Right off of the elevators is this cozy little area. There is a massive floor to ceiling window that displays a magical image. It is of a long, veranda style porch looking out upon a wide lawn of some type of plantation. The sky even changes based on the time of day and weather so it always looks different. The window shines pristinely in front of two rather plush looking chairs. There is even a small table with an array of magazines on them for your perusal.

OOC: All Ministry of Magic employees, regardless of their assigned department, are welcome to create their own roleplay in this thread.

Asher was on his way to visit his lovely fiancé Chloe when he noticed something that he didn't quite remember was there before when he had came to visit. He gave a large grin and walked off of the elvetor ready check it out.

He walked to the window and looked out of it with a smile, it reminded him of the Holden Estates in Denmark with the rolling fields of grass. He turned to find a chair behind him at which he took none too long to take a seat in it. He closed his eyes as he sat there relaxing in the chair.

Chloe walked out of the office on a break, thinking about maybe going to get some coffee or something. Walking toward the elevator, she saw a very, very important person. Her engagement ring seemed to sparkle in the light in response as she rushed over to him and wrapped her arms around him from the back of his chair. Giving him a kiss on the cheek, she smiled and asked, "Hey, stranger! What are you doing here?" She was completely oblivious to the beautiful view outside the window because the only thing she could see was Asher Holden, the love of her life, her soon-to-be husband.

Asher could hear footsteps that sounded very familiar and sat there in the plush chair with his eye closed waiting for arms to wrap around his neck and a kiss on the cheek. Not more than a few seconds and it happened.

He opened his eyes to find Chloe and a smile immediately spread across his face at the sight of her. He turned in the chair to look at her clearly, "Is it crime to come visit my wife-to-be at work during my break?" he asked her with a dazzling smile. He was thankful that he had finally lost that Russian accent. Though, he wasn't happy with the thought that he had to become very ill at work by an accidental breakage of a vial for him to lose it.

"And what are you doing leaving before I can come visit you?" he questioned next as he stood up from the chair and turned around, able to see her completely. He ran a hand through his hair messing it up even more than what it was.

As Asher looked at her with that smile of his, it felt as though her insides were melting... just like it had the first time she saw that smile. At the title, "wife-to-be," Chloe's smile grew even wider. It felt so... perfect... so incredible to know that Asher loved her so much that he wanted to put up with her for the rest of his life. Though, to him, it probably wasn't a put up with kind of thing, and she knew that. "Nope, that is most certainly not a crime. I figured you were busy, so I was on my break and actually trying to decide what to do. I needed a break from all the paint," she said with a smile. Right... paint. Asher probably had no clue what she was talking about, but he would ask if he wanted to know.

Then her brow crinkled a bit in worry as she looked into his eyes and examined his face. Reaching out, she laid a hand gently against his cheek. "Are you okay, my love? You look ill..." she said, looking back into his eyes to make sure he didn't lie to her because that would be the kind of thing for Asher to lie about... being sick. He never wanted other people to worry over him. She was temporarily distracted from his sickly appearance as he messed up his hair because that was just so incredibly cute. Moving her hand away from his face, she fixed his hair with a smile, but then as though snapping back to reality looked back at him, waiting for an answer to her question.

"Aha. Well would you like to-" WAIT! When did Magical Education mean painting? "Painting?" Asher asked with an odd expression on his face. He couldn't put two and two together to figure out why Chloe would be painting in her department. He WAS going to ask Chloe if she'd like to accompany him to the cafeteria to get something to eat.

This isn't good. Good at ALL. He swallowed akwardly and ran a hand through his hair forgetting that Chloe just fixed it. "Am I still white?" he asked, though he wouldn't have been surprised. He still had a very VERY faint headache. "I'm fine, honestly." He told her, he felt a LOT better than what he had been when he was curled up on the floor of the department of mysteries throwing up.

Chloe laughed a little at Asher's reaction to her talking about painting. "We have a new department head, and he's very... artistically inclined. We've been doing a lot of painting: his office, our own desks. It's been fun, though I really haven't been painting so much as telling other people what to paint for me. You know me and how artistically challenged I am," she finished, rolling her eyes at herself.

Nodding as he asked if he was still white, Chloe responded, "A bit..." and gave him a skeptical look as he said he was fine. She had about a thousand questions pop up in her head, none of which she figured he could answer. "Don't suppose you can tell me what happened?" she asked with raised eyebrows as her hands came to sit on her hips. Normally, Asher not being able to tell Chloe about his work wasn't a problem, but if his work was making him sick, it might become a problem very, very quickly.

"Ah, I see." Asher said nodding his head up and down. He stopped abruptly though not wanting to make that faint headache any worse than what it was. He gave a chuckle at her jab at herself about her artistic challenges she had. It wasn't like he was any better at artsy stuff. Except interior designing, but no one needed to know about that but his family.

And then they were back on the subject of him being sick. He brought a hand to his face rubbing the corner of his eyes with his index finger and thumb at the same time. "Not hardly." He told her dropping his hand to his side, he gave her a reassuring smile, he WANTED to tell her, but he couldn't or he'd get fired. And well, the Department of Mysteries was just that, a mystery and it wouldn't be a mystery if they could talk about it, right?

He let out a sigh, feeling defeated, all he wanted to do was get some food and go to bed.

Chloe just stood there staring at him, hands on her hips, eyebrows raised, preparing herself for the argument she was surely about to start. This was NOT okay. She was not alright with her fiance having some dangerous job that she wasn't allowed to know anything about. It was infuriating! Now she understood how Pandora had felt about Ronan working in the Department of Mysteries. It was all well and good until the man she loved look like death, and she couldn't know a thing about it.

Looking at him, though, she felt bad for him. He didn't feel well, and he probably just wanted to feel better and not fight about anything right now. With a sigh she dropped her arms and stepped close to him, wrapping her arms around his middle and resting her head against his chest. "I'm glad you're feeling better now," she said quietly.

GREAT. Was the only word running through his head as he braced himself for the argument that was about to go down. Something along the lines of him getting hurt and Chloe wanting him to move departments so it was less dangerous. Just thinking about the argument made his head hurt just a little more. His stomach gave a growl, but suddenly he didn't feel like eating, that maybe he couldn't keep it down. "Me too." He told her with a grim smile thinking of how badly his body had hurt. It was definitely a good thing that he couldn't tell Chloe or she'd be freaking out.

He wrapped his arms around Chloe and held her to his chest not wanting to let go. But wanting to sit down just in case he was about to topple over or something. He kissed the top of her head and rubbed her back lightly. "You want to go get something to drink?" he asked, food wasn't the answer right now, but water was.

He was thankful that there wasn't an argument taking place at the moment.

Chloe just closed her eyes as they held each other, scratching his back comfortingly with her perfectly manicured nails. She supposed she should be thankful. At least he wasn't in St. Mungo's... or worse. The thought of that made her feel a bit uncomfortable and she gave a little shudder, holding him tightly. They would talk about it later. Not right now. Especially since the longer they stood, the worse he seemed to feel. When he asked her if she wanted to go get a drink, she looked up at him from her place where they remained wrapped around each other and gave a slight nod of her head. "Sure, my love. Whatever you want to do," she said with a small smile.

Dacs left the office in a rush and ended up by the elevator lobby window. She always passed there on her way to the office, and hadn't taken much notice of it. But now it was her safe haven. The memories of her mother coming back in flashback form was not something she was prepared to tackle today. What had triggered it? Dacs left the office before she could break down in front of everybody. She looked out at the scene the window was showing and exhaled heavily.

Benjamin was heading out of the office for a moment when he heard some heavy breathing. A worried look appeared at Benjamin's face as he saw Dacs holding back tears while facing the window. Benjamin approached slowly behind dacs and placed a hand on the woman's shoulder. "What's wrong?"

She heard someone approach her but jumped when she felt a hand lightly rest on her shoulder. Then she turned to face Ben. Being shorter than him, she had to look up a bit. Without a word she turned back around and replied,"It's my mother. It's been a year since I had a flashback. She was talking to me...I..". It had been a year since her mother died. Was it that she had deeply buried emotions resurfacing? It hit her in hard waves. Dacs began shaking her head but the tears came anyway.

Alysson had decided that Britain was cute. Especially during winter time. Pulling her hat off her head she brushed off a few rain drops from outside, because yes, she had been WALKING to work. It had been so nice outside. Plus there were so many pretty shops on the way here. Not that she had looked at them. Much.

So here she was, staring outside, or rather out of the window because she had learned that this outside was not the same outside than actually outside. Confusing much? Still, it was pretty. Britain was pretty. And British people were cute too...with their accents and all. Very cute.

Plus they sold loads of pretty stuff.

Tatelyn slung her winter robe into her bag, and ran her singers through her wet hair. Did she mind that her hair was wet? Not so much. But that was just because she was happy. And the rain made the air smell nice, really.

Adjusting her floral blouse, she chewed cautiously at her lip, as she passed a window and a young[er] woman. "Ah, the wonders of charmed windows. You never know what to expect when you pass them. I suppose the Maintenence Department must love adjusting the window weather. It's lovely, do you not think? Terrible outdoors, -but still so refreshing- and then wonderous inside her." The comment made was only initially in passing by, but the Department Head came to a stop, giving her a light smile, as she continued to speak.

Woman was pretty.

Alysson didn't even turn around at first upon hearing somebody approaching and then even addressing her. Not that she was trying to be rude or anything but she was just so mesmerized by the not-really-outside-ish outside to turn around. She smiled however and nodded at the woman's words.

Until she said something with which she disagreed. A lot. "It's not terrible outside." Alysson peeked over her shoulder at the other woman with a small smile. "You think it's terrible outside?" Rain was so nice. And snow too. And that current cross between rain and snow was nice too. And the woman was nice too.

Again, Britain was nice.

After coming to a stop, and watching over the other woman, [more over her shoulder than over her head] Tatelyn smiled appreciatively at the window. She sure was going to make sure there was one of THEM in her office. She. Wanted. One. Maybe she could see about that later. Ask someone nicely about it. She was sure she'd be allowed. It was her office afterall. Yes, her pretty office. Which she had made SURE was colourful. Much like her house. Hehe.

Oh. Oh. A furrow crossed Tate's brow as fast as a person could blink. "I didn't mean that, per se, just that most people find it terrible. I think the air smells nice when it's like this. Not good with storms though, i'm not good with those. I was never good with the lightning, actually." The flashes of light, always made her think of something she had dreamed once. Never good.

"Good answer." Alysson grinned at the woman with a small hand gesture into her direction. With that she turned back to face the 'window' again, cocking her head slightly to the side and regarding the 'outside' again. "That's when two older brothers come in handy." She replied with a soft chuckle in reference to the lightning.

After a few moments of just staring 'outside' the 23 year old finally turned around fully to face the other woman, twirling her hat around between her fingers. "I'm Alysson, by the way. I work for the Law Enforcement Department." She introduced herself with a soft smile, glancing up at the taller woman.

Tate nodded, shoving a hand into her pocket. 'Good answer'? Was that sarcasm, or what? That was one thing she'd never understood; sarcasm. What was the need for it, when people just wanted to be told straight. She took it as an actual answer though, and smiled again, watching as the woman turned back to the window. "Ah, I wouldn't know about that. I don't have any siblings." Alive. That's what she meant. Alive siblings. She was sure her brother would have been there, had he lived long enough.

"Nice hat...." The brunette said, with a nod. Hats, they were fun. Better when bright electric colours, though. "Nice to meet you. Tate, Magical Education Department Head." Yes. First time she'd introduced herself as THAT.

Aw, she didn't have siblings?! That was so sad. Alysson turned around then with a genuinely sympathetic expression on her face. "Oh, I'm sorry." Then again, maybe she wouldn't want to have siblings. Though, who wouldn't want to have siblings?! "Would you like to have siblings?" Maybe she could lend her Coop or Jeremy some time. Brother for a day. Heh.

"Thank you!" Alysson beamed down at the hat in her hands as if it were a baby. Which for it sort of was. Most of her clothes were. And accessories too. Her babies. "Wow, Department Head. What's it like being a Department Head?" She asked curiously with a grin before realizing something. "Hey! We're on the same floor then, right?" Yay!

The look. That look on her face, it almost made her quiver in her step, and for a brief moment she closed her eyes. The expression almost mirrored what she could remember of her mother, and it was all she could see right now. "No need..." She managed, as she finally opened her eyes. "I had a brother... and a sister." And a mother too, or so.. she still had a mother in form of her stepmother Odette. "I.. I'd like to have them back, I think of it as I was lucky enough to be blood related, and spend a few years with my brother, they're just with another family, who need them." Or so, that was what her father had told her to think.

"Pretty colours..." Tate mused, with a smile. She had never been good with wearing hats, she just had a weird head. "Ah, it's fun, yeah. I haven't properly started work here yet. But I worked as Department Head in Australia, so I know about it. It's hard work, but completely and utterly rewarding." Of course it was, why wouldn't it be?

The same level? "Well that's lovely." Atleast now she knew someone.

:O

That was just...horrible. Alysson gulped noisily, biting her lip to keep it from quivering slightly. Swaying back and forth a couple of times she tried to come up with a good answer, however, there was absolutely nothing positive and cheerful to say to this. Which was why after a few moments of silence, she simply walked up to the other woman and gave her a hug. "I'm so sorry." Even though she didn't know the whole story, it already sounded horrible.

Letting go of Tate she took a step back, a sympathetic look still plastered across her face. Though when the talk came back to her hat, it turned into an excited beam once again as Alysson reached up to put the hat back on so she could err see how it looked like on her head. Or something. "I knoow. You should get one tooooo!" Not the same, but a similiar pretty one.

"Oh." Aww, she couldn't tell her about it? "Well, what was it like in Australia? It can't be that much different." She wanted to knoooow. Heh.

Tate's expression fell to one that resembled deadpan, and she scrunched her nose up a little. It was a habit, that she'd picked up. She wrinkled her problems away, the wrinkling of her nose usually accompanied a frown, or just happened when she wanted to forget something. Like this part of the conversation. Alysson seemed like she was going to cry... or whatever, and something in Tatelyn snapped, and she just smiled. And then Alysson was hugging her, and the older woman actually placed her arms around the younger girl. "S'okay....." Of course it wasn't. No one, with a brain, got over the deaths of siblings, but Tate seemed to have.

Releasing the other brunette, Tate smiled again softly. "So your brothers? Tell me about them? They nice to you?" Because brothers were supposed to be mean, apparantly.

A chuckle left the thirty-one year old, and almost in a motherly way, she reached out a hand and straightened the hat up. "I have a weird head. Me and hats don't go well. And I wouldn't want my hat to compete with yours, now would I?" Because it was an incredibly pretty hat.

"Protocol is different in Australia. We didn't have offices, actually. It was all very different. Give me a few weeks, and I suppose I could tell you about it..."

Harley walked over towards the elevators with Persephone and she turned to her once they entered the lobby. "Where exactly should we start?" she asked, arching an eyebrow. "Should we split up and create false identities to lure him with, or set up in the office and start working there under false pretenses, or do you think we should just do some snooping and borrow some documents off his desk or maybe something else?"