More files and samples...good. Hopefully they could find some sort of pattern with the Droolers. So far all Aron had noticed was that the victims he had samples from were younger and were all purebloods. His sample field was far too narrow to draw any conclusions though...not to mention he hadn't run any forensics on them yet.

With a look in his eye similar to that of a kid in a candy store, he nodded to Derek and sort of set his mug on one of the tables rather unceremoniously since he didn't know where else to put it.

"Then let's not waste another minute," he nodded as he strut closer to the man. "Lead the way."

Jade nodded as she listen to Aron, "Oh so did you spend time in Sydney as well? It is a beautiful city." She smiled and flipped her hair back.

As Aron's remark about saving the chit chat for later, Jade's heart sunk a little. "Um...yeah well I had a great time chatting with you."



Jade glanced at Derek, sensing that he was getting a bit annoyed. She loved seeing how annoyed he got by her efforts to get him riled up.

Jade gave him a knowing smirk and a wink as he turned to head out the door with Aron in tow.



Since she wanted to spend more time with Aron and him being in MLE that wasn't likely any time soon, why couldn't she tag along to the lab.

She was one of the Reminisciators and she would be involved in the whole Drooler crisis soon enough.

With that in mind, Jade called out to the two as they were about to leave

"I would love to join you in the lab to watch you analyze the samples. I should know what is in it and stuff since I'm a Reminisciator and all."

Internally, she cringed, she totally got flustered when she liked someone.

She took a step towards Aron and smiled sweetly.

Aiden walked into the break room with a slight frown on his face. The latest set of samples he had tested hadn't come out at all right. He was missing something and didn't know what. Whenever he came to a particularly trying problem it always helped to step away from it for a while. Which was why he was here in the break room looking for a good cup of coffee.

Crossing to the counter he sniffed the contents of the coffee pot and curled his nose. Walking to the sink he washed out the pot and started to brew a fresh batch. He liked his coffee strong so he added in a few extra scoops of grounds. While he waited Aiden leaned against the counters with his arms crossed staring into space.

Natasha dropped off her pamphlets, folders and research material in her cubicle before she proceeded over to the break room. She needed coffee or tea before she began the task of seeing if a spell a witch had invented was on record or if it was new. After that Tasha had to discern if the spell was harmless or even a spell that was useful to the everyday wizard.

Coming into the break room, the blond spotted Aiden leaned against the kitchen counters, staring straight ahead. Going up beside him, she spoke quietly to not startle him. "Afternoon Aiden, are you brewing a new pot of coffee?"

Aidan was startled out of his reverie as he voice sounded right beside him. His eyes went to the face and recognition finally dawned. He chuckled a bit and ran a hand through his hair absently. "Yes. The old pot looked like it had been in there for days. I think it was growing something." As the machine sounded he turned and took down two mugs.

"I take it your here for a pick-me-up too?" Taking hold of the pot he poured coffee into the two mugs and then offered one to Natasha. "How are things?"

Tasha couldn't help but purse her lips into a smile as a startled Aiden ran a hand through his hair. It hadn’t been her intent to startle him but well it was always a possible outcome when people were lost in thought. Shuddering slightly at the thought of the pot being a growing ground for something she didn’t want to think about she Tasha mumbled. "The pot probably wasn’t cleaned before everyone went on vacation. There weren’t potatoes growing in there right, or something nastier?"

Nodding she took the mug off coffee from him and walked over to sit down at one of the tables. "I'm good. Better now that my older sister has had a few months without showing any of the symptoms she was experiencing before they found a cure."

Taking a sip of the hot coffee asked. "So how have you been Aiden?"

Break time. Rusty found his way into the break room on level three and unpacked his lunch. Salad with chicken and mushrooms, nothing special. He had a lot of work to do at the moment, and y'know he sort of thought maybe he'd been given a dud when it came to that amortentia testing thing because so far he'd not really felt anything much that he could attribute to the potion. And it wasn't as if he hadn't spent time in the company of attractive women either.

But whatever. He was due for another dose of it soon enough. For now though, lunch. Rusty arranged some papers in front of himself and chowed down while casually reading through them.

So maybe Vivi occasionally pillaged good coffee from the other departments. So what? She had to get Emily coffee from time to time, and there was no way she was bringing her boss the sludge they served on Level 2. Nope. She sauntered into the Level 3 break room and whistled a bit in supposed nonchalance.

Just gettin' a cup of coffee. Not a big deal. The guy sitting at the table got a polite nod, and then Vivi made a beeline for the pot. Maybe she could be in and out before he realized she didn't belong here.

A quiet crunch of mushrooms and salad. And another. Loud only within the confines of his own head, as chewing often tends to be. Rusty was engrossed in his papers, but he looked up when someone walked in, as you do.

He was about to look back at his work again when HE GOT HIT BY A TRAIN. BOOM. Like it was a PHYSICAL thing, almost painful, about what he imagined it would be to get struck by lightning. BOOM.

.... she was BEAUTIFUL. Okay so she was really skinny and almost on the weedy side and not his usual type at all... and he didn't actually usually like blondes all that much... and the whistling was annoying...

BUT CLEARLY he had just been confronted with the LOVE OF HIS LIFE.

He stared at her, glossy-eyed and struck DUMB.

The scent of the (good) coffee engulfed Vivi for a moment, and she took some time to appreciate the heady scent coming off the two cups she poured. While Vivi took hers black, Emily's required some exact measurements of cream and sugar. Only when both cups were perfect did Vivi turn toward the door.

And discovered that guy was staring at her.

Caught in the act! She smiled hugely and scuttled crab-like towards the door, the two cups of coffee held out in front of her in defense. "I work... on this level. Over... there." She pointed generally in the direction of 'not right here' and sloshed coffee onto her hand.

Ah see Rusty KNEW she didn't work here, because his HEART had NEVER stopped like this before. EVER. And also because he'd been one of the 'ninjas' on attack for that little training thing. Auror type. One of Emily's.

AND SHE HAD THE VOICE OF AN ANGEL AND HAD JUST BURNED HER HAND.

"I'll fix your hand!"

He got up and SLID over the table, knocking papers and salad every which way, and summoned the first aid kit from the top of the refrigerator, catching it and catching her hand up at the same time.

He RIPPED into the first aid kit, and extracted a tube of burn healing paste, then SLATHERED IT ON HER HAND where the coffee had spilled. This was IMMEDIATELY AND WITH GREAT FERVOR followed with a bandage which he WRAPPED AROUND HER HAND, SAVING THE DAY AND HER PRECIOUS SKIN.

Rustin made big eyes at the blonde girl, pupils dilated.

"You can have all the coffee. All of it. Take the coffee. You can HAVE it."

She could have all the coffee in the world, he would make SURE of it, because the only thing he knew was that she liked it.

She was being assaulted with health care. And not even figuratively... she was literally under assault, first with the man flying out of the chair like he had a broom strapped to him, then with the forced hand-holding, and finally with the application of enough burn paste and bandages to serve a small village. Or a large village. Somehow, Vivi had the presence of mind to put down the cups of coffee, or she would really suffer from a burn.

As it was, she was merely suffering from over attention and a short fuse.

"Eager, aren't you?" She gave his arm a muffled thump with her now-bandaged hand, hoping to discourage the man from continuing to 'help' her. She didn't need help. She just needed coffee. And not all the coffee, two cups would suffice.

"I don't want all the coffee. Just the two cups, really." Vivi tried unsuccessfully to corral the two mugs with one good hand and one giant mitten-hand.

"I'll carry them for you!" Yes. He would. She couldn't easily carry anything with a SERIOUS BURN after all. His work could wait. And the salad and papers all over the floor from his table jumping could also wait. Everything in the UNIVERSE could wait for this BLONDE GODDESS who was too skinny and he should possibly fatten her up but STILL. PERFECTION.

He took said cups with a flourish.

"Where is your desk?" He wanted to lead the way, as if heralding her going wherever it was she wanted to go, but also wanted to LOOK AT HER. So Rustin Killick began walking backwards. In front of her but still looking at her.

"Level two. I know you're on level two." AND HE KNEW SHE WAS IN HIS HEART.

She was fully capable of carrying her own coffees, since she was only going ONE level... except she wasn't. Not with the bandage, and Vivi didn't even consider taking off the bandage. Grace under pressure, this one.

"Well. Fine. Just... fine." She wasn't precisely sure she wanted anyone knowing where her desk was located, especially if he was going to show up every time she got even a paper cut and wrap her like a mummy. It was mortifying for a baby Auror. "I'm a YATI, so I sit in with the Aurors."

Since he already knew she was a level 2 employee. The man got a hard look for that little tidbit of information. "You know a lot, it seems," Vivi side-eyed him as she headed toward the door, expecting her Mummy Expert to follow along.

Leading the way, Aron walked directly towards the coffee pot where the Ministry's best coffee was ready and waiting for him. While he did miss the mud from Level 2 sometimes - although he was more nostalgic for his days in the department more than the actual brew - times were better with the brew from this level. He would need to remind his assistant to make sure that the bean stock was refilled. Or maybe he would send a memo to the new receptionist. She seemed to be more on top of things.

Grabbing his mug off the shelf, he glanced over his shoulder at Erikson. "You take your coffee black?"

"If it's decent, yes. If it's not, then whatever takes away the taste of filth." He chuckled. "My cousin introduced me to the stuff, but always the best. Well, near-best, anyhow." He leaned against a counter, which compared to him, seemed rather small. "Honestly, black would be fine."

He rubbed the back of his neck a little, remembering the arguments with his wife over tea and coffee. He couldn't help a small sigh. Remembering he wasn't alone, he cleared his throat as he watched his department head. "So, I'm a little hazy on protocol. It's been several years since I worked at the Ministry. I wish to gather other PART employees to get to know one another, and use the announcement board as well as the conference room."

"We have the best coffee in the Ministry," he chuckled in return. It was good stuff, just not with all those fancy smacy flavors one might find in those upscale coffee houses. The ones that drew little unnecessary pictures in the foam and wrote your name in equally unnecessary fancy handwriting on the side of the to-go cup. Grabbing another mug from the shelf, Aron filled them up and handed Erikson one. "Hope you don't mind if I sit." Being on his feet all morning checking out the last known locations of those mutants required a little down time.

"You'll definitely want to get in touch with Derek Meriwether, the Lab Technician," he nodded before taking a sip from his mug. "The lab is practically the man's baby. Should have seen his face when we had the explosion last year. I thought the man was going to die right there on the spot. He hasn't had anyone above him in the ranks for quite some time now." If ever really. "But if you just send me a memo for what you want on the announcement, I'll be sure that they see it."

"That would be appreciative." He sat down as well, smelling the coffee as if taking in a fine perfume. Not bad, but good enough. He took a sip of it before setting it down. This didn't seem quite like the man in Knockturn Alley downing firewhiskey and talking about murder. "I'll be sure to send you the memo. Though, I hope Mr. Meriwether and I will get along. I just resorted the stock in the lab." He chuckled softly at the thought of riling up someone over it.

"But, I am used to those who tend to be particular. When I would cook breakfast, Slade could not have a single item touching. So I always overlapped whatever I could." There was a mischievous sparkle in his eye. A man who could not help a good prank.

Uh oh. He had touched the stock in the lab? Aron had never really tried to work with anything in the lab on his own since he had always been alongside Derek, but it wouldn't be like the man to not have some sort of chaos to his order in terms of organization. Derek was...a unique being.

"Just send the memo my way whenever you are ready," he nodded while trying to get the image of Derek wiggling around like Devil's Snare near fire out of his head. Or his head exploding like a puffpod.

He glanced down at his now empty cup of coffee and stood up to get a refill, silently nodded as his employee spoke about Slade. "I personally never like it when savory things touch sweet," he chuckled in a lame attempt to make conversation. "Never the sort of man to put maple syrup on my bacon."

Er, right then. More coffee was now going into his cup. "I'm going to head back into the workroom, unless there is something else you wish to discuss."

"No no, that's perfect. We'd better head out anyway. I hear a ruckus," he said, walking out with his coffee and pulling a vial of some sort out of his robes, hiding it in his hand.