Quote:
Originally Posted by
Birchwoodmom 
As he sat, away from the burning of flesh and screaming, West noticed another chilled ministry worker enter the lodge. She appeared to be new, but since he was new as well, he couldn't be sure. "Hi there. Just come in from the slopes?" He asked, motioning to her snow covered coat.
"I'm West, by the way. You are welcome to sit over here with me." He leaned back in his chair and took a long, slow drink of his steamy hot chocolate. He was finally starting to thaw after his morning out skiing. Thankfully, the lodge was warm and still had great views of the mountain. The rest of his afternoon might very well be spent in the very chair in which he sat.
"Are you a new employee too? I was just hired. Magical Games and Sports. Which department do you work in?" He eyed her, wondering if she too worked in his department and he should know who she is. That would be embarrassing. He hand't seen pictures of his fellow department members, but he had seen a list of their names and positions.
Being as new as she was, Clémentine couldn't help but feel a tinge of shyness around all these new co-workers of hers. So far, she hadn't done much socializing, but she knew the point of the retreat was to get to know her co-workers and maybe even make a few friends. It was, therefore, with great relief in her heart that she shot a glance towards the unfamiliar, but welcoming voice coming from over the way. It appeared to belong to a friendly-faced gentleman, perhaps some years older than her, sitting nearby. She immediately cracked a smile and turned towards him, leisurely stirring her cocoa.
"Haha, yes, you got me." she beamed towards him with a giggle. Her beautiful Belgian accent was clear, but not overwhelmingly so. As she slowly began making her way towards his table, she held her cup with both hands just to make sure she didn't spill any. These were precious drops and she was very determined not to let a single one go to waste.
"Clémentine." she introduced herself, pulling off her mitten for a handshake as she reached the table. She pulled up a chair and with a slightly exaggerated grunt, sat down.
"Nice to meet you, West."
She was very pleased that someone had bothered to reach out and talk to her, removing the stress of making first contact, but even more so when she found out that he was also new!
"Yes, I'm brand new too!" she answered his question enthusiastically.
"Games and Sports sounds fun! I was never any good at sports myself. Especially flying. My broom is basically a relic!" She added with a laugh.
"I'm a Botanist with Environmental Regulation and Protection. Plants were always more my style."