An uneasy metamorphosis greets you as you depart from whatever method you chose to arrive at level 9 of the Ministry of Magic today. The lighting grows dimmer as the area is scarcely lit by only a few wall fixtures bathing the area in just enough luminescence to see the dark and severe colour scheme. The temperature too subtly drops as if someone had left on a muggle air cooling device. You may hear the footsteps of another witch or wizard, but with the odd placement of the pillars it can be hard to tell if you really are alone or not and almost impossible to catch movement from anything aside from the flames that light the space.

Up a head there is a small flight of stairs that will take you to the Courtrooms. Additionally, the corridor will also lead you to a black door into and out of which only certain witches and wizards come and go.



OOC: Any character from any department, or even the general magical community may be RP'd here, but if he or she wishes to get into the Department of Mysteries proper they should wait for an Unspeakable to assist them. He or she could get lost or possibly in a fix with security.

So the Trainee Healer hadn't been that worthless afterall and the bone didn't end up slipping back out of her shoulder. Quite the relief too because Alexa wasn't prepared to walk around in a cast and sling, least of all when she had patrols to do with her own fellow Trainees. You didn't see the rest of them seriously injuring themselves in training--not that she injured herself, it was all Sabel and his limited ability to play by any rules.

"Heard they got a Death Chamber somewhere around here..." She said to her Patrol Bud as they made their way down from the staircases and into a long, dimly lit corridor. "And another room that's always locked."

The way she saw it, nothing good could come from places always hidden. For all they knew half the disasters that MLE got blamed from came from here. This was restricted area but their job was to make Mysteries their business.

All a part of doing the job.

Why did he get her? He didn't want to patrol with her. She talked too much and always seemed to be on some sort of sugar rush. He'd much prefer Sabel..he talked too but far less than this one.

Ugh....maybe getting along with annoying first year YATIs was a part of the training. His hands were buried in his pocket (one hand holding unto his wand as usual) as they made their way into the department of Mysteries.

She received a grunt in response to her comments on their location. Yes he knew all that. She should talk to him when they get to the part where they kick open doors.

"Down this way." He said turning left. No he didn't know where he was going but his gut said left.

Tyler wasn't much of a talker, something she'd realized ages ago and just maybe that was a good thing. A definite upgrade from someone that was constantly prying and asking questions you didn't want to answer even when you changed the subject a million times. So yeah, it didn't really bother her that all he did was grunt.

"How can you tell? Have you been here before?"

Serious question. All the corridors looked the same and she didn't fancy getting lost trying to keep this place safe and unlocking its secrets, ahem.

"I say we mark the walls, that way we don't end up going through the same way over and over." It would hardly be productive if they wandered in circles for hours when they had other places to check both inside and outside the Ministry.

That being the case, Lex drew her wand and made a red flashing paint mark on the wall of the corridor they turned into.

Questions...she was asking questions. Tyler rolled his eyes as he continued to walk down the corridor. As he was about to answer her question with a suggestion to mark the walls, she answered her own question.

It was almost enough to make him throw his hands up. What was the point of her asking if she already had the answer?!! Alexa...ugh women!!

"I haven't been here before. I'm going with my gut woman." In other words..stop asking questions Alexa.

Lex was all fine with walking along, checking the little nooks and crannies as they did--until he said that. That right there had her stopping and giving her partner a LOOK. "Your gut?" They...were walking in good faith that the area of his body least responsible for intellectual thought would lead them in the right path?

He had to be joking. It was a joke. "No seriously, you've had a patrol down here before, haven't you? Last year most like, since you're onto your second year now and all."

Which meant he KNEW where they were going and if he truly didn't, she wasn't sure she'd continuing letting him pick the corners they turned and the corridors they entered.

One did not try getting lost in a place with a Death Chamber. Even in theory, the idea was a BAD one.

Okay Tyler, had had enough. He stopped and put a finger to Alexa's lips.

"Shut...up." He said through gritted teeth. "So what if I haven't patrolled down here before? If I did it would make no sense to patrol somewhere that we already checked off so going in a different direction seems like a mighty fine idea to me." Merlin he wanted to silence her but perhaps that wouldn't be a good idea right this moment.

"Now..I'm going to move my finger away from your mouth and I don't want to hear it."

Honestly though, she hadn't been down here either so she wouldn't be any more competent at picking doors than he was.

"Besides experience trumps your nerves at this point."

Faster than she could figure what was what, there was a finger to her lips; a very unwelcome finger. She didn't know which was worse, being silenced or this. You would reserve something like this for a child, she was not a child.

Lex swatted his hand away from her, brows furrowed in obvious annoyance at the ridiculousness that was Tyler. "I'll thank you to keep your hands to yourself." Ruuuude. He did not dictate when she spoke.

"And patrolling an area once doesn't automatically make it safe. It's like patrolling Knockturn Alley once then deciding there would never be another Dark Wizard walking around."So she failed to see his point on previous patrols. These were meant to be at regular intervals for a reason. Nothing ever stayed the same.

She all but pushed pass him to continue walking now. The fact he'd never patrolled here put him on the same level as her. "What experience? You've never been here before, remember?" Or had he conveniently forgotten. Can't have someone with a shoddy memory leading them on.

"I'd just like something more than your gut telling us where to go otherwise admit we're wandering and we'll wander til we find something."

Tyler rolled his eyes.

"And I'll thank you to keep your mouth shut." Why was she still talking soooooooooo much? Did she have friends? Was this what they had to deal with day in and day out? He'd pass, no thank you...he did not want this in his life.

"For the love of Merlin! I'm about to kill you myself and throw your body through one of these doors if you do not shut up."

Blah Blah Blah..he wasn't hearing words anymore and he didn't know what else to say to her that would keep her from talking.

"How about this? You go that way and I'll go this way." That way he wouldn't have to deal with her yapping.

"Sounds good? Great!" He sunk his hands in his pockets again and started off without looking back.

Lottie couldn't have been more right when she'd said what she did. Even though they were all on the same team there needed to be some caution exercised with this 'trust' business. Tyler wanted to kill her and throw her body behind one of those doors; the team spirit was remarkable and she began a slow clap. "YATI partner of the century." Who fixed the rosters anyway? She needed to make sure this didn't happen again.

The young woman wasn't sure she wanted to hear any suggestions coming from him at this point but then he gave one she couldn't refuse--literally considering he was already walking away.

Separate patrols were fine by her and absolutely no skin off her back. He could rely on his gut or whatever and she would try figuring her way around this place. It was just a routine patrol, nothing ever happened on those anyway.

Lex watched him walk til he was half way through the corridor before turning and heading through another--but not before marking it with flashing red paint as well. This should have been a piece of cake.

Tyler heard nothing more of what she said because he tuned her out completely. Who made these rosters anyway? Who in their right mind would think he would get on with Cambridge??

It would take him weeks to get over this encounter. He rounded a corner and marked the door he entered through.

Now he could focus properly.

As she walked, Lex could have sworn she heard footsteps. Sure she was MEANT to be given she was making strides of her own even after leaving Tyler's company but...they weren't hers...

...

Alexa turned a few times, trying to figure where the footsteps were coming from. At one point it sounded like it might have been coming from the top of the corridor but then it started echoing from a completely different location altogether causing her to spin and spin and spin. Someone was coming and that someone's steps sounded sure. Someone that worked here most like. They could follow--

hfbjhgreuijgtfe!!

Tyler!

There was nothing she wanted more than tracking whoever it was, but she had to find him, didn't she? They were meant to be patrolling together anyway and she could bet any number of galleons that he was already lost. That being the case, she doubled back to the first cross road they'd come to and ran down the corridor he'd chosen.

"Tyler!" She whispered as loud as she dared to. "Oi! Tyler!" How far could he REALLY have gotten?? Circe!

Noooooooooooooooooooooooo

no no no..

Tyler quickened his pace when he heard Alexa's voice. He didn't want to be in her company any more and now she was back. Did she forget their little agreement?

But maybe she was in trouble and needed help. He sighed heavily and stopped.

"What do you want Alexa?"

His voice was what told her she was going in the right direction and Alexa put an extra pep in her step. Thankfully she'd found him but now they needed to find the footsteps from earlier before they disappeared.

Lex skidded to a stop before him and pointed off to the corridor she'd just run down. "Someone else is here, someone who likely knows where they're going. If we hurry up we don't have to wander around this place all day." They'd be able to get INSIDE and end this patrol so they would both be happy about it. See?

"It's back this way, c'mon before we lose 'em."

Not bothering to wait to see whether he was coming or not, Lex started back down the corridor at a jog, trying to listen for the sound of the steps from earlier once more. Good thing she'd been marking the walls.

So she was going to jog down the corridor in pursuit of someone who they wanted to stay out of sight from without using a disillusionment charm? And he thought he was brash. Tyler performed one one himself and followed her in quick strides down the corridor.

"Cambridge.." Tyler's voice called to her fiercely from seeming nothingness. "You might want to disappear, unless of course you want to blow our cover so we can get some action, because I'll be up for that too." No not really but..

There he went trying to act like he had some infinite knowledge that trumped her own. Of course she was aware she needed to be disillusioned--it was a part of surveillance training in case he thought she forgot--but considering he didn't know WHERE she was taking him, she didn't think it prudent to make it so HE couldn't see her either. As a result, Lex ignored him as she continued cautiously back down the corridors she'd bolted in search of him, trying to listen for the footsteps she'd heard earlier.

It was a bit of walking along the last corridor she'd been on before turning back to get him that she finally could hear them again. That's when she gestured to him the direction they would be taking before finally making herself disillusioned.

Turning onto the next, that was when she saw a man walking at his own leisurely pace. This is where tracking would come in handy. Silence and stealth would be crucial and Lex moved as quietly as she could down the corridor behind him. Surely Tyler was keeping up just fine on his own.

The footsteps drew closer and Mitterbill found that for his failing eyesight and the shadowy dimness of the space a bit of light might have been useful at that moment. It would help him to see the shadows of whomever, or whatever he'd heard cast upon the walls and pillars. "Lumos." He said quietly, almost whispering after taking out his wand and holding it up.

Silence.

"Do you need some help?" He called out, feeling very certain that he wasn't crazy and hadn't simply been hearing things. Perhaps, a visitor to the Ministry was trying to find his or her way to the courtrooms and had gotten lost. "Are you lost?". Jasper waiting for the sound of anything. A sigh. But better still would be a discernible reply.

Well good going Alexa Cambridge. Running in the hall to track the person of interest. Could she be any more rookie at this? He said when the voice asked who was there and flattened himself against the wall.

They just needed to be quiet enough so the person really would think that he is alone in there.

Come on Mysteries person, keep walking, less talking.

Lex was about to disillusion herself, feeling they were getting dangerously close to whom they were tracking but then the voice called out and Tyler was blaming her--his decision to split up despite being told to patrol together and his fault she had to double back so really, Lex just rolled her eyes.

Peering around the corner, she immediately knew they were faced with the Department Head on this level because of the Orientation Event. Being in the know was important; knowing all the Department Heads was important so she'd taken the time.

In that second, Alexa made a rash judgement, stepping out into the corridor without concealment. If Tyler wanted to remain unseen, he was free to, she wouldn't blow his cover, but the Department Head could be arguably better than the level he ran and Rainey wanted them to make his business their business. "Alexa Cambridge. MLE patrol, Sir." She held up her badge in the dim light, counting on it to hide the fact the badge said YATI and not Auror down at the bottom. It was an easy mistake even with the man's wand light because of the large 'MLE' followed by the YATI in small print.

"Been doing patrols as part of a new initiative to keep the Ministry safe and this was the next place on my list. Not meaning to intrude or anything, I understand this is a..." Her eyes trailed around the dimly lit corridor before landing on him again, "sensitive area but even sensitive areas need patrol. It's not always the bad guy that cause the problem but sometimes little in house matters." Lex was giving him the benefit of the doubt that he would understand they needed to do their job just as he needed to do his and if he proved her wrong...she would do what she had been doing before and they WOULD make their way in. Alexa was a passing stranger to the word 'no' and didn't fancy getting proper acquainted any time soon.

Aurors didn't give up, they were simply diverse in their strategies and this one put them in good faith where sneaking did not.

The astronomer was practically wetting himself with giddy excitement as he made his way down the corridor. Having survived the lifts, not struggling with them nearly as much as he had initially thought, the astronomer arrived where he had been instructed to go to find the Department of Mysteries...and now was stuck.

So...now what?

Fumbling with his trouser pockets for an invitation he knew full well was no longer in his possession, Airey cleared his throat and knocked on one of the walls. Anyone there?

Rocking back on his heels, he figured there was nothing else he could do but wait for someone to come find him. He was a bit early, so it hopefully wouldn't be too much longer. Hopefully.

At least he was dressed appropriately for what would be the experience of a life time. A lunch. With the department head. While theorizing the laws of magic within the vacuum of space. ALL WHILE SITTING IN THE ANTI-GRAVITY CHAMBER!

He couldn't help himself, and began to do a happy dance right there in the middle of the corridor.

Jasper waited for a response, not completely certain the one he would receive would make him feel secure or insane. Then Alexa stepped out and flashed her badge and it was decidedthat insane would be it. He could've sworn it was always Simon. And hadn't Bennett already been down there? Being an individual who was less inclined to be suspicious, Jasper did what he always did when confronted with insanity. He just went with it. Lest he revert to the days of anxious behaviour and prescribed potions. Those were dark days.

"Ah. You're from MLE. Of course. You need to have a look around." He said deciding that two law enforcement officers couldn't be a bad thing. "I'll show you in." Jasper turned to the doors and let Alexa Cambridge inside. He stopped quite suddenly though before continuing. "Please exercise caution, miss Cambridge. And do not draw too close to the veil." Feeling better that he'd given her the heads up on the dangers of the death chamber, Jàsper moved aside to let the witch pass first.

Text Cut: The Cherry Blossom Girl

Quote:

Originally Posted by sweetpinkpixie

The astronomer was practically wetting himself with giddy excitement as he made his way down the corridor. Having survived the lifts, not struggling with them nearly as much as he had initially thought, the astronomer arrived where he had been instructed to go to find the Department of Mysteries...and now was stuck.

So...now what?

Fumbling with his trouser pockets for an invitation he knew full well was no longer in his possession, Airey cleared his throat and knocked on one of the walls. Anyone there?

Rocking back on his heels, he figured there was nothing else he could do but wait for someone to come find him. He was a bit early, so it hopefully wouldn't be too much longer. Hopefully.

At least he was dressed appropriately for what would be the experience of a life time. A lunch. With the department head. While theorizing the laws of magic within the vacuum of space. ALL WHILE SITTING IN THE ANTI-GRAVITY CHAMBER!

He couldn't help himself, and began to do a happy dance right there in the middle of the corridor.

The doors of the dimly lit round room began their usual revolution whenever a person, familiar or otherwise, stood on the other side of them. The blue torches placed inbetween each soon joined them blurring the entire backdrop to Airey Flamsteed's arm dance of happiness. To the fly on the wall, the imagery must have been truly psychedellic. When they finally ceased their revolving, one of then flung open on it's hinges and out stepped a salt n peppery wizard.

"Airey Leighton Flamsteed. Astronomer royal and professor of Astronomy at Hogwarts School for Witchcraft and Wizardry." The older wizard smiled warmly. "I'm Jasper Mitterbill. I've been expecting you. Follow me in. We'll go straight to the chamber."

Quote:

Originally Posted by SlytherinSistah

The doors of the dimly lit round room began their usual revolution whenever a person, familiar or otherwise, stood on the other side of them. The blue torches placed inbetween each soon joined them blurring the entire backdrop to Airey Flamsteed's arm dance of happiness. To the fly on the wall, the imagery must have been truly psychedellic. When they finally ceased their revolving, one of then flung open on it's hinges and out stepped a salt n peppery wizard.

"Airey Leighton Flamsteed. Astronomer royal and professor of Astronomy at Hogwarts School for Witchcraft and Wizardry." The older wizard smiled warmly. "I'm Jasper Mitterbill. I've been expecting you. Follow me in. We'll go straight to the chamber."

The astronomer was almost too busy performing his interpretative victory dance to his invisible audience to notice all the movement going on around him. However, his already stellar reflexes had only been heightened since taking up his teaching post at Hogwarts and thus the man froze - his face plastered with awe - as the doors joined his dance and then...the man himself stepped out.

Oh. Full named. Fancy.

Hardly able to contain himself, he took a few reserved bouncy steps towards the man and offered his hand. "Thank you for the invitation," he greeted, hardly able to contain the goofy grin that so wanted to tug on his slender features. "That just now was...uh...just doing a bit of active yoga."

Smooth as chunky peanut butter, he was!

Oh, they were going to go in already?! YES PLEASE!

Jasper observed Flamsteed and noted his energetic manner. His walk was quite buoyant. More light than Jasper had expected for an Astronomer, but it was not at all unwelcome. Quite the opposite as it was greeted with a light grin on the older wizard's face. Mr. Flamsteed was greatly looking forward to this it seemed. Perhaps, he had a lot of ideas.

How helpful it was going to be to get him talking about the subject of magic in space and other related things. How...

"Do you practice yoga as well, Mr. Flamsteed?" Jasper began to inwardly congratulate himself on choosing this particular astronomer to pay him a visit. He opened the doors and led them into the vast and darkspace of the space room and straight into the Anti-gravity chamber.

Nate was headed back from his usual coffee break with Eliora, which typically consisted of her making everything in the world seem less important than she was, which he didn't mind cause things were.

It had been about a year since he'd gone back to his old ways, on occasion he'd miss it but he loved this job. Time was a very interesting subject and as long as he was interested in what he was doing there wouldn't be any kinda issue. Between work and his time with Eliora and B, he was a happy guy lately.

Today was a good day.

He had coffee!

COFFEE.

Anise was not having the best of days, she'd spent all day trying to better understand the relationship with love magic and Venus and the brunette had barely made any progress, in fact the only thing she'd managed was getting ink on her lovely cream sweater (which, she'd absent-mindedly left there). the Astronomer sighed deeply as she entered the break room in search of caffeine - Coffee, soda, tea, chocolate.. maybe chocolate covered coffee beans, she wasn't picky - she hardly noticed her coworker, far too concerned in her quest.

If she had, Anise might have turned on her heel and headed for the other department break room - because Nate Prince was too cute to handle and Anise did not need her nerves frazzled.