Conference Room
 

An ancient (not antique, that would be optimistic) oak table with a scarred (are those claw marks?) surface takes up most of the floor space in this room. A mismatched assortment of chairs surround the table (you'll be lucky if you can find a swivel chair in here) where the editors are expected to meet weekly for their progress reports. Meetings with clients are also often held here, and everything that happens can be seen (but not heard) from the outside as the blinds that once covered the windows were unfortunate enough to have been in the way of a quarrel between a sorcerer and his transfigured (minotaur) brother.

You are here.

Getti pushed the door open, an hour early for the scheduled staff meeting. Which only meant that everyone else was an hour late, which made her quite unhappy. Or more unhappy, whichever that applied. She walked around to the head of the table and stood there, her hands propped up on her hips as she tapped her lime green shoes on the disgustingly grey, cement floor.

Mona caught the door before it slammed shut, shoving the doorstop down with her boot. The shuffling and muttering of the staff filing out of the break room (they sound like Inferi) could be heard behind her.

"Ian's gone to get more coffee," she said. She jerked her head towards the shuffling and muttering. "Idiocy ahoy," she muttered under her breath. She turned behind her. "Hurry along, dearies! We haven't got all daa-ayyy."

Jordan walked into the conference room. She really hoped that she wasn't late. She had already made a bad first impression with Getti, she didn't want to worsen it by being late to her first meeting.

As she walked in she saw Getti Forde and two others that she didn't know. Seeing as how the woman was standing beside Ms. Forde she was probably the Mona girl that she was always looking for. She still didn't know who the man was, he must be one of the other writers seeing as how he was as far from them as possible. She walked in and took an empty seat, setting her things down. "Hello" She said quitly, just to be polite.

Ana made her way to the Conference room, glancing at her watch to make sure she wasn't late. Satisfied, she pushed open the door, only to find she was not the first one there.

"Um, hello," she said to nobody in particular, and moved to find an empty seat by the large table.

Having followed some other DP employees to this room, Tristan looked around to find an empty seat around the wonderfully overused table.
He pushed back a chair, wondering just what sort of squishy context he had touched, and sat down.

The people around him looked as gloomy as the offices around here, that dark haired guy over there even looked like he was sitting pretty uncomfortable. Tristan didn't dare move to much, he might get a splinter from this rackety old chair.

But carefully, he leaned back crossing his arms and waited for the meeting to begin.

"You know," Getti spoke to Mona in a tone that suggested they were simply gossiping about some event they had attended together, "I would have expected that people would be prepared and punctual in a corporate setting like this." She hummed a tune which sounded eerily like Sally's Song from that one muggle classic that her mother used to put on around Christmas.

Unrolling the parchment, she looked at the notations she'd made and said to the room at large, "I do hope you're all invigorated from your naps and coffee break."

Yes, it didn't slip past her notice that almost the entire staff had gone for a break before their seats had even managed to warm up.

Mona flipped her hair back nonchalantly. "It seems like too much to ask for. As if we were incorrect to assume appropriate behavior of our staff. Sad." Her eyes skimmed the staff list in front of her, and swept the room. "It does seem as if we're missing several people, I would just hate to begin and leave them out of such an important gathering. Wouldn't youuu?" she asked them sweetly. "It'd be such a shaaame."


Where is that coffee?

Nathan sauntered casually into the Conference room clutching a cup of foul coffee from the break room. Merlin's pants! He didn't think it was possible to have worse tasting coffee than the stuff provided in the Ministry of Magic, but he had been proved very very wrong indeed.. He nodded at his two bosses, “Ladies.” he said before he took a seat next to a young lady and gave her a smile. He sat back in his seat and took a sip of the poor excuse for coffee which caused his facial muscles to spasm involuntary. He sputtered a little. Just Urgh!

He took a look around at his colleagues.. Wasn't that wassisface? Rocco... Riccu, Ricky Risckster Rockstar.. hmm.. the one from the conference who was with Angelina when Mosquito Woman struck. Anyway.. he gave the man a nod and said “Alright, mate?” He wondered when he would be given a chance to get properly acquainted with his colleagues. Maybe he would suggest a drink in the Leaky later. What better way to get to know each other than over a few relaxed drinks in the cozy surroundings of his favourite haunt...

Totally out of character, Egypt Greenwood was late. She was so upset at herself for being late she could skip her piece of chocolate before bed to punish herself. The twins were still in the hospital and since she had been sleeping there every night she didn't have an alarm clock and she was late getting home to get changed. She rushed out of the fireplace at the Prophet as she breezed into the office. Her brown eyes sweeped the office looking for signs of life and she saw everyone in the conference room.


She straightened her her yellow tie that was laid against her jet black button downed blouse. Her yellow pencil skirt was wrinkle free, but she still smoothed it out as well. She was glad that she didn't have to wear wizard robes like she did at the Ministry, and she was even happier that she had lost all that baby weight. Her black Jimmy Choose clacked across the floor toward the conference room. She walked in as she heard the comment by some woman standing at the front of the table. She choose to ignore it. She didn't have the energy to explain herself at the moment and the look on the woman's face told Egypt that she might not care.

Her face softened when she saw her husband. She smiled as she walked over to him and slid next to him and another man she didn't know. Her hand squeezed his knee under the table. She had only told him last night that she was going to work for the Prophet as well.

She pulled out a notebook and a thermos from her messenger bag. She poured herself a cup of coffee and her husband. She slid his cup next to his hand and then took a sip of hers and turned her attention to head of the conference table.

"Oh, how sweet," Getti simpered at the married couple as she picked up her own cup of coffee, which had appeared out of nowhere. Although, Getti always expected a cup of coffee to be waiting for her, even when she hadn't asked for one, "A picnic, is it?"

Before the new recruits could reply, Getti's gaze swept over the assembled staff members and a quick count told her that there were still a number of staff missing, "Hmmm."

The slight pursing of her lips revealed her dissatisfaction with the situation, "This isn't a bus, and if some people decided not to bother with the staff meeting today, then maybe we should simply... not bother to have them on staff any longer."

She blinked at the woman as her sarcasm almost knocked Egypt out of her chair.She smiled at her, she was one of those people. Well Egypt had dealt with her mom's attitude for 33 years, she could handle this woman no problem. Kill them with kindness was the only way to go. "Oh no ma'am not a picnic, but if you would like I can certainly have a nice catered lunch for all of us to enjoy." She said with a smile.

She saw her pursed lips and she was sorry to admit it was the only expression that worked on the woman's face. That was such a shame she was a beautiful woman and she let that expression ruin her face.

Nathan gave the man a nod in response. Merlin's beard. He wished he could remember his name. He sat and racked his small brain.. it definitely began with R.. or possibly P... or was it W? Dammit! “And still only six hours to go..” He whispered sarcastically in response with his eyes on the two boss ladies.


He looked towards the door, smiling warmly as Egypt finally made an appearance, looking stunning as always. He leaned over to her and whispered. “Hello love. You look nice.” He was about to kiss her cheek but thought that it probably wasn't the time nor the place to do so, so he just patted her hand under the table as she squeezed his knee. He was grateful for the coffee, pushing aside the cup of foul stuff, he inhaled it's rich aroma before taking a sip. Merlin.. that's much better.


Picnic? Was that a trick question? He scratched the back of his head with a confused expression on his face wondering whether she expected a reply. He opened his mouth to say something about sandwiches but closed it with a snap when Egypt piped in. A small smile crept up his face at her comment. His stomach rumbled under the table at the thought of food. Maybe they could order pizza to be delivered to the office after the meeting...

Ma'am?

Getti's eyes flashed bloody murder and she glanced away from the insolent new staff member, "Mona?" She wanted to start this meeting already, and get it over with, "Tell me you have a list of those not present already written up."

They can all kiss their bonuses goodbye.

Not a fan of catered lunches I see, she thought to herself. Thats alright. She could win her over in no time at all. Everyone had a soft spot and Egypt was an expert at finding them. She had dealt with tougher people in her time and she had won them all over. Maybe she should bring her a nice Chanel suit. What woman didn't love the feel of Chanel on her body.

She looked at the young man as he looked at her and Nathan. She smiled sweetly at him. She gave him a nod. She would introduce herself to him later. She wanted to know her new co-workers.

She melted at the look on Nathan's face. It was all worth taking the extra time to fix herself up. "Hello my lover," She whispered back to him. She had been missing him since she was sleeping the hospital with the twins and he was at home with the other children. She grasped his hand under the table and held on to it. She was almost a wreck over not seeing her husband for almost a week.

She took a sip of her own coffee as Nathan took a sip of his. She smirked as his stomach rumbled under the table. She would have to take him out to lunch or something.

Mona checked her list once more, sipping daintily at her hazelnut coffee. Ahhh, perfect blistering caffeine. She smiled at Ian, mouthing a "thank you," in true cornball fashion. "I'll brief them later, if they ever do deign to appear."

She grinned brightly and toothily at the group. "Looks like we can get started!"

In the wild, when a primate bares their teeth, it is a signal of a threat, or physical confrontation. This wasn't quite the wild...and she was technically a primate...but one should learn to fear one of Mona's toothy grins.

"Yes," Getti unrolled the parchment she'd brought in, watching it roll across the length of the table til it rested to a stop about three quarters down, "If any of you feel the need to groan, do it outside my awareness."

Now, Getti was no spring chicken... she was fast approaching forty, and as much as she hated to, she fished out a pair of ultra stylish reading glasses from her vintage Gucci handbag and put them on to look down at her list, "First order of business," she looked up at the entire assembled staff, "We got rid of the old idiots, hired you lot and we expect you to prove you aren't as idiotic as the rest of the now... unemployed slackers."

She waited for Mona to add in her two cents, which was probably wise. The board of directors had reminded her again and again to be more diplomatic when it came to the staff and HR matters. In Getti's opinion, that was what Mona was here for.

Putting down his coffee, Ian averted his eyes from the woman. He had no intention of being polite, kind nor warm towards his new co-workers. There would be no bonding nor any 'getting to know each other' business if he had any say in it.

Bemused, and self-satisfied, Ian allowed himself to smirk crookedly at the table, not wanting his pleasure to seem to obvious to his superior. Flinging his robes back as they were getting in his way, Hoshino pondered where he hid the ruddy glasses. It was time to appear interested, alert and busy.

Getti was speaking about the fired folk, and Hoshino could only grin as he fetched out his designer glasses from their Dolce & Gabbana case. Shutting the case with a louder clank than he would have liked, he put the case away quickly before Forde could remark upon it.

Just, put them on Hoshino, he instructed himself as he performed the action. Think of them as your defense shield. None of her words can get through you if you wear them.

Hopefully.

Mona beamed, and licked her lips dainitly. As a tigress would before devouring her prey.

"We're very pleased to have you on staff, and hope your assimilation into this new environment and amongst our senior staffers will be as seamless as possible," she (almost) cooed. "I am here to address any of your needs, wants and concerns. I. Me. Mona." Her face hardened slightly, these last three short sentences sharp and dart-like.

Don't expect any of those needs, wants, or concerns to be met. I've only promised to acknowledge them. Mind my choice of words.

"Hmmm..." Getti nodded, still peering through her glasses at the piece of parchment, "If you need anything, go to Mona. Don't expect me to be there to baby you through the process,"

She unhooked her glasses and looked at the staff again, "Speaking of which, the process." Her gaze fell on the section editors, "First progress report will be expected next week, you'll be meeting with Mona, who will inform me."

If they didn't know what they needed to do during a progress report, that certainly was none of her business. She had made sure the job descriptions had been thorough enough in the contracts they had all signed when they'd agreed to take the jobs. If they didn't read their contracts, then that was their own fault.

"As for ad sales..." her voice took on that eerie, soft tone again as her gaze dropped on Ian Hoshino, "We were losing revenue last month, I expect you all to be more... persuasive this month."

Dismissing him and his team by moving on to the next order of business with absolutely no seque, Getti went on, "The layout team will be working under my supervision," her emotionless gaze fell on Enrico this time, "Which does not by any means, imply that I will pay any of you special attention over the process of publishing the paper."