone cry and he would not be taking the blame for such a thing. No. Only way would be if they'd gotten as far a holding cell. That was his idea and in that case it'd have been his fault but all that, he had little part in. Gavin walked with the women down to Harmony's Office as the general consensus seemed to be. They would be getting this young woman off their hands then he could get Emily her sweets and the rest of the day could be salvaged in some way or another. Most likely with him spending a little extra time after closing hours. Sigh. At the door, he gave a few light taps before swinging it open. No vibe check--what even was that??? Hopefully she wasn't busy--she couldn't be because this was about her employee and his sanity. Gavin held the door open for the other two to enter before he did. |
*dies a little* Ember felt like she was back at school...only...Ember NEVER got in trouble ever in her ENTIRE life. She was a perfect student! And the only reason she was in trouble NOW was because the meaaaaaan Undersecretary was against sparkles. And flowers. Admittedly, maybe he was allergic to flowers. Was that why he had been soooo grumpy? Oh! That would make So much sense. He wasn't again happiness...he just was allergic to flowers. EMBER HAD FIGURED IT OUT. Her lavender eyes were still a bit red and puffy--but she tried to compose herself. Harmony was a nice lady. maybe she'd argue on Ember's behalf? MAYBE? Sighing, she just followed the two meanieheads and then.... HE JUST WALKED RIGHT IN?! "You should wait until she says to come in, you know. Harmony is a busy woman--what if she had been meditating?" she said softly to him. How RUDE. She was starting to think flowers weren't the only thing he was allergic to. He was also allergic to KINDNESS and MANNERS as well, it seemed. |
Displeased. She was very displeased for having been roped into this mess. Waste of time. Crier. More wasting time. She was going to demand a selection of the most expensive pastries, even if they weren't as good as cinnamon scrolls. She was feeling mildly spiteful in light of recent events. Emily kept pace with Gavin and the Ember woman - only, she purposefully maintained a half stride gap between herself and the woman. Harmony had best sort out this employee, Merlin knew she did nothing about Williamson when she had reported his behaviour. Woman was probably taken by the appearance of the man and his legs, or something, completely and utterly unprofessional. Nevertheless, this was happening. The comment regarding meditation made her insides turn to stone. Some people didn't prioritize well. Rather than silence the woman again, or speak out, Emily opted to remain quiet as she moved passed Gavin into the office space - not that it looked like one. It resembled a hippy commune more than anything else. Or a flee market. Too bright, too smelly, too eclectic to be functional. |
Different TLs for my sanity, okay? OKAY ^_^ SPOILER!!: Hadley and message from McMillan "You do?" Harmony simply beamed at the woman, pleased with this reaction. She was used to raised eyebrows and question looks so to receive a genuine compliment about her decorating skills was very unexpected. "I'm so glad. I find that it makes it more homey and much more relaxing." Helped her to keep up her positive persona in such a stressful environment. Willowgrass, yes. "Yes, I've heard of you. It's a pleasure to finally meet you in person, Hadley." The red head accepted her hand and gave it a squeeze, trying to get a feel for the woman's aura. Orangey-red. Harmony approved. After releasing Hadley's hand, Harmony gestured to the empty sofa and smiled warmly. "Well welcome back. You can call me Harmony and I'm pleased that you came in for a visit. We've been quite busy around here-" Just then, a paper crane caught Harmony's attention. She raised her eyebrows and as she caught hold of it, curious. "I'll just be a moment, Hadley." She had said it'd been busy, right? After scribbling a quick reply, she sent off her own paper dolphin and returned her gaze to the woman across from her. "Sorry about that. As I was saying, we've been quite busy. Tell me, have you heard anything about the recent goings on here while you were away?" SPOILER!!: Gavin and Ember and Emily, oh my! People could say what they would about Harmony's behavior in the work place but she would never just barge into someone's space without being invited. It was rude and not to mention intrusive. Harmony's office was her tiny space in the entire ministry where she could have time to herself to work on things and Gavin, Emily, and Ember's arrival was met with a slightly annoyed and surprised red head. She stood, hands on her desk, and eyed the three with raised eyebrows. "Ember, have you been crying?" The woman's eyes were quite red and puffy, not how she was used to seeing such a vibrant soul. "What's happened?" That question was addressed to the other two. If they weren't going to bother with pleasantries, Harmony wouldn't either. |
SPOILER!!: Harmony Hadley nodded, of course she did. The colours, the comfort… all amazing. She was slightly surprised about Harmony's reaction though, did other people not like it? She agreed whole heartedly, homey and relaxing, this office was. She was pleased to hear a different accent, too. So many british accents around the ministry, obviously, but she liked a change in what she heard. "And a pleasure to meet you too, Harmony," she replied, following the offer and taking a seat. Oh, SO COMFORTABLE! Did she have to leave and go back to her desk? She wondered if she could have a chair this comfortable there. Although she probably wouldn't get a lot of work done. Hadley watched as a paper crane soared in. She smiled politely, understanding that it had been busy. Obviously. Hadley listened to Harmony speak of how busy it had been recently. Did she mean in the Ministry or just the Department? Hopefully she hadn't put the team at stress from her absence. Goings on? Hadley frowned slightly, trying to think, "No, I'm terribly sorry. I've had my head in the sand whilst I was away, unfortunately. I'm not sure what's been going on at all." She felt terrible, she should have at least tried to write her boss to see if there was work she could have done to help, but she didn't think to. She had been trying to focus on her research, and also having a break from her life in London, to save her mentality a bit. |
SPOILER!!: Hadley "No matter, Hadley. I'm more than happy to clue you in on what's been happening around here." Harmony reached into one of the drawers in her desk and pulled out a tin of fresh kale chips. After removing the lid, she slid them towards the woman across from her. "Just made a batch of these. Please help yourself while we talk." Merlin knew the department head would be. "Recently, the department has been holding several mutants that escaped from a lab. The Accidents and Catastrophes team has been working closely with us while they try and figure out just what mutated the creatures and how we can return them to their original state, if that's possible. It's been made more stressful given that they've all recently fell ill, acting agitated and self-destructive. We've had to keep people in the holding room just to make sure they aren't hurting themselves while in their cages." That was one of the big things she'd been personally attending to. "The dragon research and restraint bureau recently partnered up with Gringotts to run a seminar for university students which went swimmingly." Let's see, what else. "Also, our department's own Jose Mora from the Pest Sub-Division is running for Minister of Magic as Albert Kettlebern will be leaving his post." So yes, they'd been quite busy around here lately. After grabbing herself a few kale chips, the red head turned her attention to Hadley's travels. "Would you mind sharing with me what you've been up to while you were away?" Because Harmony was simply fascinated by spirits. |
Leaping it's way unceremoniously through the wall of the office, a Tasmanian devil positioned itself at the feet of the Creatures department head and wiggled its nose excitedly for a moment. In the next instance, the patrnous ran semi circle around her chair, lifting itself up into the air as if it were climbing an invisible spiral staircase and stopped right in the middle of the desk. |
SPOILER!!: Harmony "Thank you," Hadley said. She didn't think there would be anything worse than starting back at work, day one, not having any idea what was happening. Of course she could ask her colleagues, but really, mixed messages and everything? She'd rather just go straight to the top. And besides, Harmony didn't seem to mind, which was nice. Then she pulled out something green, probably mouldy. Oh, no, they weren't mouldy. Hadley was glad she didn't say anything to Harmony that would have been embarrassing. "Wh-what are they?" she asked, picking one up and looking at it. Was it a dried leaf? She put it in her mouth and chewed it. Mmm, not bad. Definitely not mouldy! Hadley's eyes and mouth widened as she listened to what had been happening. Mutants? Ill mutants? Self-destructive, Ill mutants?!? Hadley closed her mouth and gulped, her eyebrows now sky high. "OH! Merlin's BEARD!" she gasped. "It's not really my area of expertise, but is there something I can do to help?" she asked. Unless they died, she hadn't the ability to really communicate with them, but she could be shown how to do things, if they needed. At least that was the worst news. She was pleased her colleagues were doing things like running seminars for university students, and running for Minister of Magic. "Oh wow, I didn't know the Minister was leaving! How come?" Well, how come indeed, everyone had their own reasons for leaving. She, herself, had to leave briefly. "Good on Jose for running for Minister though." Oh my, they had been very busy indeed. And now it was her turn to talk. "Of course! Well, before I left I had been writing a book, something I hoped might get turned into a text book for a university or school, I suppose, on spirits. Specifically on communicating with spirits. It's divided into areas such as speaking with the recently departed, the very old souls, and Poltergeists, which I had never even thought of including in my book. I went around the word in search of Ghosts, and it was magnificent. I really did spend some time with Poltergeists, trying to understand the way they live and communicate, and how to communicate with them. You didn't attend Hogwarts, did you?" she asked, assuming due to the accent. "There was a, well probably still is, a Poltergeist there. When I was there nobody but one of the House Ghosts could communicate with him, and I just found it fascinating getting to understand how this Ghost was able to control him. I wouldn't say I'd like to control them, but just being able to understand why they do the things they do is information enough, I think." She paused to have another kale chip. "I stayed in houses said to be haunted, and indeed I met families of ghosts, ranging from new to ancient. They were mostly very nice, they gave me time to ask them questions. Some of them, mostly the newly departed, didn't want to give me their time. The older ghosts have a much better view on time, you see they know they have infinite time, but the newly departed don't, their view of time is still how we would view time; precious. Some of the newly departed spoke to me about how they found out they had become ghosts, and how they had to build up the skill to be able to interact with humans." Realising that she was probably rambling on, she stopped talking, and took a breather. "That's more or less what I've been doing," she concluded, hoping Harmony wasn't bored with her adventures. |
SPOILER!!: You three!! He shouldn't have been quite so amused at the subtle look of annoyance the woman wore but...he was. Turns out he wasn't such a nice person. Go figure. It added some dimension to her though, and that was what amused him; the fact she wasn't all rainbows and pulsating auras all the time. All things being equal, he might start considering her a functioning human being capable of complex emotions that didn't involve creeping him out. This was almost worth the walk, almost but no. The Senior Undersecretary was still largely peeved at the situation. "Yes, she has been crying." He responded, getting that out of the way from the very beginning. "She'd have flood my level with the tears if she could and it wouldn't bother her anymore than coming onto my level and deciding to have a go at redecoration." Was she catching what he was saying? "I don't know the tasks you give to pest control," and really it was none of his concern, "but I'd appreciate if in future, it didn't end with her on my Level, brandishing her wand about and changing it's setup. It's a bit intrusive." Like them barging in right now. That was the point. Intrusion didn't feel too good, did it? |
Ember nodded at Harmony, but stayed quiet, glancing from Emily to Gavin and then back to Harmony. The MLE head was being oddly quiet--Ember wondered what Emily saw in her poop of a boyfriend. He was clearly--well--A MISERABLE SOUL. But Ember wouldn't judge him OR hate him for that. He probably had reasons behind this. All Ember could do was just.....love him regardless. Which might be hard--BUT THE RIGHT THING TO DO. At least, that's what she'd imagine her mother would say later on. She shot a look at Gavin, though, when he spoke. "What--I WOULD care if I flooded your floor--that would be HARMFUL--" see? And her sparkles and flowers she had tried decorating with were NOT harmful...like like TEARS, okay? And then...his tone..his voice...it was all so...accusatory with Harmony, and Ember found herself glaring at him with her round, lavender eyes. "Excuse me--but--" she kept her voice light and friendly, but firm, that was for sure. "This was NOT Harmony's idea--it was all mine--I thought your level could use some CHEERFULNESS. Don't blame Harmony for my actions." She finished and could almost FEEL her lower lip trembling--being so firm was HARD for her and being so....well, Ember felt almost mean. And now she felt a bit bad--but she felt something else much, much stronger. NO ONE TALKED TO HARMONY LIKE THAT. OKAY? GOT IT? "And you hardly gave me time to explain. And everything I conjured was to disappear within the day. AND you just whisked me away to your office--and threatened to LOCK ME somewhere--" she reminded him, but turned her gaze towards her boss. She was feeling less.....vulnerable with Harmony around. Because she felt less alone..."I am sorry my actions offended you, Undersecretary." Hmph. And she was keeping her thoughts to herself about getting his girlfriend involved. But she WAS proud of herself for growing a spine. If only for the defense of Harmony--it was still there. She pulled out her tin that Dmitry had given her and held it open to Harmony. "Pastry?" she asked softly, smiling at her. She knew Harmony mostly ate super healthy things, so she wouldn't be offended if Harmony didn't want one. |
SPOILER!!: Hadley and Aron's patronus "Kale chips! I just use fresh kale and bake it in the oven. Add a bit of olive oil and salt and you've got yourself a delicious snack." A snack Hadley seemed to enjoy which was definitely a relief. Harmony looked pleased as he helped herself to a chip as well. The expression on Hadley's face in response to the mutant news was not at all surprising. Harmony wore a somber expression as she placed a hand over her heart, silently hoping the mutants were safe and comfortable as they spoke about them now. "I'm not sure what you can do other than help us keep watch. I so appreciate you wanting to help, though." Teamwork was something the red head valued in the work place. As for the woman's time with spirits, Harmony sat and listened intently, fascinated by her employees adventures. "That sounds lovely. It's been so long since I've been on a research trip." And being out in the field among the creatures was really what Harmony liked best, though she was certainly at home here in the ministry. "I'd be interested to explore what you said about the newly departed ghosts, actually. Perhaps we can set up some sort of transition pamphlet that might be helpful for them." And she would have said more but just then a familiar patronus interrupted them, causing the department head to smile. So many interruptions today. When the Tasmanian Devil left them, Harmony clapped her hands together and stood. "Well Hadley, looks like you'll be able to help the mutants after all! Feel like jumping right into things again?" The department head was already getting a container for the glumbumble treacle transport and holding it out. "If you wouldn't mind, I'd really appreciate you getting some treacle and the few glumbumbles we have in the holding room and bringing them over to the Greenhouse and Laboratory on our floor. Tell them Aron from Accidents and Catastrophe's requested the delivery." SPOILER!!: Ember and Co Well. Harmony's mellow was sufficiently harshed at this point and her eyes darted from Gavin to Ember and then to Emily, clearly not a fan of what was being revealed to her. It was only when her employee offered her a pastry that she stood and shook her head, ready to speak. "No thank you, Ember." Now was probably not the time for such things. "First of all, I don't think anyone here should make assumptions about any one else's intentions. I highly doubt Ember meant to cause anyone any harm or discomfort by doing what she did. I also don't appreciate your tone, Gavin, or your intrusion. If this is some kind of passive aggressive attempt at retaliation, it's a bit childish. We're all adults here." And the red headed department head was an adult with a seriously upsetting aura color, okay? "Ember, while I appreciate your want for others to work in a cheerful environment, I do not condone your going to other levels to decorate as you see fit. In the future, please do run your plans by me so that I can communicate your ideas to the other department heads." She was completely calm and even-toned as she spoke, her mood hard to read. "And Gavin, Emily, I sincerely apologize on Ember's behalf though I don't think her actions are cause for threatening to lock her anywhere." Seriously, threatening people was not an adequate way to deal with something as minor as unwanted decorations on your level and she wouldn't tolerate her employees being bullied. She saw no need for it. It made for a rather unpleasant working environment, actually. "Is there anything else I should know?" |
SPOILER!!: Harmony Hmm… Kale huh? She had never eaten Kale before but it was quite a nice little snack."I'll have to remember that recipe," she said, hoping she could make them herself one day. Hadley nodded along with what Hadley was saying, yes… well sometimes the only thing to be done is observe. Not very thrilling but a job that had to be done. What could happen to these mutants if they weren't being watched? She was pleased Harmony looked interested in her stories about her travels, and wasn't busy yawning her head off. Her heart leapt when Harmony suggested she make a pamphlet for the recently departed. "Oh, what a wonderful idea," she said softly. She would get right onto that! But then they were interrupted… again. Hadley hoped nothing personal was about to be said, because she didn't want to be there eavesdropping. Oh, an opportunity! Hadley jumped to her feet just seconds after Harmony and nodded enthusiastically, "Of course!" She took hold of the container and made a quick note on her instructions, and gave the department head a smile, "I'm on my way," she said, and turned to leave. |
*continued from the reception area* Harmony held the door open for McMillan and once he was inside her office, she took up the seat behind her desk. Her unicorn mug of green tea was still steaming and she stole a sip while she waited for him to get settled, soaking up the soothing warmth. Her aura was a pale yellow today, did he know? He came at a good time. "So what's on your mind?" |
Victoria was on her lunch, but wasn't going anywhere to eat. She decided to use the time to work on her campaign things, and the first thing she wanted to do was speak to a few of the department heads. So grabbing her parchment and quill she placed it in her bag and made her way to level four. She had looked at both ways once on level four. She wanted to speak to both department heads and possibly their teams, but first she decided to go toward the creatures area. She had seen and heard of Miss. Skylark, but had never had the chance to actually speak to her. So giving herself one last check she knocked on the door. |
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Standing, the department head smoothed her dress and waited for the visitor to enter. Perhaps she could get rid of the last of her kale chips now that she had some company. She was so itching to make a new batch. |
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With a confident smile, she outstretched her hand. "Hello Miss. Skylark, I'm Victoria Culloden manager of the quidditch division and most recently one of the candidates for minister of magic. I hope you don't mind me stopping by, but I was hoping to get the chance to speak with you." She left her parchment in her bag for now, but she wanted to pull it out if notes were needed. She didn't want to forget anything that was talked about and she was wanting to really figure out what she could really help with in this department. |
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"So tell me, what would you like to discuss?" |
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"Well I've worked here for six years now in Games and Sports and I've always tried to get to know the other departments. Being a part of the ministry I think we should work all together not just in our department, so I'm trying to take some time to speak to all of you and get to know what your needs are. So that if and when I do become minister I can better help your department the way you see needed." She appreciated everything all the departments did and having a good working relationship was always a good step for a minister, or in this case want to be minister. |
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As Jose was running and was a part of her department, Harmony's loyalty was with him. It was nice to see that other candidates were taking an active interest in her department's needs, though. Meant that in the unfortunate event that her employee didn't make it all the way to the top, she'd still have support there. "Team work is always the way to go, I say. As for this department's needs, funding is always important. We have in our possession several creatures in the holding room and are responsible for their care until the time we are able to send them elsewhere." That was her top priority, making sure the creatures were receiving fair and proper care. |
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As the department head started talking, Vic slipped out her parchment, "You don't mind if I take some notes do you? I want to make sure I keep full notes on everyone's ideas, because if I do become minister I'd like to look back on these notes and make as many of these ideas and wants possible." Becoming a stronger ministry really meant listening to the people that ran it, all the employees and department heads. Would it be wrong to ask to see the creatures? She had always been an animal lover, for all but felines due to her allergies, though after the potion she was fine with them as well. "I would imagine you would need plenty of funding to take care of and train the animals that come into your possession. If you don't mind me asking, what types of creatures do you have here at the moment." That was more for personal information, because she was curious. Anyway back to ministry things, "I know funding can be difficult in every department, I know my own has to make sure to get sponsors for all our events, so as minister I would help make funding top priority especially for something as sensitive as creatures." They were living things with needs they needed a top priority. |
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"We're a bit crowded at the moment," Harmony revealed. "We've got the mutants that were recovered from Diagon Alley and around the ministry a while back. We've also got an assortment of creatures taken during confiscations. And there's always the albino bloodhounds." The population was always growing and changing, to be honest. It just depended on the day and how soon they could relocate the creatures they'd taken in. "Well I'm glad to hear that, really." The red head smiled and nodded her head in approval before helping herself to a kale chip. "I've also thought the ministry could use an area for stress relief. A gym or yoga studio might be nice. I've always been partial to laughter yoga." Not her area of expertise but she'd be happy to teach a class or two if such things ever were requested. |
SPOILER!!: Harmony Seeing the shake of the head, Victoria pulled out her quill and got it comfortable on her lap. She had always been very serious about her job and taking on this campaign was just another determination she had. Crowded did not sound very good she frowned a little and thought on that. "I actually crossed paths with one of those mutants." She couldn't help but chuckle thinking about it. [b ] "I was pregnant with my twin girls at the time. It was an interesting day to say the least."[/b] She remembered the man jumping on the table, yes interesting. "Has the ministry ever thought of and maybe the funds aren't there, but it could be something we could work toward, building a shelter or location outside the ministry so that you could be able to hold more creatures so you don't get so crowded?" They'd probably still have crowding problems, but there own creature location on top of what they had here might be helpful. "Albino Bloodhounds, I haven't seen one of those in awhile. Are most of the tame?" She knew some could be, but others were a bit more wild. "I'm just asking, because I wonder if some could be fostered out to people you would personally train." She was fully thinking outside the box to help Harmony find some ways to help the crowding and as far as she knew her ideas could be rubbish. Jotting down some of her thoughts and some of Harmony's words, she looked up as she spoke of a gym or yoga. Now that was something that Victoria could relate to. "Yes, I think that would be a wonderful idea. I've been thinking about ways that we could show our ministry works more appreciation for what they do. I'd like to find ways to bring more light on the daycare to help employees with children, but a gym here with possible yoga classes would be an excellent idea. Employees could use it before or after work, maybe during a lunch hour. Then they wouldn't have to make an extra stop at another location for their workout before going home." Bringing out endorphin would mean happy employees and upping productivity in the work place. She continued to write on her parchment. |
Through the door enters a silvery dolphin. Behind the floating image can be heard the urgently-speaking January Pennifold. "Harmony, we need you in the Holding Room, immediately. We have a mutant down." Once the message is relayed, the dolphin takes a leap and disolves into the air. |
Check your harsh vibes at the door. Alright, check! William had no harsh vibes So, slight smile in place, Willy raised his fist and knocked on Harmony's door lightly. |
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Hearing a knock on the door, the red head grinned and called out cheerfully, "You may enter!" She was going to stay in the lotus position and not meet whoever it was at the door, okay? She was far too in the zone to move now. |
"Hey, Harmony," William called out as he opened the door and stepped in. Then he actually saw his boss....and whoa, whoaaaaaa what was she doing to herself?! Pretzeling?! His ears turned a bit red as he shut the door behind him and hesitated. Erm. Should he come back? This was pretty usual for Harmony though, and she HAD invited him to enter, so Willy decided to clear his throat and carry on like she wasn't... meditating or something. "So, I had an idea for the Ministry. A new initiative that might help with employee wellness and stress levels?" Why did that come out like a question? Seriously, it could work. |
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Was Harmony interested in helping to aid with employee wellness and stress levels? HECK YES SHE WAS! The red head simply beamed at the man, eyes shinging with excitement. "Why I think that's a brilliant idea!" Though she was unsure if it was a fully developed one, given the way he'd presented it. "How exactly would something like that work?" |
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But as for the exciting idea... he beamed and rocked back on his heels a little bit, tucking one hand into the pocket of his jeans. "I'm glad you like it!" And she hadn't even properly heard the whole proposal yet! "I was thinking that we could do a bring-your-pet-to-work type day, sponsored by our department? We could also maybe bring in representatives from local uh, crup rescues, kneazle shelters, that sort of thing, so that people who don't have pets could maybe adopt one?" |
After finding his desk and figuring out where the bathrooms were-- Merlin knows that would be important-- Casimir went off to great the department head. The note posted on the bulletin board had requested all new employees come to her office to say hello. Well... he was a new employee, and here he was standing outside her office door. |
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His idea was lovely, did he know? The red head was properly excited and she even broke lotus position, enabling her to get her excited bounce on. "William! I love that. Pets do promote lower stress levels and quicker recovery from stressful situations." Thoughtful chin tapping happened because she had thoughts, Harmony did. "We'd need to okay this with the minister's office. Make it abundantly clear that doing a bring-your-pet-to-work-day will be beneficial. Don't want to step on any toes, after all! I was also thinking now that the mutants are no longer mutant-y, we could offer them up for adoption as well!" Pause. "If the whole thing gets the green light, that is!" Gosh, she really really hoped they'd be able to do this! Think of all the joy they could bring to the ministry by spreading the creature love! YES! "What made you think of something like this, if you don't mind my asking?" Quote:
Harmony was seated behind her desk, snacking on some carrot sticks and hummus. Hummus she made herself because things were so much better when they were homemade, weren't they? You could almost taste the love! Lucky she had enough to share as she had a visitor and not sharing would be a vibe killer. As she waited for the person to enter, she cleaned her hands with her wand and fished in her top desk drawer for another paper plate. |
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"I'm so glad," he chuckled a little, relieved at the approval of his idea (so far). "Of course. I wouldn't want to mess with our wonderful department's reputation." See, he was going through the proper channels and not causing any trouble, none at all. It was just like they'd discussed over a year ago. He nodded along to Harmony's thought process. "I didn't know the mutants were healed, but I'm VERY glad to hear that!" Yeah, somebody Hopefully there would be only green lights for this idea of his. What prompted it? He gave a small shrug and broke their eye contact for a minute as he felt his ears reddening. "Uh, well, I was thinking of how my only companion sometimes is my crup, Jack, and thought of how he'd make the work day less....er, seem less like work, you know, if he came with me TO work...." Jack could brighten EVERYBODY'S day. "So I did a little extra research on what I knew about the benefits of pets and then brought the idea to you!" Oh, and he'd sort of kicked it around with Victoria, but he'd been talking about using his crup to pick up chicks back then. William wisely did not mention that train of thought to his boss. |
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At the sound of his department head's voice, Casmir opened the door and popped his head inside. Merlin, this room was colorful. The sight of so many colors and patterns put a grin on the man's bearded face. Truthfully, it reminded him a little bit of home. |
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"Well we can thank Jack for this lovely idea, then! And you know I'd always be okay with you bringing your companion here with you. As long as he didn't get in the way of anybody's assignments, he'd be more than welcome." Williamson could remember that for the future. "And how about I discuss this with some of the other department heads and then we'll move from there? I'm very persuasive when I want to be so I'm sure it shouldn't be a problem!" The evidence on the benefits of having pets around really did speak for itself! "If this does go through, you're willing to step up and organize things?" That was another thing she wanted to know. She couldn't run such an event on her own and the inspiration behind it should definitely be taking a leading role as far as she was concerned. Quote:
"So how are you finding the ministry so far? I trust you've gotten settled in at your desk?" SPEAKING of, Harmony disappeared behind her own and rummaged around a bit before producing a small bamboo plant. This was for him. "These are meant to be good luck, they say." |
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"Of course." Cass grinned at her proposal and |
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But... anyway, there would be time to talk Harmony out of adopting a mutant later. "Sure can," he grinned, raising his brows happily at mention of his crup coming to work. "I'm sure he'll make himself a regular around here then, with that invitation." Willy was kind of excited for the rest of this work week, with that promise. "Sure, I'm always willing to step up and lead." See why he would have been a perfect fit for the Dragon Commissioner job? When was the last time Tanc had come up with a brilliant idea like this one? Not that William was being competitive or anything... "Just let me know when you hear word from the higher-ups, I guess," he concluded with a glance toward the door, not wanting to take up too much of Harmony's time. |
Hepzibah opened the door with excited trepidation, (what would she find? would they except her idiosyncrasies?) hesitantly she steps in and glances around in awe at the artifacts and tapestries on the walls and The plush seating in many colors just waiting to be sat upon. She gives a big sigh of relief and finds her way to the receptionist desk. Hi I'm Hepzibah Cresswell! I am hear to see Ms Skylark on my position? (trying to contain her excitement :) ) |
SPOILER!!: William "Lovely! I can't wait to meet him." Harmony was a sucker for anything adorable and furry. Always had been, which sometimes made it hard given much of her early life had been spent on an RV. Try driving cross county with a slew of wild animals your daughter picked up and took care of as the family went along from rest stop to rest stop. One thing was sure, with Harmony, life was always an adventure. "I knew you'd be up for the job! You've got an orangey-red glow today and it totally gave you away." The red head laughed, as if this was the most obvious thing in the world. She sometimes forgot not everyone was as adept at aura reading as she was. "I'll be sure to do that, William! Thank you so much for your creative energy and I hope the rest of your day is a productive one." She was sure it would be, knowing him. SPOILER!!: Cass Harmony chuckled and nodded her head about the lifts. She was also quite happy her newest member of the dragon team seemed to be settling in nicely. She quite enjoyed working at the ministry and it was her hope that she could do her part in making it enjoyable for others. So far, she thought she'd been doing a stellar job. "It's nothing, really. I find that plants in the work place inspire creativity! There's also the bit about cleaner air. That's quite important as well." She smiled at the man and continued at the look on his face, "But don't worry, about an inch of water once a week and good lighting and they pretty much care for themselves!" "So tell me, have you had the chance to meet any of your co-workers yet? I imagined you'd be particularly interesting in chatting with those who share your passion for dragons." SPOILER!!: Hepzibah Oh, this poor dear! She thought Harmony was a receptionist! The red head found this terribly amusing and she chuckled. "You've found her, actually. I'm Harmony Skylark and you've stumbled right into my office." The receptionist only worked out on the main part of level flour so once you passed that, you wouldn't encounter her again. "Let me be the first to welcome you, Hepzibah. Please take a seat." The department head gestured to the chair opposite her and smiled. "I trust you're settling in okay?" |
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"Of course! Thanks so much for hearing out my idea. I'll get to work on that list of creatures." He rubbed his hands together and headed out the door with even more of a pep in his step than he'd had earlier. |
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Casimir chuckled at the woman's observance of his attitude towards the plant. Thankfully it didn't seem to require all that much maintenance. Ohhh inspiring creativity? Now that he thought about it, he did work better when he could see outside. Maybe there was some truth in what she said. "Well I'm sure it'll find itself a nice place on my desk to call home," he responded with a grin. And it would! He was already looking forward to it |
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Standing up, she finished off her stretching and headed over to her desk. There were people she needed to reach out to if this pet idea was going to be carried out. Quote:
Filling an empty plate with some carrot sticks and hummus, Harmony pushed it towards her guest with a smile. "Made the hummus myself! Please help yourself to some if you're feeling hungry." It was important to have snacks throughout the day to stay energized, y'see. As for him not meeting any of his colleagues, that was a shame. "Well, you'll want to introduce yourself to Tancred Adara (Zoe), our dragon commissioner. Also, William Williamson (BanaBatGirl), our head dragon researcher! I expect they'll be able to tell you everything you need to know, as well as introduce you to the rest of the team." Harmony nommed another carrot stick before continuing. "I like to think of us as a family here, Casimir. Though we specialize in different areas, we're very much a team. It's important to know the members of the team and be a positive and enthusiastic member yourself." Did he think he could handle that? |
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Wait. She had snacks?? |
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"That sounds like a good plan and I'm so glad. I have a good feeling about you and your aura tells me you'll fit right in around here." Yes, she was skilled in the art of aura reading. It was amazing what you could learn about people from that. "Before I let you get back to your desk, are there any questions you have for me?" Comments and/or concerns were welcome too. Harmony was all ears. |
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Casimir sneakily nabbed another carrot stick before nodding. "Oh sure! I'd love the recipe if you've got it handy," he replied. "Though I'm glad to hear it's not too difficult to make. I can't say that I'm much of a cook," he chuckled. He could make simple things well enough, but he certainly wasn't a chef. |
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Ah yes, she remembered reading that this one quite liked to be out and about rather than stuck at a desk. Harmony nodded her head in acknowledgement of this fact and then considered the question thoughtfully before answering. "You know, it all depends on the assignments that come in. I'm big on offering help to other dragonologists in the community who need our help with research or recovery." Whatever the case may be, really. "Sometimes this means things will get sent right here to us so we can conduct our work inside the ministry walls but there are many times were you'll be asked to go out into the field for data collection or to assist others in your field." Basically, she didn't have a definitive answer for him. "Knowing that you enjoy to be in the thick of things, I'll be sure to consider you for such situations that require a team to go out into the community." |
*just poppin' in* Ember had, of course, welcomed Harmony back since work began(obviously, it'd been a good month or so, right?) but..she hadn't REALLY talked to Harmony in quite a bit. SO here she was, humming idly, as she knocked on the door to her boss' office. She WISHED she had thought to bring a treat for Harmony, but alas, she hadn't. Ooooops. Plus, she was in such a baking mood lately, and she didn't think Harmony was that into sweets in general. So, she just knocked, and waited patiently for Ms. Skylark to tell her to come in. Ember could wait. She was milling around some thoughts in her head, anyways. |
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And who could be at the door? The red head was eager to find out. |
When you forget why your charrie wanted to come talk. -_- Quote:
OH. She was on top of her desk--Ember blushed--"Oh--I can come back if you're currently meditating, Harmony--" she said quickly, looking QUITE embarrassed if she had disturbed her. She didn't want to be a DISTURBANCE!! |
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"How lovely of you to stop by and see me. Tell me, how are things with you since we've been back at the ministry?" The red head hoped that things were running smoothly, especially with the upcoming plans she hoped to put into action. "I trust you lot are making our newest members feel welcome?" |
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"Oh--things are very lovely--I had just--ugh--I don't much LIKE time off--" she thought she had told Harmony this before--"But I did a lot of volunteer work at some of the sanctuaries I used to work at back when I was in Uni--fabulous times, really. And and AND--I just--I feel like I'm SO productive here--and I get to help SO MANY PEOPLE!!!" she was ranting. A positive rant, but a rant nonetheless. And she couldn't help SQUEAKING in excitement, either. Was it appropriate to tell your boss you had a boyfriend? Ember didn't think so. So she'd keep quiet about that exciting news. But who knew--maybe Harmony would SENSE it somehow, in her. "Oh yes! The members--certainly so! AND AND AND I welcomed Miss Quinn on her NEW position--Deary ME, I do sure miss BRYCE but--Emmalee is good at her job--" even if a bit dense with creatures, she was VERY SKILLED with plants. And scary. So. yeah. "But..I DID have...thoughts in mind....for our poor...mutants." She sighed a little. Was she over the lost mutant? No. She'd always remember the poor dear... |
sorry for the delay, RL's been a butt >_< Quote:
Casimir took the recipe and slid it into his pocket. He'd have to copy it and bring her the original back later. "I'll absolutely bring it in for you to try!" he said. Only if it came out all right though. He'd feel a little silly for letting her try something that came out bad. |
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