Vic's arrival signalled another familiar face to join the readily growing group. Even if the shadows and such required more effort on the parts of people to see and reconize others. "Hello," he echoed back before Emily could call out for any final stragglers. Simon himself looked around to see who they had and who they didn't, his best friend and a few YATI most notable among them. Guess they all had to get used to dealing with new ways of doing things such as the non-magical environment. Well those not Josh since his fellow auror did have the experience in that.

A raised eyebrow was the greeting Genevieve got when she announced her presence by speaking of just one of the vermin that were likely co-residents of the tunnels with the department. That was one way to make an entrance on the first day back. Made all the worst by the absence of coffee for Emily that the trainee was usually the one who managed to get. Strike two. But not his issue, Simon settling in instead to see the reaction of others. And nodding back at Kennedy when the former Ravenclaw's yearling showed up as well, followed by another young man.

Simon turned his attention back to Emily as the department head got the meeting rolling. The auror listening with his full attention, even if it was the basics for now. Talk of their new location, the introductions of new employees and the nodded greetings to each of them. Johnathan Walker must be the guy with Kennedy since Blaise he had already met in Diagon Alley. And then there was the missing security worker that added to the mix. Hopefully ot was merely a matter of running late and or getting lost and not someone they had to worry about. At the mention of questions, the auror/security worker shook his head.

None for him...for now.

Soon enough they had the last remaining stragglers to the group, Jackson McQueen and Josh. The former Simon understood and silently accepted the appology directed to both their boss and the group as a whole. And while the later he could understand as well, at least the first part, his friend had completely gone into one of his wilder moments. The auror rolling his eyes at his fellow auror, biting back a sigh and an exasperated referall to his name as it wasn't his place in the context of the meeting. He would just be avoiding any place Josh had been to keep away from discusting little surprises.

Oh goody...Vic was drawing them back to important work stuff.

Anna was doing an awful lot of eyebrow-raising these days. She did so again when Branxton arrived and announced she'd seen a rat. Sighing to herself, Anna could only hope that in the YATI program, they were teaching the young ones that they'd come across a lot more than just a rat when out in the field.

Then a run of late employees, excuses, and requests to doll up to the area followed. Anna just sat quietly. She, for one, didn't really fancy cleaning up the area. Instead, she wanted to find a solution to whatever problem they were encountering and just move back to the Ministry. The regular one.

She had questions, but she figured the boss would get down to details soon. She gave a quick glance around the room and caught the eye of one of the YATIs (Kennedy). He was looking her way, so she gave a quick smile and nod before looking away.

While she addressed everyone else in the meeting, Blaise continued to scout the room at all of the other people who were in there from the desk he was sitting on top of near the Boss Lady. He was going to try his best to determine who all was his. In short enough time he would figure it all out though, and after the meeting he was sure they would separate into their own groups and go from there. He was definitely looking forward to meeting everyone though.

With the exception of a few stragglers, it looked like everyone was here. As soon as Emily introduced him, he nodded his head and gave a small wave. When she mentioned the part about his other officer not being here, he smiled slightly. "He can't hide from me for long," he joked.

Then, another worker came rushing in, rambling about the bathrooms and the underground system. All Blaise did really was look at the man, unsure of what to make. It had to have been his first day here, because not only did he address Emily very awkwardly, he also was very nervous. Or he could have just been one of those people who were just... interesting. He would have to figure it out later. If he wasn't new, then he still hadn't gotten used to the way Emily worked as a department head. Actually, Blaise didn't even know how she was as a department head, and she was intimidating but not scary. All Blaise could do was give a half smile to the poor fellow, who looked like he was about to wet himself.

Again.

One younger man caught Blaise's attention who was staring at him. Some kid with a backpack, or bag, or whatever it was. He probably was one of the YATIs, since he had more of a baby face to him than what a few of the others did. Plus he was standing near where the other Aurors were at, so that also kind of gave it away. Blaise nodded his head towards the young man for another silent greeting.

What was this? ANOTHER person running late. If Blaise hadn't left early though, he also would have been later than what he was. Luckily he knew the undergrounds just a tad, and being in security he had a keen internal compass that helped him navigate his way through many situations even if he had no idea where he was going. After the lad introduced himself, he realized that he was his officer that was missing. See, he couldn't hide from Blaise for long. He analyzed the man as he pulled out his pen and paper, and how he apologized for being late. Honestly Blaise could care less about a few minutes running behind, but he knew Emily would probably not be happy. While he had to impress Emily, it was Blaise who he would work with the most, and he would handle Emily for the new hire. All a part of the job.

Then some other guy who looked to be around his age spoke up about the colors of the walls. Really? It's not like Blaise would be in here that much, but he could see his point. It would make it better for the other employees who were stuck here all the time. "I'm down for painting the walls white. It would make it brighter down here, less daunting." It didn't matter how long they would be here, a few days or a few months. They HAD to do something to make this place less... gloomy. Meh.

Knowing that what was done couldn't be undone, Jackson decided that he would deal with any repercussions for his lateness later...or when the Department head or whoever he was reporting to, decided to address it at this meeting.

But for now he had a question to ask. One he had been planning to ask the moment he was informed by OWL that they would be working in a temporary office.

"I was wondering, may I ask why the Ministry of Magic office is off limits right now? I don't remember coming across anything about it when I was reading up on the cases that have been investigated in London recently," Jackson asked.

...and now for his input about the painting of the walls.

"I agree that painting the walls would brighten up this place. But could we possibly use another color instead of white? It just reminds me of a hospital. How about using a cool pastel shade or maybe cream, which is a different shade of white," he suggested.

'.....yes try to be as diplomatic as possible...Now is not the time to alienate your supervisors and co-workers,' Jackson thought to himself.

John gave a slight nod upon being introduced to his new co-workers.

Johnathan Walker...the second. Yup. He was named after his father, of the same the name. However he didn't like being referred to as Jack (like his father) or Johnny. Just don't. Unless you're Peyton Baltazar. Holding back a chuckle he simply nodded. John Walker or simply John, would suffice.

There were a few more people walking in late. The first one had to use the loo or a random spot to do his business.

Being punctual was John's goal 100% percent of the time. He had a serious professional demeanor, John took his job seriously even if it was the first day. He had learned that from his dad. In order to be taken seriously you have to be professional, leave all the silliness and personal stuff at the door.

As far as for questions go, there weren't any...yet.

He didn't have any questions. Kennedy was sure that pretty much everyone was wondering what was going on at the Ministry, and Emily assured them they'd be back in no time. Even if that wasn't sufficient of an answer, she would have told them had she had a clue, yes? Maybe it was top secret. And maybe there was something worse than a gigantic lizard in the Ministry. Whatever it was, Kennedy had to fight his curiosity to keep from asking questions. He wasn't a child to ask the obvious.

Then Carter made his appearance and... What?! Okay, that was funny at some level and... Kennedy checked his shoes, subtly, of course. They were dry. That was good, but... Ewww! Like his sister would say.

He didn't really pay attention to the other late guy, but he did receive a greeting nod. They were all in the same department, he felt obligated to show some sort of welcome.

Kennedy didn't have much to say to the painting suggestion. Since - according to Emily - they weren't going to be here for much, he didn't have any interest in making it cozy. Being an Escalante, he had in him to adapt to any kind of situation and/or environment and work in it.

Octavia simply observed as more people joined the meeting, none of them whom she knew however but she hoped that after a couple of weeks she'd have learnt all their names and be getting along fine with them. One young woman came in complaining about rats, honestly what harm could rodents do to someone possessing magical abilities? Then one man was apologising for needing the toilet. She looked a little shell-shocked, was he implying that he just used a random spot to do his business? What on EARTH was with this establishment? She'd heard such great things. Maybe her fellow workers would take a little while longer to get used to.

Her boss started talking and introducing them to the group. She nodded her head and sent a smile towards the others as her name was mentioned before turning her head to concentrate back on the meeting.

However she was soon rather taken aback by the suggestions that were coming from the others. Painting and redecorating this area. What did she look like? An interior designer. This was not what she was being paid to do. Wasn't there a maintenance team that could take care of that, not the department which had better things to do like protect the wizarding world from potential dark magic. She merely blinked and didn't say a word. She felt no need to until the proper meeting started.

SPOILER!!: Carter

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fira

After he heard the echo of the Boss Lady's voice ringing in the whole deserted underground place, Josh let out a whisper of a not-so-rude curse. Yeah, there was the meeting. Darn...he had to be quick. But also he had to be done with what he was doing so it took a bit more time, just a bit, before he rushed into the general work area. Emily was talking to the peeps which meant the meeting already started and he was late.

Whooops...

Before walking to the presence of his boss, Josh quickly fixed his clothes as they were kind of messed up from his sprint in the place. He, then, stopped himself when he was about to brush his hair quickly with his hands. He had better not touch anywhere anymore with those hands...yet, that was, until he was sure they were finally hygienic enough. Then he walked past Emily and stood next to his co-workers, of course, facing the Boss Lady.

He cleared his throat.

"Ahemm..." was she angry? "Sorry for being...late, boss...Emily." Maybe she would be less angry if he used her first name to ease the...air. "I had to find a bathroom. I drank too much tea at breakfast i suppose so...bathroom was needed urgently. It took so much time, sorry. And um..."

He eyed everyone in the place and turned back to his boss before going on. "And i apologize everybody for choosing a random...place for that. I know it won't add anything good to this already smelling area but i was being late. I guess you guys understand that."

Did they?

Eh...

The footsteps echoing had alerted her to his presence even before she bothered looking. Tardiness was not appreciated. That being said, first day back, new location, a muggle one at that with poor transportation... it was to be expected. So even though she boasted a no tolerance approach to it, there was little that could be done about it, for now. "It's fine Carter, pull up a se-----at."

No.

No.

He didn't. The saddest thing about the whole thing was, it didn't surprise her.
"You're cleaning it up, hands and knees, toothbrush, then my office..." no if's or but's. The place would be spotless... and considering they didn't have much of anything in terms of case work, time was not scarce.

SPOILER!!: McQueen

Quote:

Originally Posted by FireboltAvis88

Jackson ran into the room and stopped dead in his tracks. The meeting had started...not that he didn't expect that it would...especially since he was horribly late.

"I'm so...soo...sorry, Ma'am and everyone. I got lost...no excuse I know. I'm Jackson McQueen," he nodded apologetically at everyone and especially at the woman who seemed to be their Head since she was the one doing the talking.

"This is the first time I've been on the underground system here and I didn't know it was going to be so confusing. I assure everyone this will be my last mistake for the day." he told all the people in the room, but directing his full apology to his Department Head. Then he found himself a seat and sat down, quickly popping out his notepad and pen.

"Sorry for the interruption, Ma'am," he popped his head back up after belatedly realizing what he had done.

....nope definitely not making a good impression at all.

'Good one, Jackson. First day on the job and you're already in the doghouse.' Jackson silently chastised himself.

And Circe.

"Welcome," she replied shortly, content with dropping things so they could return to the meeting instead of standing around and listening to excuses. Between him and Carter they'd wasted five minutes. Five precious minutes which could otherwise be spent getting her coffee.
"Please be seated..."

SPOILER!!: Bones

Quote:

Originally Posted by Magical Soul

Vic was being the Grouchy Vampire in this group, he was slumped onto his chair and leaned his arms on his legs. The young blonde with the rat tale got a mumble, "Bloody rats and their little voices." Also. His head was NOT that big. He squinted his eyes at Branxton playfully, feigning annoyance. Oh she wanted a desk the poor girl? "Go ahead and hang upside down in a suit, I'm surprised we're having chairs on the floor."

Oh. Meeting was starting now? Okay, he straightened up just a bit, getting ready for business and hopefully keeping himself distracted.

... also Carter particularly said that he just PEED in their suffocating workplace. Vic looked like he just swallowed a sour lemon.

Questions? Yes. Vic shot his arm up in the air making sure he looked like a kid in class, "Can we paint the tunnels in white? Fluorescent paint too, it enhances our brains to be more agitated and alert." It was impossible for him to spend hours reading and going through paperwork in this environment.

Vic as perhaps as grumpy as she was, only it didn't look good on him. Maybe he needed to hug it out? Or something? She was at a loss when it came to these things, but did not approve of his sour expression -- not that she could blame him.

She'd been about to make a statement on his point when it seemed to take on with Blaise. White though, she didn't know how she felt about white... and really, what was wrong with grey concrete? It had the industrial chic look. Was it any surprise she was a fan? It almost felt like home.

SPOILER!!: Carlisle

Quote:

Originally Posted by Meh Reh

While she addressed everyone else in the meeting, Blaise continued to scout the room at all of the other people who were in there from the desk he was sitting on top of near the Boss Lady. He was going to try his best to determine who all was his. In short enough time he would figure it all out though, and after the meeting he was sure they would separate into their own groups and go from there. He was definitely looking forward to meeting everyone though.

With the exception of a few stragglers, it looked like everyone was here. As soon as Emily introduced him, he nodded his head and gave a small wave. When she mentioned the part about his other officer not being here, he smiled slightly. "He can't hide from me for long," he joked.

Then, another worker came rushing in, rambling about the bathrooms and the underground system. All Blaise did really was look at the man, unsure of what to make. It had to have been his first day here, because not only did he address Emily very awkwardly, he also was very nervous. Or he could have just been one of those people who were just... interesting. He would have to figure it out later. If he wasn't new, then he still hadn't gotten used to the way Emily worked as a department head. Actually, Blaise didn't even know how she was as a department head, and she was intimidating but not scary. All Blaise could do was give a half smile to the poor fellow, who looked like he was about to wet himself.

Again.

One younger man caught Blaise's attention who was staring at him. Some kid with a backpack, or bag, or whatever it was. He probably was one of the YATIs, since he had more of a baby face to him than what a few of the others did. Plus he was standing near where the other Aurors were at, so that also kind of gave it away. Blaise nodded his head towards the young man for another silent greeting.

What was this? ANOTHER person running late. If Blaise hadn't left early though, he also would have been later than what he was. Luckily he knew the undergrounds just a tad, and being in security he had a keen internal compass that helped him navigate his way through many situations even if he had no idea where he was going. After the lad introduced himself, he realized that he was his officer that was missing. See, he couldn't hide from Blaise for long. He analyzed the man as he pulled out his pen and paper, and how he apologized for being late. Honestly Blaise could care less about a few minutes running behind, but he knew Emily would probably not be happy. While he had to impress Emily, it was Blaise who he would work with the most, and he would handle Emily for the new hire. All a part of the job.

Then some other guy who looked to be around his age spoke up about the colors of the walls. Really? It's not like Blaise would be in here that much, but he could see his point. It would make it better for the other employees who were stuck here all the time. "I'm down for painting the walls white. It would make it brighter down here, less daunting." It didn't matter how long they would be here, a few days or a few months. They HAD to do something to make this place less... gloomy. Meh.

"I'm all for a makeover should you feel we need it, but I have to disagree with the white thing." No. White. No. It would be far too bright and excruciating for her corneas and she rather valued her sense of sight. It was necessary in order to appreciate some things.

SPOILER!!: McQueen

Quote:

Originally Posted by FireboltAvis88

Knowing that what was done couldn't be undone, Jackson decided that he would deal with any repercussions for his lateness later...or when the Department head or whoever he was reporting to, decided to address it at this meeting.

But for now he had a question to ask. One he had been planning to ask the moment he was informed by OWL that they would be working in a temporary office.

"I was wondering, may I ask why the Ministry of Magic office is off limits right now? I don't remember coming across anything about it when I was reading up on the cases that have been investigated in London recently," Jackson asked.

...and now for his input about the painting of the walls.

"I agree that painting the walls would brighten up this place. But could we possibly use another color instead of white? It just reminds me of a hospital. How about using a cool pastel shade or maybe cream, which is a different shade of white," he suggested.

'.....yes try to be as diplomatic as possible...Now is not the time to alienate your supervisors and co-workers,' Jackson thought to himself.

And would you lookit that. Newbie LatePants had a voice. At least he was thinking along her wavelength, white was such a harsh colour, and she wasn't a fan of the sterile look. "I have to agree, though, how about we go a pastel blue? It's supposed to be calming or something along those lines..." calm employees sounded like a good thing, promising even.



Now... was that all on the painting thing?

No last thoughts?

"Just on that though... by all means, feel free to brighten up the place however you see fit, I'd hate for you all to be uncomfortable in our time here." There may have been a hint of sarcasm in her tone, but she did legitimately care about the well being and peace of mind of her employees. It was like one of those idioms, happy wife, happy life... only... happy employees, greater productivity... yeah... like that.

"First thing on the agenda, work."

Was it any surprise?

"As a result of the inconvenience of being locked out, we're limited to the casework we are able to pursue under these conditions, so... for the time being, our primary objectives are as follows." She paused here to allow them to keep up. Some. Things. Needed. Time.
"Security is high on our list of priorities and I expect everyone to pitch in. Reception needs a minimum of one guard at all times, and in addition to this it wouldn't hurt to patrol the active underground from time to time. Security personnel will be busy enough checking up on and supporting the other departments, so I expect us to be able to keep things secured here... Blaise, feel free to poach whoever you think will be of most use to you."

That was one can of worms.

"Training, is also high on my list of expectations, I trust you all to have checked the noticeboard and while I am in no way forcing you to participate, consider this an opportunity to up-skill. Also... we have our own training facility which is currently open to anyone who is interested for dueling practice purposes. By all means, don't kill each other, but keep yourselves active and learn new techniques and strategies from your peers. I will post the password and further details on the noticeboard at the conclusion of this meeting..."

She disliked talking so much. It was irksome, but they were half way there. More or less.
"Any questions at this stage? And qualms about duties?"

Her very own desk? Stop the presses... Genevieve Branxton was moving up in the world. She grinned broadly and started scouting immediately, her attention wandering from the introductions to where she was going to move in. It was boring anyway. New security guy (didn't look old enough, but then there was Emily so what did age mean, anyway?), the new woman with the pretty hair, the chap with Kennedy (too serious, what was he doing with ol' Ken?), and then... the guy who was late. She was a YATI, so she'd already clocked the newbies ages ago.

And then Carter showed up, and she recoiled and made faces at him. Okay, ew, EW. He did not just admit to using their workspace as his own personal toilet. Men were so disgusting. Could they just lock them all up in their own room and keep the main area clean and pleasant please? "Gross, Carter. Gross."

Quote:

Originally Posted by Magical Soul

Vic was being the Grouchy Vampire in this group, he was slumped onto his chair and leaned his arms on his legs. The young blonde with the rat tale got a mumble, "Bloody rats and their little voices." Also. His head was NOT that big. He squinted his eyes at Branxton playfully, feigning annoyance. Oh she wanted a desk the poor girl? "Go ahead and hang upside down in a suit, I'm surprised we're having chairs on the floor."

Oh. Meeting was starting now? Okay, he straightened up just a bit, getting ready for business and hopefully keeping himself distracted.

... also Carter particularly said that he just PEED in their suffocating workplace. Vic looked like he just swallowed a sour lemon.

Questions? Yes. Vic shot his arm up in the air making sure he looked like a kid in class, "Can we paint the tunnels in white? Fluorescent paint too, it enhances our brains to be more agitated and alert." It was impossible for him to spend hours reading and going through paperwork in this environment.

"I'll leave hanging upside down to you, Batman." Vic got a cheerful little tap on the top of his head with the flat of Genevieve's hand. If he was going to play the sour old goat, then she was going to treat him like one. And was he complaining about her voice, or the rat voices? Did rats have voices? Vic was such a nutter.

Wait. Were they really debating paint color?

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hera

[B]"First thing on the agenda, work."

Was it any surprise?

"As a result of the inconvenience of being locked out, we're limited to the casework we are able to pursue under these conditions, so... for the time being, our primary objectives are as follows." She paused here to allow them to keep up. Some. Things. Needed. Time.
"Security is high on our list of priorities and I expect everyone to pitch in. Reception needs a minimum of one guard at all times, and in addition to this it wouldn't hurt to patrol the active underground from time to time. Security personnel will be busy enough checking up on and supporting the other departments, so I expect us to be able to keep things secured here... Blaise, feel free to poach whoever you think will be of most use to you."

That was one can of worms.

"Training, is also high on my list of expectations, I trust you all to have checked the noticeboard and while I am in no way forcing you to participate, consider this an opportunity to up-skill. Also... we have our own training facility which is currently open to anyone who is interested for dueling practice purposes. By all means, don't kill each other, but keep yourselves active and learn new techniques and strategies from your peers. I will post the password and further details on the noticeboard at the conclusion of this meeting..."

She disliked talking so much. It was irksome, but they were half way there. More or less.
"Any questions at this stage? And qualms about duties?"

"If someone is going to devote precious time to sprucing the place up, maybe some track lighting and shag carpeting are in order?" Genevieve kicked her heels gently against the desk and gave Emily a guileless look. Really, though, Boss Lady? Don't let people get distracted with interior decorating when there was work to do.

"I'm willing to help with security work, if I'm needed." Her hand went up, and she wiggled her fingers eagerly. Pick me, pick me! It would be excellent experience going forward, and field work was pretty few and far between for YATI. Considering this could, hopefully, be her last year in training, Genevieve wanted to get as much out of the program as she could. "Are we patrolling at the Ministry building too? Maybe staking it out to see if someone has locked it down on purpose?"

Now that sounded boring.

The auror didn't envy his friend as the woman laid out the punishment for his marking his territory sort of speak. Maybe Josh would have been better off at least keeping it to himself. Literally and figuratively. But too late now. As for the look of the Underground, Simon honestly didn't give much thought on decorating choices. That wasn't his area of expertise so Simon stayed quiet on the matter. White...blue...it was all the same. He didn't figure on spending that much time in the office anyway. The auror side was spent out in the wizarding world and the security side meant patroling around the various muggle areas that the ministry departments had taken over.

He then listened as Emily laid the groundwork on what would be expected of them, including the training that had been posted on the board. Yep, the auror was already planning on attending, even if no one else was interested. As for security, that was gonna be a thrill and a half given how spread out they were now. Time to spread the already thin group even further. Speaking of the security matter, he might as well clarify something during the pause in speaking.

"Not so much a question, but doublechecking a thought rather then simply assuming anything." Assuming was never a good thing and he was trying to start of the year on Emily's good side. "Though I'm figuring with everything being said, I'm to remain in my duel role, assisting Blaise with security." Even if that wasn't the case, Simon would still offer what he could like the rest of the department.

Okay, so apparently they were going to decorate and liven up the place after all, which completely went against Anna's line of thinking. She was ready to just jump head first into figuring out a way to re-open the Ministry of Magic, and sprucing up their current headquarters just seemed like a way to prolong that happening. She was outnumbered, though, so decorating it would be.

Talk turned to volunteering, which made Anna rethink her own job duties. "Is there a plan for Counterfeit Magic and Equipment Control?" she asked. "Because I could help with investigation or even charms detection and analysis." She wondered what sort of team, if any, had been assembled at the actual Ministry of Magic. "I'm open to whatever needs to be done here, too."

Except cleaning up Carter's pee. He could do that. Eww.

Blaise shrugged his shoulders at the "no white" comment. At least if they were going to spend SOME amount of time here, might as well make it manageable. Obviously others seemed to think it might help their mood, and if the employees were working better he felt they would be more productive. He swung his leg back and forth while he was debating about what color besides white they would use and not listening to Emily talk. He would probably meet up with the other guy who suggested it. Vic, that was his name. Or some form of his name anyway. "Alright fine, no white. We'll take votes later."

Geeeeeeeez.

Anyway, on to business matters. Of course, his area was definitely one that needed help, and the more help he could get for now the better. He understood that MLE was already wearing thin as it was, so it was his job to borrow people but only when he absolutely needed it, and then return them as soon as he could.

When she came to a pause, Blaise took this moment to stand up from the desk and tuck his folder under his left arm and put that hand in his pocket. "If I may, Ms Browne," he said, and looked at her. He then turned to the rest of the employees standing in front of them, and gestured outward with his right hand in a sweeping motion. "After the meeting is over, if anyone is interested in assisting me with Security, please let me know. We can work something out so I'll snag you only when necessary and return you to your proper owner." Flash a half smile, and done.

That being said, he placed himself back down on the desk with his folder to his side, and waited for the rest of the meeting to continue.




Blaise looked over at the girl who seemed super!excited about volunteering for Security. At least someone seemed enthusiastic around here, and he was appreciative of that. He did make a mental note to make sure that she didn't get distracted by any more rats though. Hopefully that wouldn't be a problem, or she could just add that in to make everything around here more interesting.

Eventually he would have to work with her anyway, he was imagining. And he was also sure she was dying to get out and actually do some sort of patrol work. This could definitely benefit her Auror skills, so Blaise was all for it and he hoped Emily would be as well.

He made another mental note to not leave her alone all the time though. He would spend time with her, then send someone else with her occasionally, maybe Simon if he was still going to serve as a dual purpose. Patrolling by yourself was boring, especially in an area with no activity.

"Come see me after this," he said enthusiastically. "I'm sure I can put you somewhere that isn't going to bore you and give you training in your own area as well." There, maybe that would get others interested.



When Simon spoke up, he looked over at him and nodded while he spoke. That was something he was going to address with Emily, but since Simon had already brought it up, that was one less thing that he would have to worry about on his checklist. Thankfully he seemed willing... or at least that's how Blaise interpreted it and that's how it was going to stay.

Positive thinking yields positive results. Hopefully Simon would abide by the bro code and end up being fun to work with.

He turned towards Emily again, and waited for her response. "I want him anyway. He's good." Just to make his point extra, super clear. Bro code, dude.

After all, Emily already said that he could take whoever he wanted. So cue grabby hands to the willing employees. He was hoping there would be more to volunteer or see him after the meeting even if they didn't express it right now.

Coming back to work after the break had certainly been interesting. At least Dorian had been fairly sure that the knowledge of the faulty Ministry entrances was new, considering there hadn’t been much mention of that in December when a good portion of the department had come to Scotland for the weekend. Getting notice that he’d been asked to report here instead of the Ministry had been curious, but then he figured he had a closer commute than Natasha had from his flat. The Underground was extensive, but he’d been a good tracker before joining MLE. He’d gotten there, and simply leaned against a desk in the shadows as everyone had arrived, staying quiet. Emily had started the meeting, but he’d remained quiet, just observing and sipping the espresso he’d brought with him as Carter had made his announcement, people had come in late, and somehow the meeting had turned from MLE to interior decorating. He wasn’t painting the walls. They were supposed to stay out of notice of the Muggles, and he imagined they’d notice if an abandoned stretch of tracks had suddenly changed color overnight.

Unless they used charms to disguise the changes, but that seemed like more trouble than it was worth for a temporary situation. Charms were better used elsewhere, as he silently duplicated his coffee and finally left the shadows to set the new cup by Emily. He knew she was even worse without caffeine than he was, and obviously the one meant for her had been sacrificed to a rat. Things were unraveling without the order given by the office. His grey eyes had shifted to look at Anna as she had spoken, though. “For now, I’d say we’re part of the security help. Unless we think it’s faulty magic locking us out of the Ministry, and we’d be better off looking into that,” he said, with another glance toward Emily. He’d offer his people up for anything other than Carter cleanup, but then that was a given considering the auror had already been told he had to clean up his own mess.

Look at it. There was someone else even more of a late arriver than he was. Well...the guy was new so it was expectable. But, on the other hand, everyone else was new to this place too. Eh...not that he cared. Trying to make an eye contact with the new guy, his name was Jackson apparently, Josh grinned at him.

And what was this Vic guy talking about? Painting the walls white so...everyone could be more productive? Eh...Josh could not say the same for himself. White was a boring and dull colour. "You don't need to worry about colouring the walls. I will do enough of that once i finally get a hold of the Edgeworth dude. That will surely be enough to make brains more agitated and alert. Especially for Edgeworth.". Now was Simon rolling his eyes at him? Eh...what else could he do if he was late and failed to find a bathroom? Surely wetting his pants was not an acceptable alternative. The place already smelled anyway, a gallon of urine was not going to change anything. Right? He preferred to believe that.

Once his dark brown gaze shifted back to the new faces, Josh spotted this new security guy sending him a kind of small smile. Maybe he understood the importance of the urgency of getting rid of a gallon of urine before participating department wide meetings. Especially if it was the first day. The Auror sent a grin back at him before focusing his attention on the co-late comer person when he started to speak. "To be honest, i think the Ministry being off limits has something to do with some misdoing if the minister. Right. It's just a guess but i feel like doubting some of the leaders within the ministry and i am not afraid to say so."

And Emily...

Eh?

Cleaning up. He understood that. Hands and knees. he understood that as well, as if you were to clean something on the floor you needed bend down a little or more but...toothbrush? Cleaning a puddle of a gallon of urine with a toothbrush. Was that what she meant? Oooookay. He was not going to object. He could use other means of cleaning the puddle anyway and Emily didn't have to know. Cleaning was cleaning. "Should i clean your office too? With the toothbrush?" She probably would not prefer him to use the same toothbrush.

And was the boss lady seriously talked about this painting the walls thing? Pastel blue? Meeeh...but at least it was better than white. Josh would go for dark red....Edgeworth. Okay...maybe not that...bad but...he deserved it. "I am willing to help the security as well, should they need my assistance. That is...if i would have any time to do so out of other duties. About the training, why don't we set a physical challenge and check out everyone's stamina?" Josh grinned inwardly. As a physical being, he loved to exercise and add more to his already brawny build. And stamina was VERY important anyway. Not being able to tolerate pain and fatigue made a MLEr an easy target.

Okay, so Jory didn't really care much about the redecorating aspect of things but he was up for helping out with Security. He spoke up, directing his statement to Blaise. "I'm won't mind helping. Of course, that's if anyone doesn't have something else in mind for me to do.'' He looked at Joshua when he said the last part since he had worked closely with the Auror last year so perhaps he might need the YATI to assist with something else?

And as for Josh's idea about testing stamina, Jory was up for that! All the exercising he did would surely come in handy for that.

Honestly, she wasn't sure how interior decorating had become the most discussed topic on the agenda when it wasn't even ON the agenda to begin with. Needy people. Still, she hadn't objected... perhaps regretting that.

SPOILER!!: Branxton

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cassirin

Her very own desk? Stop the presses... Genevieve Branxton was moving up in the world. She grinned broadly and started scouting immediately, her attention wandering from the introductions to where she was going to move in. It was boring anyway. New security guy (didn't look old enough, but then there was Emily so what did age mean, anyway?), the new woman with the pretty hair, the chap with Kennedy (too serious, what was he doing with ol' Ken?), and then... the guy who was late. She was a YATI, so she'd already clocked the newbies ages ago.

And then Carter showed up, and she recoiled and made faces at him. Okay, ew, EW. He did not just admit to using their workspace as his own personal toilet. Men were so disgusting. Could they just lock them all up in their own room and keep the main area clean and pleasant please? "Gross, Carter. Gross."



"I'll leave hanging upside down to you, Batman." Vic got a cheerful little tap on the top of his head with the flat of Genevieve's hand. If he was going to play the sour old goat, then she was going to treat him like one. And was he complaining about her voice, or the rat voices? Did rats have voices? Vic was such a nutter.

Wait. Were they really debating paint color?



"If someone is going to devote precious time to sprucing the place up, maybe some track lighting and shag carpeting are in order?" Genevieve kicked her heels gently against the desk and gave Emily a guileless look. Really, though, Boss Lady? Don't let people get distracted with interior decorating when there was work to do.

"I'm willing to help with security work, if I'm needed." Her hand went up, and she wiggled her fingers eagerly. Pick me, pick me! It would be excellent experience going forward, and field work was pretty few and far between for YATI. Considering this could, hopefully, be her last year in training, Genevieve wanted to get as much out of the program as she could. "Are we patrolling at the Ministry building too? Maybe staking it out to see if someone has locked it down on purpose?"

Now that sounded boring.

"Lighting, yes, carpet... sure..." she replied with two nods, pulling her folder open on her lap once more. "Once you've coordinated lighting, you're with Blaise," she agreed, sparing a glance at her new Sec Head to ensure he was on-board.

SPOILER!!: Bennett

Quote:

Originally Posted by Holmesian Feline

The auror didn't envy his friend as the woman laid out the punishment for his marking his territory sort of speak. Maybe Josh would have been better off at least keeping it to himself. Literally and figuratively. But too late now. As for the look of the Underground, Simon honestly didn't give much thought on decorating choices. That wasn't his area of expertise so Simon stayed quiet on the matter. White...blue...it was all the same. He didn't figure on spending that much time in the office anyway. The auror side was spent out in the wizarding world and the security side meant patroling around the various muggle areas that the ministry departments had taken over.

He then listened as Emily laid the groundwork on what would be expected of them, including the training that had been posted on the board. Yep, the auror was already planning on attending, even if no one else was interested. As for security, that was gonna be a thrill and a half given how spread out they were now. Time to spread the already thin group even further. Speaking of the security matter, he might as well clarify something during the pause in speaking.

"Not so much a question, but doublechecking a thought rather then simply assuming anything." Assuming was never a good thing and he was trying to start of the year on Emily's good side. "Though I'm figuring with everything being said, I'm to remain in my duel role, assisting Blaise with security." Even if that wasn't the case, Simon would still offer what he could like the rest of the department.

Bennett though, rarely ceased to amaze her. Had she not shifted him to Security in a full-time capacity at the end of the last term? Had she not just identified Security as STILL being at the top of their priorities -- all things considered? .. It really went without saying.

She'd been about to give him a resounding yes, when Blaise made his request known.

"He's yours."

Too easy.

SPOILER!!: Carlisle

Quote:

Originally Posted by Meh Reh

Blaise shrugged his shoulders at the "no white" comment. At least if they were going to spend SOME amount of time here, might as well make it manageable. Obviously others seemed to think it might help their mood, and if the employees were working better he felt they would be more productive. He swung his leg back and forth while he was debating about what color besides white they would use and not listening to Emily talk. He would probably meet up with the other guy who suggested it. Vic, that was his name. Or some form of his name anyway. "Alright fine, no white. We'll take votes later."

Geeeeeeeez.

Anyway, on to business matters. Of course, his area was definitely one that needed help, and the more help he could get for now the better. He understood that MLE was already wearing thin as it was, so it was his job to borrow people but only when he absolutely needed it, and then return them as soon as he could.

When she came to a pause, Blaise took this moment to stand up from the desk and tuck his folder under his left arm and put that hand in his pocket. "If I may, Ms Browne," he said, and looked at her. He then turned to the rest of the employees standing in front of them, and gestured outward with his right hand in a sweeping motion. "After the meeting is over, if anyone is interested in assisting me with Security, please let me know. We can work something out so I'll snag you only when necessary and return you to your proper owner." Flash a half smile, and done.

That being said, he placed himself back down on the desk with his folder to his side, and waited for the rest of the meeting to continue.




Blaise looked over at the girl who seemed super!excited about volunteering for Security. At least someone seemed enthusiastic around here, and he was appreciative of that. He did make a mental note to make sure that she didn't get distracted by any more rats though. Hopefully that wouldn't be a problem, or she could just add that in to make everything around here more interesting.

Eventually he would have to work with her anyway, he was imagining. And he was also sure she was dying to get out and actually do some sort of patrol work. This could definitely benefit her Auror skills, so Blaise was all for it and he hoped Emily would be as well.

He made another mental note to not leave her alone all the time though. He would spend time with her, then send someone else with her occasionally, maybe Simon if he was still going to serve as a dual purpose. Patrolling by yourself was boring, especially in an area with no activity.

"Come see me after this," he said enthusiastically. "I'm sure I can put you somewhere that isn't going to bore you and give you training in your own area as well." There, maybe that would get others interested.



When Simon spoke up, he looked over at him and nodded while he spoke. That was something he was going to address with Emily, but since Simon had already brought it up, that was one less thing that he would have to worry about on his checklist. Thankfully he seemed willing... or at least that's how Blaise interpreted it and that's how it was going to stay.

Positive thinking yields positive results. Hopefully Simon would abide by the bro code and end up being fun to work with.

He turned towards Emily again, and waited for her response. "I want him anyway. He's good." Just to make his point extra, super clear. Bro code, dude.

After all, Emily already said that he could take whoever he wanted. So cue grabby hands to the willing employees. He was hoping there would be more to volunteer or see him after the meeting even if they didn't express it right now.

Votes? No... no votes. She'd said pastel blue, so pastel blue it would be. Unless someone could persuade her otherwise. But at any rate, it was the least of their worries.

SPOILER!!: Newell

Quote:

Originally Posted by Anna Banana

Okay, so apparently they were going to decorate and liven up the place after all, which completely went against Anna's line of thinking. She was ready to just jump head first into figuring out a way to re-open the Ministry of Magic, and sprucing up their current headquarters just seemed like a way to prolong that happening. She was outnumbered, though, so decorating it would be.

Talk turned to volunteering, which made Anna rethink her own job duties. "Is there a plan for Counterfeit Magic and Equipment Control?" she asked. "Because I could help with investigation or even charms detection and analysis." She wondered what sort of team, if any, had been assembled at the actual Ministry of Magic. "I'm open to whatever needs to be done here, too."

Except cleaning up Carter's pee. He could do that. Eww.

The plan, yes, there was a plan. Emily nodded. Though she thought it had been rather clear. All personnel would be required in Security to some extent, she was not an exception to the rule, but there was more for her to do....

She'd been about to say as much when Dorian finally spoke up.

SPOILER!!: Tamerlane

Quote:

Originally Posted by SilverTiger

Coming back to work after the break had certainly been interesting. At least Dorian had been fairly sure that the knowledge of the faulty Ministry entrances was new, considering there hadn’t been much mention of that in December when a good portion of the department had come to Scotland for the weekend. Getting notice that he’d been asked to report here instead of the Ministry had been curious, but then he figured he had a closer commute than Natasha had from his flat. The Underground was extensive, but he’d been a good tracker before joining MLE. He’d gotten there, and simply leaned against a desk in the shadows as everyone had arrived, staying quiet. Emily had started the meeting, but he’d remained quiet, just observing and sipping the espresso he’d brought with him as Carter had made his announcement, people had come in late, and somehow the meeting had turned from MLE to interior decorating. He wasn’t painting the walls. They were supposed to stay out of notice of the Muggles, and he imagined they’d notice if an abandoned stretch of tracks had suddenly changed color overnight.

Unless they used charms to disguise the changes, but that seemed like more trouble than it was worth for a temporary situation. Charms were better used elsewhere, as he silently duplicated his coffee and finally left the shadows to set the new cup by Emily. He knew she was even worse without caffeine than he was, and obviously the one meant for her had been sacrificed to a rat. Things were unraveling without the order given by the office. His grey eyes had shifted to look at Anna as she had spoken, though. “For now, I’d say we’re part of the security help. Unless we think it’s faulty magic locking us out of the Ministry, and we’d be better off looking into that,” he said, with another glance toward Emily. He’d offer his people up for anything other than Carter cleanup, but then that was a given considering the auror had already been told he had to clean up his own mess.

And oh? Coffee? Emily took the cup, dipping her head in thanks. Now this, was a coffee... of course, trust Tamerlane to drink the good stuff. It was excellent, but she was perhaps a little too accustomed to grit.
"He's quite right... though that being said, it would be prudent if we could all consider ways in which we may be able to get back into the Ministry. Accidents and Catastrophe's are running point on this, but I know for a fact they'll appreciate any help they can get with the matter, if you're particularly suited to charms work, by all means volunteer your services to them. There's not a great deal we can do in our current roles."

Again, this was directed at everyone present, though if Anna and Dorian were interested, by all means they could coordinate MLE's part in the recovery efforts.

SPOILER!!: Carter

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fira

Look at it. There was someone else even more of a late arriver than he was. Well...the guy was new so it was expectable. But, on the other hand, everyone else was new to this place too. Eh...not that he cared. Trying to make an eye contact with the new guy, his name was Jackson apparently, Josh grinned at him.

And what was this Vic guy talking about? Painting the walls white so...everyone could be more productive? Eh...Josh could not say the same for himself. White was a boring and dull colour. "You don't need to worry about colouring the walls. I will do enough of that once i finally get a hold of the Edgeworth dude. That will surely be enough to make brains more agitated and alert. Especially for Edgeworth.". Now was Simon rolling his eyes at him? Eh...what else could he do if he was late and failed to find a bathroom? Surely wetting his pants was not an acceptable alternative. The place already smelled anyway, a gallon of urine was not going to change anything. Right? He preferred to believe that.

Once his dark brown gaze shifted back to the new faces, Josh spotted this new security guy sending him a kind of small smile. Maybe he understood the importance of the urgency of getting rid of a gallon of urine before participating department wide meetings. Especially if it was the first day. The Auror sent a grin back at him before focusing his attention on the co-late comer person when he started to speak. "To be honest, i think the Ministry being off limits has something to do with some misdoing if the minister. Right. It's just a guess but i feel like doubting some of the leaders within the ministry and i am not afraid to say so."

And Emily...

Eh?

Cleaning up. He understood that. Hands and knees. he understood that as well, as if you were to clean something on the floor you needed bend down a little or more but...toothbrush? Cleaning a puddle of a gallon of urine with a toothbrush. Was that what she meant? Oooookay. He was not going to object. He could use other means of cleaning the puddle anyway and Emily didn't have to know. Cleaning was cleaning. "Should i clean your office too? With the toothbrush?" She probably would not prefer him to use the same toothbrush.

And was the boss lady seriously talked about this painting the walls thing? Pastel blue? Meeeh...but at least it was better than white. Josh would go for dark red....Edgeworth. Okay...maybe not that...bad but...he deserved it. "I am willing to help the security as well, should they need my assistance. That is...if i would have any time to do so out of other duties. About the training, why don't we set a physical challenge and check out everyone's stamina?" Josh grinned inwardly. As a physical being, he loved to exercise and add more to his already brawny build. And stamina was VERY important anyway. Not being able to tolerate pain and fatigue made a MLEr an easy target.

Carter. Merlin. There were no words to describe how nonsensical and amusing this man could be. On the one hand, Emily was dying to roll her eyes and scoff at him, on the other hand, she was completely at her leisure listening to his spiel about Edgeworth, of course, she had a feeling that if he were to surface now, that Carter would need to be the one behind bars. "That won't be necessary," Emily brushed off, happy to move on. Mmhhmm. Blue pastel would look fine.

Misdoing of the Minister? ........ Emily observed the YATIL for a moment, in silent contemplation. "No." That was her response, it was unlikely it had to do with Kettleburn and certainly not his leadership.. but of course, she could understand what Josh was getting at. Some people, mmm...
"I'll beg you to keep those thoughts to yourself, I'd hate for you to be out of a job," she advised, content with dropping that now too.

"A different toothbrush if you please," she replied coolly. Because the last thing she wanted was her poor excuse of an office to smell like one of them muggle toilets. No. No thank you. She liked her space urine free.

Emily nodded and listened, adjusting her seat on the table by crossing her legs over the other way. "Talk to Blaise once the meeting's over, he'll direct you." Should he be in need of more people. Of course, they would need a small team to check out the Ministry site, then there were patrols of the other locations, and their own space to monitor. Lots of fun to be had for them. Training though, not a bad idea. "I like the way you think Carter," she started, "how about we put our heads together on that one, there's enough to be done in the present and immediate future, so we can flesh this out for maximum effectiveness."

Averting her gaze briefly to her pages, Emily noted the remaining items on the agenda. Home stretch now. Though Stonewall got looks for speaking out of turn... Blaise had said after the meeting, had he not? No matter.

"A list of all department locations will soon be distributed to your desks, but I first wanted to inform you all that we have two liaison positions open in the department, which I am keen to fill. This role is in addition to your regular position and the role would require you to communicate with other departments and particularly the Minister's Office. Often you would be reporting directly to the Minister or his Under Secretaries. Should you wish to apply simply send me a memo expressing your interest or come see me at some point."

"Now if there are no more questions, we have Security details to set up, I insist any decorating to be done must be finished by the close of business and must not be permanent..." and with that, Emily hopped off the table, the meeting officially concluded. She was however hanging back a bit in case there were questions. And of course, she wanted to see how Blaise would cope with this, she was here to offer her support.

Too late. Jory realised too late that Blaise had said AFTER the meeting. So, now he had to deal with the disapproving looks Emily gave him. His flushed and returned a look that said sorry to the Boss Lady. Over excited YATI to get back to work here.

Pushing the embarrassing moment away, Jory focused on what Emily was saying now: Security and decoration. Well, the latter part was boring.

So his sarcastic suggestion was taken seriously and discussed thoroughly. His grumpy face fell gradually and eventually a smug smile was plastered on his face. He was definitely not wasting his time on painting, there was a maintenance department still, right? They could ask them to do that. He wasn't going to get stuck underground with no files or cases to work on.

Security business was not his specialty and there were enough volunteers already so he kept silent on that. Liaisons, though? He rubbed his chin thoughtfully, the rest of the discussion went on without any comment from him.

And soon, too soon even, Emily hopped off the table and the meeting was dismissed. Eh. He stretched his arms up and tugged on Branxton's ponytail playfully but with a completely serious face. He was Smurf Grouchy today.

Today was definitely off to a good start for this new Security Head guy. He definitely was very appreciative of everyone who was volunteering, because that meant stealing people from their owners would be a lot less of a hassle when it came time for him needed people. All he could do was nod at the people who volunteered, and made sure he was going to have enough space to write down the names. Faces would be no problem, but that would come after he got their names.

He definitely would need to have a game plan though. Once they all had their maps of the area, it would make it easier. Then he would have to take into account each person's experience, and figure out who all would want to go where. Of course, with these YATIs, they would be eager to go wherever he wanted them to. Maybe they were a little too excited for it, but he appreciated how willing they were for everything. The younger girl had decorating to do, so maybe he would stick her here in the reception area. BUT he had time to figure that out later.

Referring back to his folder, he opened it and found his own map of the temporary Ministry. He scribbled down a few notes here and there, and eventually would take down names where he was placing people. Of course, he would be the one going around the whole darn temporary setup, checking on his people, and providing assistance where needed. He would get the older people placed where they felt most comfortable, and then put the YATIs where he wanted them and where they felt the best. Of course, he would check on them more than anyone else.

When Emily mentioned the liaison position, Blaise's gaze shifted up to her and he nodded once as an affirmation that he would take it if needed, since he was going to be all over the place anyway. That is, unless she wanted someone else to do it.

She seemed to have determined that the meeting was over. The training part stuck out to him though, and he liked the idea of what the Josh guy had said. "Especially those who will be working in Security with me, I think some of the younger people need a dose on building up stamina," he agreed. "Blocking spells, running, evasive measures, things like that. Should we figure that out now, or after I get everyone down?" It was more directed towards Emily than everyone else, but still. "I also think since we're going to be spread out, we need a way to communicate between each other besides just Apparating. An enchanted parchment may be too bulky, so maybe if there was a way to enchant a small Muggle notebook to relay the message and to send them back and forth..." he trailed off. For not being very creative, that was pretty good. "That way the Muggles won't be too suspicious of us."

IF Emily approved of something like that though.

Boy, did he have a lot of work to do already.

He liked these kinds of meetings; quick and to the point. As many volunteered to help with security, Kennedy wouldn't mind doing it either. "I'm available for whatever needs to be done." Except for Carter's business. He wouldn't do that even for a bag of Galleons.

Turning his head slightly at the the man who spoke last (Blaise Carlisle), Kennedy suggested, "Since we're going to be around Muggles, wouldn't cell phones work in this case?" No Muggle would suspect anything, they'd blend right in. "That is, if the area isn't heavily enchanted with magic." Because then it wouldn't work. Technology and magic didn't get along.

"Or we can charm cell phones to work like a two-way mirror as well, or use the Protean Charm on them." That's where his charm skills came in. Hehe.

Well, it looked like she'd be helping out with Security, which was fine by her. She'd been craving a bit more excitement anyway. Now seemed like as good a time as any. That being discovered, she turned her attention toward the discussion regarding just that.

She nodded along as she listened to the suggestions, but when one came from the young man who'd given her that grin sometime earlier, she grew wide-eyed. "Oh, urgh...put me down for the two-way mirror," she said. No Greingoth--ever--had been comfortable with any Muggle way of doing things. Just the thought alone of trying to operate a cell phone nearly caused Anna's heart to plunge to her toes. "...and I'm game for the training, too. I've been anxious to branch out anyway."

Gravitating toward her new Sec Head, Emily watched to see who would flock to him for patrols and the like... she had expectations.

"Training can wait, we've got some in place... the rest will fall into line, patrols are a priority for now," she mused, expressing her views on the stamina and what-not training. It would happen, she wasn't against it, but they had enough to do for the time being. It was a time management and logistics thing.

Talk of communication was of interest, good beans this kids were. Never mind that save for Escalante, they weren't kids at all. Ahem. "For consistencies sake we should look at a single method, personally I favour the protean charm, keep it to small inconspicuous objects -- such as a note pad, and we're set." Two way mirrors, she wasn't a fan... more so of the mirror part. Hardly necessary to see the face of the person or people you were communicating with.




Separating herself from the group, Emily approached Vic, nudging him with her elbow. "What's gotten up your skirt?" she asked, perfectly serious and straight-faced, masking her amusement and concern. "Anything I can do?"

Josh caught Jory looking at him when he mentioned the training. Oh, yes, especially you YATIs, the YATIL was not going to let them trainees stop until he was satisfied with their stamina and...Josh never thought any degree of stamina was enough. There was always the possibility of ending up facing someone stronger, so it was a must to keep training till every single muscle in your body cried out "Stop" with ache and beyond that. It was not going to kill them. And pain was no excuse to stop anyway. Feeling pain meant they were alive. No physical weakness was accepted in this Auror's book.

After giving Jory a half smile, Josh turned to Emily when she started to speak. Edgeworth fun was not necessary? Well...that was disappointing...maybe a little bit. Eh...then he would not use the annoying guy for decoration then, if Emily thought he was not supposed to do that. And apparently he was supposed to keep his ideas about Ministry leaders to himself. Josh could understand that. They were heads of the Ministry and he was just an employee way below them in the hierarchy of employees. They could easily get rid of him. "Yes, boss lady." he said. Maybe he could find another way to deal with that.

About the toothbrush, Josh tried not to laugh. Of course, she would want a different toothbrush. He did not think anything of the first toothbrush would be left once he was done with his puddle of urine anyway. He nodded, slightly smirking. Oh...it was no mischievous smirk, he was just trying not to laugh in the middle of the meeting. More...talk to Blaise. That he was going to do so he nodded again. "Will do." And...oh the training. So the boss lady liked the idea. That was cool. Josh smiled "It would be a pleasure for me." he said and yes, it would really be a pleasure for him.

Being a liaison. Hmmm...that sounded like a boring job. Josh Carter was a 'Let's act and kick some bad bums' kind of a guy however being a liaison would apparently give him an access to the Minister's Office and give him the opportunity to being in touch with other leaders as well. Soooo...that did not look bad. He could use this. The Auror made a mental note of considering if he was going to apply for the position.

Meeting over then? Nice. It was quick and informative. The best kind of meetings ever. There was no point of wasting time talking to each other. With that understood, Josh walked and approached this Blaise guy. "This notebooks thing. There's a spell for that. What i write in my notebook appears in yours and others...some stuff like that." They probably knew of this stuff anyway. Josh was no expert of charms, he favoured offensive spells.

Hmm..

It seemed like the focus of the meeting was on security and Octavia silently observed all the younger ones volunteering themselves. She didn't put herself forward, security wasn't particularly in line with her job and it seemed like there were plenty of volunteers who put their names down instead. She got up, leaving the rest of the group and sat herself down at a desk that didn't look too battered, taking out a few pieces of equipment and organising them on the surface.

It was her first day of work and she was a little perplexed by what exactly she could be doing. She wasn't thrilled about the prospect of decorating like some of them had proposed. She wasn't an interior decorator, she liked things simple and if this was only temporary, was there really much point in concentrating their efforts on painting walls when there was work to be done?

Jackson's attention perked up when their head announced that there were two positions open. Event Liaison? That definitely sounded interesting. He wasn't sure whether she would even consider appointing him to that position, especially having just arrived. But he decided that he would speak to her about it. The worst she could say was no.

The meeting was over? Jackson was glad that he had made it when he did. He looked around. Where was he supposed to be seating? Jackson got up and approached the man that looked like he was the Head of Security

"I'm sorry to interrupt but do you have a specific place I should be working at? From what the Department Head said, it looks like I need to familiarize myself with this place as fast possible," Jackson asked eager to start his patrolling duties.

....and he had forgotten to introduce himself.

"...and my name is Jackson McQueen," he smiled in greeting.