Tasha arrived, just in time. She thought she was going to be late....

so many people were already here, Tasha started to scan the place to see if she could spot any one.

She spotted some people from her level and made her way over to them.

"Hello everyone!" she said while smiling!

Robert entered the unfamiliar confrence room. Hmm...they must have undergone renovations since he was last in the ministry. How long ago was that? 20 years now? Ahh well He was here to start over in the ministry. He needed a job, living with the muggles just didnt suit him.

Robert looked around, he came back right when things start happening. Not even time to meet his bosses. They should be here though, sad he seemed to not know a single soul. Not one familiar face in the completely unfamiliar room.

Oh it will be tough ajusting to the ministry once again...but now to search for his cell mates...fellow employees. Before this party gets started.

Antigone strode into the conference room and stopped just inside the doorway. With a stern, businesslike look she found a seat and slid into it. THis was work, not social hour so she made no effort to speak to anyone inside the room. Looking straight ahead she waited...

Briony walked into the Conference Room they had all been called to go to. Well at least all the other Ministry Officials. She saw Antigone and Ryan but didn't exactly want to talk with them. Ryan hadn't been making himself very official type and Antigone didn't look happy. Guilt won her over though and she took a seat beside her boss who was looking straight ahead. "Is everything alright?" That was obviously a stupid question but at least she was trying.

Hearing Briony Antigone turned her head slightly toward her and with a tight smile said, "Now, why would there be anything wrong?" There was plenty wrong... but she was not compelled to share her life with her employees... typically. She brightened her smile falsely and turned her gaze down to the table and conjured both parchment and self inking quill.

Ronan Cavanaugh walked into the conference room his hands in his pockets and the first face he saw when he arrived was Antigone McArdle. He nodded politely to the young woman and saw that she was talking with a young woman.

He looked around the room for anyone else he knew but found that there was no one in sight. Sighing, the young man decided it was only right to go and talk to Antigone. "Hello Antigone." Ronan said quietly, a small smile to match.

Hearing a familiar voice behind her, Chloe turned to look Antigone. She went to say hello, but she looked like she was in a please don't talk to me kind of mood, and she was ready to get down to business as well. Instead she just smiled at her and gave her a small little wave. The two of them needed to catch up like soon.

"Your expression says it all," Briony said blankly, turning from her as it looked like she didn't care to speak anything to her. Instead she would watch the conversations of others and be quiet like the good young woman she was. Ha! That was a lie. She looked at the man who had sat down at Antigone's other side.

Nikos was excited as he strolled into the confrence room, hands in pockets. His eyes scanned the room, spotting many faces, a few familiar, but none from his department. No matter, he was hoping to make a few new friends while being here. Spotting refreshments near the back, he made his way over, nodding at the familiar faces as he passed them by. He would speak to them in due time, but first came coffee.

Antigone visibly cringed when she heard Ronan's voice beside her. She inclined her head slightly in his direction. "Mr. Cavanaugh," she said dryly as she began to doodle on her parchment. She was gripping the purple quill so tightly she was in danger of snapping it.

If that happened she would have to shout at somone,.... one on either side she could shout at easily...

Catching Chloe's smile and wave Antigone lightened her expression and gave the woman a small smile and a polite nod of the head. Awww... she wished things weren't so crazy right now, she would have to catch up with CHloe soon.

Antigone turned her gaze on the woman for a moment before dismissing her totally. She dared to think that she knew when there was something wrong with Tiggy by her facial expression. It was a "Let's get down to business" expression... nothing more. Was it?

Gah Tiggy wasn't even able to tell anymore

Nikki stumbled into the room looking around for a place to sit. Gosh! This is just like the Great Hall except its not meal time. Its just that, your walking around looking for someplace to look like you have friends. But you don't. You have one now. Except you forgot to talk to her so now its awkward. Nikki thought arguing with herself. Inside her head, she was weird and outside she was awkward and shy. She saw her one and only "friend" at the Ministry so she waved a little before sitting next to her. "Hi!" she said setting her purse on the floor and crossing her right leg over her left. She smoothed her dress down on her long legs and smiled.

Malachi Brown walked into the conference room, parchment and and quill in hand, ready for the conference to begin.

His breath caught in his throat when he saw Antigone. How did she always do that to him? His rubbed the silver ring on the middle finger of his left hand with his thumb. He smiled gently... until he saw who she was talking to.

"Miss McArdle, a pleasure as ever. Cavanaugh." He nodded at Ronan. "How's Curi?" He would tolerate Ronan for Pandora's sake.

Frida quietly entered the conference room. There were quite a few people already inside, so she took a seat in one of chairs farther along the table.

She set her small bag on her lap, then removed a quill and parchment pad from the inside. It was always good to be prepared.

Ronan winced as Antigone called him Mr. Cavanaugh. He had half a mind to tell her that Mr. Cavanaugh was his father..well his now deceased father. The young man stared at the table in front of him not wanting to think about such dreary thoughts and then heard another familiar voice, but again, not one he would want to see.

"Good day to you Mr. Brown. Rose is doing alright, going out of her mind stuck in bed of course but I've made her as comfortable as she possibly can be." he said in a stern tone looking up at the man with cold eyes.

Oh for the love of all things MERLIN! o_O Malachi now? She took a deep breath and placed her quill down to direcrt her attention to him and smiled fake!kindly, pain evident in her eyes and said, "Mr. Brown, likewise." She then folded her hands in her lap after checking to make sure the delicate chain was still around her neck. She could not take much more of this... Heck... where was Cy?!

Chloe turned back from Antigone. She did not seem too pleased to be sitting with Briony at the moment. So much drama within the department. Not a good situation. She sighed and readjusted herself in her seat wishing Asher or someone would show up and sit with her.

And then someone sat down next to her, and she smiled at the woman. "Hello there! I haven't seen you around much! How have you been?" she asked cheerily. She hadn't seen Nikki around since that first day they had met. She had wondered about her a lot though. In hindsight, she probably had sent the woman a friendly memo, but things had been so busy and tense around the department.

"I've been busy. How about you?" she said smiling. She wished she would have gotten out more but she had just been working and eating in the office then going straight home.

Christian skip-hopped into the room, whistling happily. Running a hand through his salt-and-pepper hair, he scanned the room. It was filling up nicely. Yes, quite nicely.

Walking along the edge of the room, he kept toward the back. Sticking his hands in his pockets, he bounced slowly on the balls of his feet.

"Same here... I've been busy, too. Work and moving in with my boyfriend and all that fun stuff. Work has been pretty crazy," she said with a smile and a nod of the head. She adjusted herself in her seat and recrossed her legs. "Do you know what this is all about?" she asked politely.

Tyler arrives. A mystery, Job Fair. This sounds like the perfect thing for him. He sits down and waits. I wonder if Amaria knows. She would be perfect also.

Oooh not very friendly. "She wrote to me yesterday, asking me to visit. Could you tell her I'll come and see her this weekend. I have someone that I would like her to meet." Malachi's tone was cordial, but not warm.

He glanced at Antigone and then sat down opposite her.

He realised that Antigone was supremely uncomfortable. They would have to get used to working together... sort of. The customary twinkle was missing from his eyes and his cheeks were still gaunt. He yearned for some coffee to keep him going through this conference.

"I hope you're well Miss McArdle." He said quietly. He hoped other things too, but it was not the time or the place.

"Oh la la." she chuckled, sending Chloe a wink. She hoped she found it funny and not immature. She was always so nervous around everybody. She was just about to ask if she knew what this was about when Chloe asked her. "I have no idea. I just got a memo so I came." Nikki smiled and looked toward what seemed to be the front of the room for any sign of direction.

"As well as can be expected, Mr. Brown. And yourself?" she answered mechanically, not making eye contact with him. He looked like Hell and she didn't enjoy seeing him that way. She did shuffle in her seat a bit wishing she had not worn a pencil skirt today... *SIgh* She looked toward the door, willing Cy to walk through it.

Ronan put his hands in his lap beneath the table and clenched them as he nodded his head curtly. "Of course I'll let her know. She'll love having a visitor around, I feel awful having to leave every morning." he said with a sad smile before looking down at his papers in front of him.

He could see the tension between Malachi and Antigone, as if the pair had some sort of past he was unaware of. Sighing Ronan asked, "Have you decided to find a more permanent residence as of late?"

Pierre walked into the conference room and immeadiatally out of place. It was one of his first few days here and he decided he should go to this to get a better feel of how the Ministry worked. He looked around. Everyone seemed to be having their own little private conversations. He spotted a man standing alone away from everyone else. Might as well try to meet some people.

He fixed his tie, to no avail, and started to walk towards him. He stood next to him and said. "Hey." He really wasn't good at meeting new people.