He sat his mug of tea down on the table and his eye continued to twitch. Then he lifted a hand.

Brett pulled out a folded piece of parchment from his robes and sat it on the table. "Theatrical events! Acts of illusion! Masks hide the identity of the user as they perform great magical feats!" he bellowed excitedly and threw his arms out in a grand sweeping motion, knocking over the mug of tea.

He leapt to his feet and the chair he was sitting in fell over backwards. "It is what the people want! Approve it before someone else steals my idea."

Well, it was good to know he'd decided to go with usual regulations for this one. Assuming the piece of paper was a correctly filled in form with all the details, of course.

And then he got all enthusiastic. Wildly so. The tea was soon a gonna, and Alina would have hurried to clear it up had it not been for one word. Masks. She didn't notice the chair go over too, as she was thinking through the implications of what had just been said.

'Hide the identity of the user as they perform great magical feats'. She carefully wrote it down, and swallowed slowly. She looked up from her parchment. "Who, exactly, want these masks?" she asked curiously. Something told her he was going to suggest Muggles. Why would Wizards go for a mask enabling them to do great magical feats, when they already could do the magic. A mask wasn't exactly a new idea. And thus couldn't be Patented. Any wizard wanting a mask could just go to a fancy dress shop, right?

Could they possibly catch him out on that front?

Herod just sat and listened. He put his hands on the table, just as he had been instruced, and drummed his fingers together rythmiclly. He was not happy about this at all.....the last time he was this close to a dark wizard unarmed it cost him three months in St. Mungo's......

Herod looked back and forth to the speaker as the conversation progressed. THe entire time his eyes were moving, his ears were focused on Mr. Thacter, listening for the slightest indication of attack. Herod's amazing reflexes would come in handy......if need be.

hunter walks in with a cup of coffee in hand and he sits sorry i am late i had meet my wife for tea what did i miss

Herod rifled through his records and pulled out the file on the other mask. "Well, Mr. ........Thatcher. The only other similar mak on record is this one and yours contains more than enough individually unique intellectual property to be considered a innovation. We are just a little confused aout some of the spells and were wondering if you could.....uh, take us through the process of making the mask, especially the magic involved." he said, moving the convesation along.

"Mr. Puffufflo, please allow me to speak," Rex quickly said in an irritated tone. It was his way of giving the man a warning not to overstep his authority.

He turned to face the odd-looking man and motioned for him to have a seat.

"Mr. Thatcher, I'm Rex Vindictus, the head of this department. Won't you please have a seat so that we can discuss your, ahem, interesting patent."

It was more of an order than a polite request to the inventor.

Brett's eyes bugged out even more and he stared at the woman. "Why - why there are many who want masks that do marvelous things!" he stammered excitedly and nearly jumped out of his seat. The abrupt action cause his chair to tip over backwards."And I've created the most incredible - no, MAGNIFICENT invention in the world!"

He wanted to say more when another man in the room suddenly began speaking and it interrupted his train of thought.

Brett furrowed his brow and glared at the man. His body began to tremble with rage. "How DARE you question me!" he yelled.

Then another man spoke. Brett turned to look at this man who appeared to be older than the rest and he had the distinctive aura of authority around him.

"Sit? Absolutely not!" he answered defiantly with an uplifted chin. "I have completed each step of the application process correctly and I demand that you approve the patent for my glorious invention!" He raised his shaking hands into the air as if giving praise to someone or something before dropping them to his sides.

He was still trembling in an excited rage and Brett clasped his hands together so that they were visible to everyone.

Alina looked at the latecomer. A new employee, she noted, despite the excuse. She sent to look to say 'we'll talk after'. They had more pressing things than the timekeeping of her employees at the moment.


Turning her attention back to Mr. Thatcher, Alina nodded. "Of course," she said with a pleasant smile, before jumping at the sound of the chair falling over. Recovering, Alina pondered the man's words. He was certainly very enthusiastic about his invention.

As Herod spoke, Alina stood to go and right Mr. Thatcher's chair. As she drew level to where he was, Herod had just finished speaking and the inventor shouted a far from happy reply. She winced. Both for Herod in how Rex might react, and because of her proximity to the yelling. Swallowing slowly, she put the chair back in position and retrieved the tea cup she spotted on the floor. A quick spell, and the floor was dried too. No need for any accidents. "There you go," she said softly.

Returning to her seat, Alina noted Rex tone of voice. She could tell he was rather expecting the inventor to do this a bit more calmly. Apparently though, it wasn't going to happen. Eurgh. She brushed her hair back with her left hand, before picking up Mr. Thatcher's file, and flicking through it.

"Unfortunately, it doesn't work as simply as that, Mr. Thatcher," Alina said, looking up to the standing figure. "We have to perform a series of checks. Make sure the patent in question doesn't infringe on our current patents and so on. It's to make sure all the patents are properly protected - you wouldn't want us to allow something that was very close to one of your own inventions in terms of copyright." She paused. "And that's why we'd like to ask some further questions. A few more details we wish to clarify from the paperwork, as it were..." She glanced at Rex, hoping he didn't mind she was trying to diffuse the situation.

Originally Posted by hermione8779
hunter walks in with a cup of coffee in hand and he sits sorry i am late i had meet my wife for tea what did i miss

Alina looked at the latecomer. A new employee, she noted, despite the excuse. She sent to look to say 'we'll talk after'. They had more pressing things than the timekeeping of her employees at the moment.

"hello alina nice to meet you" drinking his coffee

"WH-WH-WHAT?!" stammered Brett rather loudly. His voice became higher pitched as he shouted. "This is an INSULT. An OUTRAGE!"

There was a distinctive crazed look in his eyes as he drew his hands into two tight fists.

Rex groaned inwardly. This was not going as planned.

"Mr. Thatcher, there is no need to raise your voice," he responded calmly and leaned back in his chair with his arms folded across his chest. "Please sit and allow us to ask a few questions - questions that we always ask regarding new inventions."

Alina bit her lip and closed her eyes as the inventor evidently didn't appreciate her answer. This was not good. At all.

She opened her eyes, only to see the look on the man's face. Ack. She gently smoothed out her robes and surveyed the room, willing her employees not to react.

Nodding in agreement with Rex, Alina picked up her quill to make it obvious she was ready to take notes of the inventor's answers. "If you co-operate, we can get everything sorted before you leave here today," she added amicably. Sure, it wasn't usual practice - but given the situation it could be done to keep the man happy.

Brett was now quivering with rage. "I have been insulted, sir!" he proclaimed defiantly with an uplifted chin. "You and your employees are a disgrace - a disgrace to our kind!"

He whipped his head in the woman's direction and a sick smile appeared on his crazed face. Brett unclenched one fist and in an instant, was brandishing his wand. It was pointed directly at Alina. "No. You will cooperate. Approve my patent or else," he demanded.

And it got worse. Apparently they were a 'disgrace'. A bit harsh, considering he wouldn't let them do their jobs, and had designed a patent for a dark mask.

She didn't get chance to say anything in their defence. Her eyes widened at the latest look upon Brett Thatcher's face. It was scary. More scary though was his next movement. Suddenly his wand was aimed directly at her.

She swallowed slowly, unsure what to do. She couldn't approve the Patent. Not with the information they knew and going on his exaggerated reaction, it was true. Massive public risk. Patents would be slaughtered by the Press if the masks got released with their approval. But if she went for her wand... Why did she keep it in her robes nowadays, and not a holster? She was a fair dueller at school. And then, what about her family?

All these thoughts were rushing round her head, but it still came down to the fact this crazy man had a wand pointed at her chest. "If I co-opecrate, I still need information to file away," she said slowly, glancing quickly aross to Rex, and careful not to show any shakiness or fear in her voice. Why had she just questioned the co-operation thing?

Rex didn't move in his chair. This inventor was crazy.

"Mr. Thatcher, it might be, ahem, easier for us to conduct business without the use of wands," he commented calmly and hoped that the other employees wouldn't do anything rash.

"You will cooperate and approve my patent RIGHT NOW," Brett fumed. "And I will watch you file it away."

Suddenly, he heard the so-called department head speak.

And he began to shake violently as his rage began to consume him.

"No, Mr. Vindictus. We will conduct business as I see fit!" Brett sneered.

He raised his wand and pointed it at a portrait hanging on the wall directly behind Rex's head.

"Confringo!"

A red light shot out from the tip of his wand and struck the portrait, blasting it into a thousand pieces.

As the red light streaked towards him, he hit the floor with a thud. Bits of burnt canvas and wood rained down upon him, and Rex let out an exasperated gasp as he scrambled to his feet and viewed the damaged wall. It wasn't because the crazy inventor pointed a wand in his direction....

"Do you know how much that reproduction cost?" he blurted out after a moment of shocked silence. A piece of scorched wood lay smoking on the conference desk.

He pulled out his own wand and pointed it at Brett Thatcher. According to the rules and regulations, there was only one thing he could do and ask the deranged man to relinquish his weapon.

"Drop your wand, now."

Hopefully, the other employees in the room would follow his lead and do the same.

Alina looked defiantly. She wouldn't file that Patent without knowing fully what was in it. Especially after he'd turned nasty now. The bloke was insane, really. Because surely anyone could see he wasn't helping matters with his threats.

And then Rex spoke once more. Appeared the Department Head was taking the sit back calmly approach. Alina hoped it worked, because it was her and not him who had a furious inventor (probably involved in the dark arts) pointing his wand at her chest.

Alina couldn't help but wince as Brett Thatcher yelled again. Rex's method didn't work. And she was the target. Or was she? She grabbed her wand from her robes, just as the portrait exploded and made a complete mess of the Conference Room. She stood there, wand at the ready, and eyed the inventor as Rex recovered from the shock of the picture. A valuable picture, by the sounds of things.

And as Rex asked him to drop his wand, Alina stood tall. Who knew what might happen? Probably not wand on ground. But one never knew. She was going to be ready either way.

"SHUT UP! Sign the patent, you stupid woman!" Brett shrieked and his hand was shaking as he pointed his wand at Alina once more.

Okay. That was it. The man had his chance, and now was insulting her personally. He'd insulted her division, her employees, her work..and now Alina herself. Alina didn't usually get angered easily. But after that, she wasn't in the mood to comply, or to offer him a second chance.

Without thinking, she picked the Patent form up out of the file on the table, and held it up in her right hand. "This Patent?" she questioned, shaking it. "I could sign it. Or I could do...this." And with a flick of her wand, the piece of parchment was now in flames. She watched the paper curl and char, and the ashes drop onto the table. She raised a questioning eyebrow. "Bit difficult for me to sign now, Sir. You'll have to fill out another."

Brett's buggy eyes got even wider as he watched his precious patent burn.

"How dare you!" he roared and took four steps backwards while keeping his wand trained on Alina. "You're all meddling, filthy little insects who thrive in crushing the hopes and aspirations of geniuses like ME!"

He began pointing his wand at the various people in the room. "Come after me and you'll regret it."

Brett gave his wand a great flourish and pointed it at the conference table

"Confringo!"

A jet of red light shot out from the tip of his wand and the mahogany conference table exploded.

ooc-pretending Hirik was here.

Hirik jumped out of his seat as conference table was exploded, eyes wide, Hirik glanced from the man to his superiors sitting at the table. He didn't mind going after the man, even if it could 'cause issues for him. But he couldn't do it if it would endanger everyone else. He needed permission first.

Things had gotten ugly real quick and were going to be getting uglier. Jumping away from the table in time, Rosabelle drew her wand out of her cloak.This was absured. He blew up the table. All over a patent for masks. Masks!

First, his prized museum-quality reproduction of the famous painting, Gunter the Violent is the Winner, was blown to bits. Now his custom-carved mahogany conference table was blown to bits the size of toothpicks . . . expensive toothpicks!

Rex stood and glared at the clearly deranged inventor. He didn't realize it, but he had his wand pointed at the man. "Blowing things up, isn't the way we do things around here, Mr. Thatcher," he finally replied evenly but he couldn't disguise the irritation in his voice.

"I don't know how you got your wand past security but you need to hand it over and get out of here."

A quick glance at the Patents employees, and he saw that they were ready for action. As department head, I should lead the way. Rex shrugged his shoulders and gave Alina a smirk. Nobody messes with a Vindictus. Nobody!

"Your patent has been denied, Mr. Thatcher. Have a nice day. Expelliarmus!"

A red light shot out of his wand and towards the inventor.

OOC: I was here allllll alooooong.....

Olive looked up from her paperwork and saw Mr. Thatcher take out his wand and attack a painting. What the? Olive stood and took out her wand. This guy was nuts! "Stupefy!" She yelled, pointing her wand at the crazed inventor.