He made his way towards the group, getting the 'all are welcome' call. Well, he supposed, this is one way to get to know the rest of the staff again. He took a seat close to Max, for at least he'd played Quidditch by the man once, and looked around to the others. "My, we've certainly exchanged staff since I was hired. I wasn't around much the term before, and last term many of us wound up separated one way or another. I've barely a chance to meet any of you."

Caleum's eyes first flashed to the chairs that moved on the other side of him with a double take of his head snapping in their direction. That scared him to death as his concentration was glued to the other side of him at the moment. Why must he be surrounded by ladies? Beautiful ladies at that? Oh it was so hard being him sometimes. Whatever! His brain kept his thoughts up as his eyes shifted to either side of him, mostly keeping tabs on Sophie at the moment.

"I agree," he said as his eyes shifted back to Drago. "I for one did not get to converse with many last term and this to me seems to be a great start."

Seeming the majority of the school staff were in the staff room, this would be his best opportunity to get a few things settled without interruption or being walked on. Hmm. His eyes shifted around the room for a moment and seeming Alex was still blocking his entry way to the room. Fabian turned slowly, making his way down the hall towards the staircase.

"Fabian!" Max called out. "Argh. That man is brooding. Can everyone agree not to let him win?" He was saving the seat between him and Angela for his best mate.

Caleum's eyes flashed in the direction of Max after noticing that Fabian left the room. "I'll try my best but...I can't guaranty anything." Sad thing, Caleum was a complete looser when it came to card playing although he always tried his hardest at beating his sister, it never happened, and never would.

Glancing curiously at Caleum as he commented on books. Great! Another professor who enjoyed books! "All sorts!" She answered with a grin. "Adventure, romance, supernatural themes; if I can get my hands on it, I'll read it." She chuckled before speaking again. "And yourself?"

"Wonderful! I look forward to your visit then." She commented before nodding. "Indeed, indeed. Last year was very time-consuming. I suppose time just got away from us. We'll have to try to avoid that this time around."

As other staff began to file in the room, Angela exchanged hellos with them. Oh this was going be quite the game!

"Oh, come on Fabian! You'll have a good time." She encouraged him, noticing his obvious uncertainty in his posture.

Drago nodded to Max. "I'm all for it, I suppose. And if not... Well, I suppose I will just have to bluff him out. Why in the world is he brooding?" He offered a nod and hello to Angela, though it was all he managed in that particular moment.

Antonio brightened at the sight of Professor Kapoor, a man he could tell was genuine and sincere, truly a nice guy. He was looking forward to getting to know him as well as all the other staff better. "Yes, well, I wanted to come and see what the staff room was like, but little did I expect to find a card game going on in here. Are we playing poker, cribbage, bridge, canasta, or something else?" Antonio loved card games, he knew how to play plenty of them, both wizarding and muggle. He was certainly ready for some amusement.

"Oh I'm terribly sorry Fabian. Got lost in thought I guess." she said with a smile, not noticing that a few minutes later, Fabian left.
Alex smiled, "Of course we will David, as long as you dont start cheating." she teased as she finally entered the room and took the chair he'd pulled out for her. What a sweet man.

"I'm glad to see so many people could make it." she stated trying to break the silence. Looking around she asked, "Wheres Fabian?"

Caleum's head turned in the direction of another professor that he had only met once. He was happy to note that this one seemed to be a card player as well. "Oh. So how often do you play cards?" he asked as his head also turned to Professor Kapoor as well.

"And you know, we might be able to have some tea in here, provided we get a few acorns with that as well." His eyes then shifted in the general direction of where Neo was. Poor thing was just as quiet as he could be.

But then the question was asked of where Fabian was. "I do believe that the little sneaky thing disappeared behind that door there." He pointed to the main door to the staff room and smiled.

"I'll probably have a lot more time on my hands this year." Sophie said before she could stop herself, she also couldn't help glancing at Caleum again but then looked quickly back at Angela. "I...umm, mean, that I've already settled in now, so I'll have more time for other things."

Sophie looked at the professors walking into the room. She couldn't believe that she hadn't met half of them. "Hello, I'm Sophie. Care of Magical Creatures Professor." She said. The more people she spoke to, the more she would be distracted.

Sophie swore she had seen Fabian a second a go. She tried to keep her eyes directly in front of her and not look to her side. She was finding it really hard and she continued to sneak glances at Caleum. For a second there she thought she caught him doing the same

ooc: I'm a nut because I missed your post!

Caleum's eyes widened along with the smile on his face. "Adventure, supernatural? I love them all," he said on a happier note. "But my favorite is none other than history. The history of anything....that has a history."

Max started to shuffle the new deck of cards and shook his head. "Guess that we'll start without Fabian," he told the group and grinned. "So, what card game has everyone decided on?"

Drago glanced over to Sophie as she introduced herself as Care of Magical Creatures professor. There was an odd moment as he realized she could almost be Ophelia's daughter. He shook his head, wondering where that had come from. "Drago Carracio," he introduced himself to the group. "Herbology professor, and sometimes resident pharmacist due to it." He realized momentarily that some faces seemed somewhat familiar, though only passingly. "How many of you have worked for the Ministry?"

ooc: Darn you for posting ahead of me!

"I've always been fond of poker and blackjack, myself, to be honest."

Antonio smiled at the professor who he recognized immediately as Caleum Myers, though they had only talked briefly. Ah, a very nice young man, he thought to himself. "Well, there was a time when I used to play somewhat frequently, but it's been a while I must confess. A few of my former associates used to enjoy getting together for the odd game of cribbage and what not," he said. A smile suddenly crossed his face as he heard acorns mentioned. "Tea and acorns, I'm afraid I simply can't refuse a prospect like that," he laughed. "I will have my chance to finally taste these much touted acorns for myself, and that's definitely something I've been looking forward to!"

Max really didn't want to start any card game without Fabian and sat the deck on the table. "Let me go find Fabian so that we can start this thing before the End of Term Feast," he half-joked and stood up. "Be back shortly."

He walked out of the room with an uncharacteristic look of concern on his face.

Angela frowned as Fabian seemed to have disappeared. Now really. What was going on with him?

Angela glanced towards Sophie as she spoke again. "Good, good. I'm not sure if that'll be the case this year for me, but I'll try to make time to make a visit to your hut." She promised, not failing to notice the glances that Sophie kept stealing towards Caleum. "Sounds like a plan to me!"

ooc:

Angela grinned at Caleum again before giving a chuckle of amusement. "Excellent point there. History of anything that has a history. Perhaps we should pose that statement to a few students some day; ask them to give their interpretation."

Just as she finished speaking, she noticed Max standing up. When he announced his intentions, Angela slowly nodded and watched as he stepped out of the room. Perhaps she should go with him...

"As am I. It'll make for a much better game of...of...", he thought for a moment on a game. "I could go for a game of poker. What do you think, Professor Pierce?" He said, seconding one of the Herbology Professors' suggestion.

With the ladies all seated, Kapoor motioned with Antonio towards two more empty seats. "It hasn't been decided yet, but I rather like Professor Carracios' suggestions of either poker or black jack. What do you think?"

One moment, Professor Clark was there, then the next he poofed! like a cloud of smoke. H'mm, what was eating Gwalmchai?

"It's nice to meet you, Sophie. I'm David Kapoor, I teach Divination, and this is my friend, Antonio Dumont.", he said, taking a moment to introduce the Muggle Studies Professor. He watched the directed gazes between Professor Brooks and Myers, but after a moment, he grew dizzy and redirected his attention towards Vindictus, who got up to exit the room after Clark.

Professor Clark was gone and after him, Professor Vindictus. When he returned, perhaps more Professors would be decided on what they'd like to play.

Antonio nodded towards Professor Kapoor and took a seat with him at the table. "Poker or blackjack, either one works for me! With a group this size it might be easier to suggest - poker? But I'm certainly game for whatever the rest of you want to play." He was a newcomer after all, not here to make waves, but really wanting to get to know his fellow professors a bit better and perhaps have a little fun in the process. Nothing wrong with that!

"Poker sounds wonderful! I havent played in years. I used to be rather good if I do say so myself." Alex responded, "And please, call me Alex."

Drago seemed lost in his own thoughts for a short time, then he glanced to Sophie once more. While is daughter was quite adept at caring for animals, he just didn't see how he could handle this next situation on his own. Of course, as of now he didn't know if it was a situation at all, but the possibility... What was her surname again? Well, she hadn't used it. He supposed that meant they were free to use her given name. "Sophie, I am curious... would you know how to care for a newborn sphinx?"

Caleum chuckled at Angela as she repeated his statement. It was rather odd but look who spoke the words anyway. "Yes! Let's dare ask a student to interpret such mumbled words and see what they say. I'll bet there is no telling what answers we might get." He tilted his head for a moment pondering on his thoughts.

"I will have to come and visit you in the library. It has been years since I have been locked within the walls. I can say that I have had many of memories shared there with my nose stuck in a book."

And then he heard the sweet sound of the word "poker". "Ahh! I love that word...poker," he smiled dreamily as he listened in on the different conversations happening around him. But there was one person who seemed to be quiet...Sophie.

Sophie noticed that she got a strange look for the man. She wondered what it was. Did she have something on her face? Or in her teeth? She really hoped not. "It is nice to meet you Draco. I worked in the ministry. It was only for a short time however. I mush prefer teaching."

Sophie was being obvious. She thought for sure that Angela saw her glances. "Ditto!" She smiled, looking over to another professor talking to her.

"Hello David, Antonio." She said nodding to both men. She brought her fingers to her mouth and started to bite on her nails. She was definitely feeling nervous to be sitting there. It seemed at David had noticed the glances too, he kept looking from Caleum to herself. "It is nice to meet you both!"

She was being very quite, and that wasn't like her at all. "Hmmm, poker sounds good.... Shall we make it interesting?" She said with a hint of a shifty smile.

"That was my thinking." Professor Kapoor nodded. "I'll put you down for flexible."

David let out a laugh. Today was the day he was going to lose...hard. Maybe he should be putting his money on who would win, after he was out. "Oh, I have no doubts, and Alex it is. Please feel free to call me David. Why did you stop playing, if you don't mind me asking?", he wondered out loud.

Interesting question. And, he was only going to ask about the dietary habits of kneazles. There was something in the way Professor Carracio asked that question. It was as if the man had a baby sphinx in his basement.

David inwardly sighed. Oh, good, this Care of Magical Creatures Professor was actually quite friendly and a 180 better than that lousey excuse for an instructor the Ministry set up. What was that awful creatures name...? Thornton! If he didn 't know better, he's swear they took a ghoul, put it in some clothes and sent it on its' merry way to teach at Coopers.
"Interesting? I'd be for that. What exactly did you have in mind?".

Ah, good, another vote for poker...and another lover of books. This team of instructors just kept getting better without the prescence of the Ministry officials.

Cassandra peeked inside the door. Vindictus wasn't there yet. She looked at all the professors and for some reason found it a little intimidating... Why though? She'd sat at the Staff table and been fine... this should be fine. Come on, Trelawney! She thought to herself as she scanned the room. Caraccio was there, Pierce and Kapoor too... good, she walked in, her head held high as usual. And then she saw him. The Assistant, That Caleum Myers. Why did he have to be there!