"Nice to meet you too, Simon." Chelsea said, green eyes staring over at him. He seemed nice enough, not that she'd expected otherwise. Everyone here seemed to be.. pleasant, nice, kind even. It was reassuring that she'd made the right decision, even if she missed her family already.

"Law? Like.. an auror, or do you work in a different division?" Chelsea asked with visible interest, though he certainly didn't seem old to her, as he had said. 'Old law employee'. "I believe so," She agreed, when he mentioned that's what orientation was for. "But thank you, anyway." Because Chelsea didn't mind, and it was nice being welcomed. Not necessary, or expected, but nice.

Just as Simon expected, the first thought on his mention of law was the field he was in fact in. But then most thought of aurors as the crux of the department when there was a diverse offering. "Nope...auror is right," he said agreeing with her first guess. "I've been working in that division for almost seven years now." He left out the part where most of it had been training since that had lagged a bit longer than originally expected.

"You're welcome again then." He was used to the welcoming anyway seeing as law tended to have a fair amount of people who liked to keep to themselves. "So how about you...what division of creatures will you be working with?" There werre quite a few and the only main differentiation he could think of was living or dead as in animals, goblins and centaurs and the like or ghosts.

It was just a guess, and Chelsea hadn't expected to be right. She was almost surprised that she was right, first guess. He received a cheerful little smile, before she spoke again, "Oh, awesome!" Seven years? Holy Hippogriff. Chelsea still didn't think he looked that old, but then.. one could work at seventeen, once out of school. "That's a long time.. I suppose you enjoy your work, then?" He must, after seven years.

Chelsea wondered, briefly, if she would still feel the same - or if she would even make it seven years, in her new job.

"How long does training take to become an auror?" She paused, "I mean.. if you can tell me," Chelsea didn't know if he was allowed to do that sort of thing, what was secret and what wasn't. Her question was an innocent one, curious even, and that was all. The smile widened on her lips, when Simon asked about her division. "Beasts. I'm the new albino bloodhound handler intern." She was excited about that, too.

"Still worth it in the end." he said and kissed her cheek with a smile on his face.

"Oh, I know. I just love giving you a hard time." HAH, so did she! They were both like that, cleaned up as they went, while things were cooking. It definitely helped with the washing up! "Awww, but that's the most fun when it's someone like Charles." *cue smirk* "HEY! I'm not old. Just....well....I'm not old!" Not going there! "I'll be back soon love."

Rolling her eyes at him saying it was worth it in the end, she looked up into his eyes and shook her head. "Carry on, I'll show you a hard time." she prodded him in the ribs gently. Shaking her head again when he mentioned Charles, she glanced around the room again and then looked back at him when he protested about not being old. "We can argue this until the end of time, but I'm your wife and I say you're old, so I win. Now go and annoy people." she shooed him away, sitting down in her chair in the corner.

"Hey!" he said wrinkling his nose and finally moving away at her prodding him in the ribs. Shaking his head he blew a raspberry. "Okay okay, I'm going." Meh, she always had that on him in regards to age. HMPH! How long would it take her before she just fell asleep there he wondered. Probably not long. Walking away he headed for the meet and greet area wondering if anyone would stop him this time. He'd pretty much been ignored most of the night.

When he finally moved away, she waved goodbye to him and then crossed her arms on the table and put her head down on them. She knew he had things to do and she was really only here so he didn't feel all alone. No matter how much she'd whined about wishing she was sleeping instead, she'd only come to be here for Gid. Looking around the hall, she could see so many new faces and hardly any of them knew her. Ugh. Where was Warren at times like this? She could do with a good argument, or at least having someone there who knew her who wasn't married to her.

"That's good," Chelsea couldn't imagine working at a job she didn't like, for longer than she had to. Everyone should do what they love, that's what her parents had taught her and Topher. "Wow," Chelsea breathed, "That's.. really cool." that he'd always wanted to be an auror, and ran with that dream. Up until recently, she'd thought she knew exactily what she wanted to do with her life. Now, well..

In truth, she could have asked her uncle Benjamin and uncle Axel, being that they'd been aurors since as far back as she could remember, but that probably would have led to very old stories as well. And Simon was willing to tell her, which was even better. "That's a lot of training," Chelsea commented, though it helped make sense of 'seven years', which of course, she was still stuck on. Sort of.

"Fun, indeed." After giving a nod of her head, Chelsea reached up to fix the feathered hair piece she'd loosened without meaning to. Her attention was on his words, though. Especially when he mentioned his father working with an albino bloodhound. "Really? Did he tell you any stories?" Probably not, since it was work.. but it couldn't hurt to ask. Her father told her stories all the time, especially as a child. The memory made her smile more. "They are very interesting. I was fortunate enough to be able to help look after a young one, during my later years at school." And since, the albino bloodhound had become one of her favorites.

GinaMarie
 

Claire swallowed the bite of food in her mouth and looked up at GinaMarie, "I'm a new hire I guess. I just transferred from the American Ministry." she said to her. "What department are you in?" she asked her, ""I'm in Accidents and Catastrophes."

This is For Ern! i suck at starters im sorreh
 

siiiiiiiiiigh

She had heard the news of her previous Department head leaving and a new one was stepping up and that bothered her, she was just getting use to Abilene and her ways and now there was someone new. Athena usually wasn't one for change but she had no choice in the matter with this situation.
She sat down in a chair in the seating area and looked around, furrowing her brown as she looked around the room, she needed friends, people closer t her age, she worked with nothing but Older people, what a bother.
if it we'rent for the fact of this being a work thing, she'd still be at home, working on her secret things, things she always worked on, when she wasn't here, with children. she needed a drink

Vivi wanted food. Okay, she'd had food, but she wanted more food. She was pacing herself, though, since there was plenty of food and she had no where else to be. Sigh.

She threw herself into a chair and tugged down her dress, not caring that it wasn't at all graceful. Graceful was for girls who cared. Oh, hello there, neighbor. "Have you tried the food yet? It's good... little puff things. I was going to just take the whole plate with me, but there was some grump frowning about it, and I thought... why fight with someone over puff things?" She'd go back later and dump the thing in her purse. Selina deserved puff things.

"I'm Genevieve." By the way.

Returning some time later, Gid finally pulled up a seat near her. It'd been a quiet night, most people ignoring him, so he'd just wandered around the room greeting people and making nice. Could they go yet? Or would that be rude..? Well he'd said they had to do a dance first. Heh, he really did like the idea of dancing with her, they did once in awhile at home, but lately it had been more just Emma and him or Norah even. So....maybe he could talk her into at least one dance?

She should wander over and get some food and a drink, make herself seem like she was mingling, ya know? She had half a thought to go wander over and find her new department head whereever he or she maybe but decided against it on the fact that she'd see him or her in the meeting on monday, assuming there was one or something. So she'd sit here for now and people!watch, that was a great past time, you learn the most about people when they dont know they are being watched.like how that man there kept looking over his shoulder, he was waiting for someone his wife by the looks of the ring on his hand. That woman there ws definitely flirting with the guy she was talking too... and his friend. She was making all these assumptions in her hed she didnt notice someobe occupy the seat next to her. "I havent, no." she said looking down at the puff things she was referring too. "i would of just taken them all, surely they'd be replaced" surely, thats how most wizarding things went anyway, things on autofill for something, right?

"Athena" that was her. "Its a Pleasure to meet you Genevieve" or whatever it was she was suppose to say.

feel free to interrupt/chat/join, just VM me or nudge me on msn
 

Bradley finally made his way into the seating area after helping that other pretty lady find the food. Of course he grabbed himself some along the way. What kind of person would he be if he was going ot ignore free food?

He had grabbed himself a table and took a bite of the yummy food. He looked up to see Haley, wandering through the seating area. "HALEY!" Brad shouted around a mouthful of food.

Finally lifting her head sleepily when she felt someone sit next to her, she blinked at him and though she was half asleep, she still had a comment for him. "Scare anyone else away yet?" Could they go home now? She was even more tired after sleeping a little.

Cole noticed the color in her cheeks, and contemplated commenting or teasing about it. Because well, they were talking about romance! So, he simply sat down next to her - his eyes turning to where hers did, when someone rather loud arrived.

Okay then.

He nodded and chuckled lightly at her comment. They sort of did break the whole aura of the ball when they shouted like this.

And then they were talking about her romance life again. His shock was rather visible on his face - no matter how composed. "He proposed?" he asked, rather quietly - surprised himself when his voice came out like that. "I am guessing you are not with him now .. " he added. So she had said no?

Suddenly talking about his own life felt off. "Uh .. yeah, I went to South Africa," he told her - stilll very much interested in knowing about her.

Oh. Hello. Did she have any food on her face? Haley would have attempted to look but she was certain that it would be in a place that her eyes had no access to. She smiled though, and placed whatever she was eating back down on her plate. "I'm not a fan of the whole...dressing up thing." That was all. Definitely it. That, and she kind of wanted to find someone she definitely knew and be allowed to take her shoes off.

Alone? Oh. Well. "Mmm, not spe-" Who was shouting her name now?!?!

"I should...that's my date. It was lovely to meet you. I'm Haley. I..date. Yeah."

Her date. Her actual date. Well, he wasn't really her date but right now she was delegating him as her date because Brad was probably the one person who would actually let her fall out of these shoes and curl her feet up under her on a chair. Maybe nap. Would he let her nap? Probably not. It was his fault she'd fallen into this laze of a life. His fault.

After leaving the other male, Haley worked her way around a few tables until she sat beside her friend. "I told that guy you were my date." And even though it wasn't official, she picked a thing or two from his plate of food and put it onto hers. Sharing was caring.

"Oh, and these heels are killing me."

kinda zellanna too
 

Bradley watched as some guy walked up to Haley. He was about to give her the thumbs up to show her that it was cool if she wanted to talk to him, but she was heading his way.

He swallowed his mouthful of food as she sat next to him. Brad smirked. "If you wanted to be my date, all you had to do is ask Hales." Yep. Nicknames were fun. He turned to wave over at the other guy before turning back to Haley.

"Hey. That's my food. Get your own." Bradley moved his plate closer to the other side so she wouldn't be able to pick off of it as easily. "Take 'em off then." It wasn't like he cared. Those shoes just looked uncomfortable.

Hales. She smiled at that and shrugged. "You would have been that date that nagged worse than a mother would though. Or you'd have grounded me for eating too much pizza or something." Yeah. She was eating lots of pizza recently. And then running for a long time to make sure she didn't get huge. "You could have asked too, you know. Or are you here with someone? Did I just steal someones date?" Tough tomatoes. She was keeping him as her date. It worked out wonderfully.

Haley however, did look around them for any women glaring at her. None so far. Phew.

Okay. No fair, Brad! "I've got my own. You were sharing." Had he not learnt that skill yet? Didn't he work with children? Weren't children taught how to share anymore? Her dogs knew how to share. HER DOGS, BRAD. She went back to her own food though, ignoring his wave at the other guy. No doubt he was trying to make other friends.

That was completely permission to take her shoes off. Good. She flicked them off under the table and adjusted herself onto the chair, tucking her legs underneath her. "Freeedom. Huzzah."

Bradley gasped, faking hurt. "I would not! I never nag...just when you're about to burn yourself out." Because she was pretty awesome at doing that almost all the time. Thankfully she seemed to be relaxing a bit more. "True, but I tend to go alone to these sorts of things that way when I want to sneak out early I don't have an angry woman yelling at me." Because yes. He hated these sorts of things. "So no, you did not steal anyone's date."

"But if you have your own, why should I share?" He was a manly man. He needed lots of food to keep him going. Anything Haley stole was making him weaker. Bradley needed to keep up his good looks, even though that wasn't that hard.

Brad chuckled. "Why do you women even wear those things. They just look horrible."

"I didn't do it the first time!" he said with wide-eyes. He would swear on that one! He hadn't scared anyone away. It was just a coincidence they were all leaving after he joined the ministry! "You get a little rest?" he asked giving her a soft smile. Hoping she'd rested a little at least.

"Sure." She'd tease him about that until the end of time. "Yes, with little being the operative word." Humpf. "Can we go yet? Or did you just come over here to wake me up for fun?"

BUT HE HADN'T! Shaking his head he pulled a face. He wasn't going there, nope not at all. "Aww, still pretty tired then. Don't suppose I can talk you into one dance then huh?" he asked looking at her with a little pout.