Elizabeth smiled and nodded, "Well that is good that you are trying not to lose yourself by becoming a little humble and moving down some then." She glanced at Charles and blushed in embarassment, "Um, uh..." She blinked at his forwardness. She didnt know what to say though because she didnt want to lie about having problems nor did she want to say that she has problems especially with Gavin here,,, Jack and her wanted to keep it hush-hush. She realized that she HAD to say something or seem rude so she said, "Oh, it is nothing that time cant take care of..." Elizabeth left it at that.


Elizabeth glanced away from Gavin and Charles for a second and smiled. "Pleasure meeting you, Victoria. I'm Elizabeth Lupin." She was happy to meet anyone, not that she was techinally new persay but still yeah no... coming back after a year, people moved and such, "First day or are you a returner?" She laughed.

"I can only assume that would be a very lovely way to experience work." Annalise smiled, chuckling to herself. "Oh really? You guys are ambassadors? That's really great! And don't worry about boring me at all! I love listening to other people and their stories...." She added, making sure that the woman knew that her company was welcome. "I have a feeling I will really love it here! All of the people are so kind and welcoming. And as far as tips...." She sighed, tossing her long hair back behind her shoulders. "I just meant like... tips as in... what to do and what not to do... where is the best coffee.. how do I stay on the Department Head's good side... you know, general stuff..." Annalise listed, smiling warmly as she began getting used to the woman and the other people around her. This really was going to be a great job experience!

Annalise grinned as yet another Ministry employee walked up, greeted her and shook her hand. People really were friendly here, and Annalise took note of that. "Hello there! I'm Annalise Williams. I'm the new Junior Plant Removal Agent for the Environment Department." She greeted the woman, smiling warmly up at her. "So, are you enjoying your time back here at the Ministry?" She asked, trying to break the ice in conversation.

Maybe working with these people was going to make her less of a wallflower.

A higher position? Hmm interesting, yeah he'd read something on that and could see why with his qualifications. But unless he took Sophie's job there wasn't another above him, 'cept his own. And he wasn't going there! Watching as he leaned in close to speak to Elizabeth, he didn't hear what he said and probably didn't want to know anyway. It was just nice to see two of his new employees interacting with one another. Especially in the same team!

Looking up as Charles asked him if he could speak troll. "Not really, I'm working on mermish at the moment, haven't started on troll yet sorry." *Smirk*

Tilting his head a little he thought on that one. "Well both of them had their benefits I know that and enjoyed aspects in both. But I'd say where I am now is my favourite. I was an undercover buyer for 5 years to start, and really had fun with that." Nodding as she said she'd been there for a year already and smiled sheepishly "I'm just finally coming out to meet people so I feel like I don't know anyone even after 10 years."

"That's good. You were looking pretty poorly before." he replied with a wrinkle in his forehead "A number of people actually were, so hopefully the bug's gone now." Smiling at his last words "That's good, we need to train in a few employees and work with some changes a bit, to cover some unfilled positions."

"It is a lovely way to experience work." She smiled and glanced at her husband before looking back at the lady. "Yeah, we are... that is how we actually met." Elizabeth chuckled, "Yeah, everyone here... or at leasxt mostly everyone is really nice and helpful." She smiled, "Okay well what not to do and what to do is based on your department head and what they are like so i cant help you there, the best coffee is at the cafe across the street and the best lunch is at the restruant across the street or the pizza parlor though they added a food court last year during my year off so that is probably better especially since there is no muggles so you dont have to try to avoid the strange looks at your uniform." She laughed, "Do your job and you should stay on the head's good side though being nice keeps you there as well. I am lucky that I am friends with mine." Elizabeth smiled and looked at Gavin.

Elizabeth stepped back from Charles. She was a little put off by his forwardness. She just met him and he asked if there were problems and said she could tell him... it was nice of him but she didnt want to tell a stranger anything. She overheard Gavin talking about Mermish and smiled, "You are trying mermish? How wonderful!"

Mr. Taylor? Oh, Charles approved. He very muchly approved. He almost managed a smile for her too! "I work in International Cooperation." He didn't belong to it, they needed him, not the other way around. "Which department are you assigned to, Ms. Summit?" He asked politely, glancing down at his scavenger hunt list and wondering if she was any of the below mentioned things.



Sir. Charles warmed to the kid immediately. "Hello." His brown eyes focused on the kid, fixing him with an analytic gaze. "I am, I'm the new American Ambassador." He threw Gavin a glance and then looked back to the kid. Obviously he wasn't new. "What's your job in the Ministry?"



Humble? Yes, he supposed he was. Ha, Charles Taylor being humble, his Aunt would laugh at that. An eyebrow raised at her embarrassment. He'd tried to help and now she was uncomfortable? Okay then. Though time did heal everything eventually, he wasn't sure if it would be healing her marriage or heartbreak. "I'm always available if you need to talk." There, now she wasn't in an uncomfortable situation, yes?

Not really? Well he certainly looked like the type. "You are? I'd love to hear it." Yes, he'd love to either compliment him on his language skills or laugh him to the ground. Mermish was one of his several languages, so Charles was definitely the person to watch him fail help him learn. "And what about you, Elizabeth?" He turned to her, having seen her step back. She was the African Ambassador, so should know a few languages, no?

Layla smiled it's funny that Dacs would approach her and even attempt to insult her when she was dressed like a hobo. She shook her head and folded her arms then fixed the woman with a 'look what the cat dragged in' stare.

"You're hilarious but it seems we think a long the same lines, I was just saying the same thing about you." She gave her a once over and chuckled."You look like crap by the way. I better go get my bug spray or maybe I should just step on you."

Elizabeth nodded, "Thank you for the offer..." She, of course, wasnt going to take him up on that. Then he was talking again to Gavin so she sneaked a glance at her husband before he went back to talking to her, "Oh I know a few languages... French is my native tongue though i know mostly European languages... I do know Mermish however since I was the Magical Countries Ambassador though I dont know troll either." She gave a half smile.

He'd noticed that Elizabeth had stepped back and now was curious about what Charles had said to her. Hmm, interesting. She didn't say anything so maybe it wasn't that bad. Nodding as Elizabeth commented about him learning mermish he smiled "Yep I figured it was time to learn some of the not so common languages."

"Yes indeed. Ffa bi daahuu dehoofaa." he said lifting an eyebrow at him wondering just how much the guy would actually understand or if he truly did speak mermish or not. There was his first test, if he understood it meant 'I am amused at your confidence'. And by that he meant about being forward enough to speak quietly to Elizabeth.

Dacs didn't move or change her expression. "Ouch." she said in mocking tone,"For a second there, you almost hurt my feelings. If I didn't hate you so much then, it might bruise just a bit."

"Aren't cockroaches allergic to that? Why don't you crawl back into the hole you came out of. Everyone can do without pestilence, you know, you." she retorted. "Besides, vermin like you doesn't even deserve the name Dacosta."

Elizabeth smiled at Gavin, "That is a good idea, Gavin." She nodded, "I am debating what to learn next, myself." She laughed then listen as he spoke. She raised an eyebrow at him, unsure of what he meant when he said that he is amused at Charles' confidence. She twisted one of her curls. She had made an appointment for later that day to dye it blonde since her husband made a comment about how he would like it.

"That's all really great stuff to know.." Annalise nodded, smiling at the woman and her husband. Their coupledom was so cute! "Thanks for all of the tips too, Elizabeth. That should really help me... I just moved in the area... so I hadn't the slightest idea where I should go to lunch. You've helped me immensely!" She chuckled, twirling one of her blonde curls around her fingers. "So, what do you like to do? Any hobbies?"

He nodded at her once more. It wasn't like he cared, but he had enough knowledge to know how to help in some way, surely. French was her native tongue? Her English was impressive for that. "I see, so how many languages do you speak?" Three already. He raised an eyebrow when she said she didn't know Troll. He knew a few words, but not enough to class it as an actual language, though the language was extremely simple. He was working on it.

His expression hardened and his eyes narrowed slightly at Gavin's comment. "Ffa bi daahuu hwuu." Ha. Now to see if he understood that. Yes, he meant it. The man was way too cheerful. He glanced sideways to Elizabeth, purely because she spoke Mermish, only to see her playing with her hair. Was that a nervous twitch?

Nodding he returned her smile "Hmm perhaps you'd want to learn Swahili." Thinking back to her application he didn't think that was one of them. "It's a common language in Africa and might help a lot." Seeing her lifted eyebrow he winked and shook his head in laughter as he turned his attention back to Charles.

He nearly snorted at Charles reaction "I try to be I'll give you that. It's better then acting like everyone's going to die at any moment or thinking the worst about everything. No way to run a department." he added as an afterthought. Well what do you know Gavin and Charles could easily speak another language without many other's understanding them.

Oh yay.

Elizabeth smiled, "Anytime." She laughed. "You just moved here? Where did you live before?" She was always interested in other nations... which is the reason why she LOVED her job. "Oh, I dont have much time for hobbies since I have a job and a household to run... with two little kids and two in school..." She rubbed her head and sighed. "Though I do love to read and learn new languages." She laughed and smiled at her, "What about you?"


"I speak...." She paused and started counting on her fingers. French, English, Scottish, Japanese, Mermish, Latin, Italian, Greek and Chinese... "About 9 give or take a language." She laughed and smiled. "I am trying to decide what language to learn next." She looked at him, "How many can you speak?" She barely listen to the conversation that he was having in Mermish... though it was something about being amused with Gavin's cheerfulness or something. She nodded at what Gavin said, "Yeah, I think I will try to learn that since it will definitely be helpful with my job." Elizabeth laughed and smiled then held back a chuckle at the wink he gave her. She nodded at Gavin's reply to what Charles said, agreeing with Gavin.

He'd taken it in good taste. He must have not said it in the right tone of voice. His eyebrow raised at the mention of people dying at any moment. How could he be sure? Charles was going to be 50 very soon, he could drop at any moment! Psh! He just gave Weedy a look that said 'yes, okay' and turned back to Elizabeth.

Oh, she spoke one less language than him! "Ah, I see. The immortal question of which to learn next." He totally understood. He was learning Troll and Fairy right now, just to be sure. "I can speak eight languages and sign in two others." Soon to be speak ten and sign two.

He smiled and nodded "Yeah me too! been in Law Enforcement for some time took a big break and now I am back to work in the department that I love!" he had missed doing all that Law Enforcement work, missions and going undercover. Now he was back doing what he wanted to do Law Enforcement work!

"Its fine, you werent the only one to forget to introduce themselves" he said pointing at himself because he had forgotten too! He shook her hand "Yes I think so too.. Hi Beijing.. its nice to meet you. " well it was nice to meet anyone that worked here in the Ministry at this moment.. since sooner or later they would be working together somehow, somewhere.

Layla let out a long drawn out sigh. Did she really have time to stand here and have a verbal war with her less than worth it half sister. She looked like she went shopping in a bloody flee market or second hand store. Honestly she felt ridiculous just standing here and talking to her.

"You have feelings?" She fake gasped and rolled her eyes. "Do I look like I care about what you think of me? Look at you! You're not worth my time Antoni." She took a step back from her.

"The hole I crawled out of is one you couldn't afford even in your wildest dream sister. You might want to think about that. You're the one we can do without, no one missed you." This ministry only needed one Dacosta. She laughed."This coming from the woman with the home wrecking mother? You ought not to embarrass yourself like this in public."

Listening as she named off the languages she spoke he liked that there was such a difference in the languages they all spoke. Just between the three of them they spoke 19 languages and 2 signing languages! Nodding as she said she'd learn that to help her with her job. "I think it'll be beneficial that's for sure. It's the most common African language, but most people there speak a variety of European ones as well."

He saw the eyebrow that raised after Gavin spoke and was curious what that was for. What had Gavin said to make the eyebrow lift he wondered. Well if he could sign then shouldn't he be able to speak troll? Hmm, interesting "I should learn sign language, just haven't had the patience yet. Perhaps you could do a course on it within the level. For some of the employees to take."

Elizabeth smiled at Charles, "That is impressive." She laughed and nodded then glanced at Gavin, "Yeah, I will try to learn it as quickly as I can." She smiled at her boss and it grew as he said an idea, "Gavin, that is an amazing idea!" She beamed then looked at Charles to see how he would react to Gavin's awesome idea. She wouldnt mind learning sign language since it might be helpful even.

"Thank you." He nodded politely to Elizabeth, pleased she approved for some reason. His eyes turned back to Gavin. It wasn't really a question. It was more of a suggestion that a 'yes, of course I will' was the right answer to. Elizabeth seemed pretty excited though, and who was he to deny her the opportunity of learning another language? "I could do, yes." Did that mean he'd be in charge? None of this 'lets be familiar with each other, asking ridiculous questions that no one cared about the answer to? Just pure, straight up learning? He hoped so. "How many languages do you speak, Gavin?" Still put his teeth on edge calling him by his first name.

He felt a little bad when she lowered her unshaken hand but he wasn't in the mood to have another eager person trying to squeeze the life from his hand. He would need it for work later.

Environmental Department? Merlin they had a department for just about everything, didn't they?

"That's quite interesting..." Puzzling really. What did one do in that department? It made no sense asking her. She just admitted to being new so the chances of her being able to provide him with a sufficient answer was pretty small. "Does that mean nature's your calling?" He couldn't think of anyone outside of a nature enthusiast wanting to be in such a department. A friend of nature he was not.

"I'll be working in Mysteries." He said casually. For now it wouldn't be much of a big deal for him. He was still new and had no idea what it would all be like.

Oh?

This was a first since he walked in here. Someone actually initiated the conversation. Now this was what he was talking about. A lesson could be learnt from this woman.

So this was another one for the Minister's Office. Just how many people worked there? "It's nice to meet you Victoria. The name's Gavin, Gavin Isaacs, I'll be working in the Department of Mysteries." And of course he added a smile.

And another one to offer a nickname before he could even get used to the correct name. He was beginning to think that it was a cultural thing. Something they all did.

"Well then, Gia it is."

This was a refreshing change to having to ask for a name. Walking around and meeting others was NOT his idea of fun and he generally tried to avoid it. All this effort he had been pushing out since he got here was tiring so when others volunteered information it made him feel better.

"I'm Gavin Isaacs...I don't think you can shorten that though." Not that he wanted her to--or anyone else for that matter. His name didn't need any tweaking. It was fine just the way it was. "Are you another Minister's Office worker?" There seemed so many of those.

Nodding as Elizabeth said it was impressive about Charles knowing that many languages. Gavin had one more then him, but wasn't too keen on saying that considering he didn't want this to turn into a I know more then you type discussion. Pleased he smiled and nodded at Charles' agreement. "We can meet later and plan that then." he replied.

Merlin, and now he had just asked him the question Gavin had sort of been avoiding. "I speak about eleven languages, though I know a few in troll I wouldn't add it to my list just yet." Yep fair enough right?

Elizabeth smiled as Charles said that he would do the idea. She glanced at Gavin as Charles asked the question. Her eyes showed a little admiration of her friend/ boss. "I hope I can learn as many as you." She laughed and smiled. "You two are truely impressive indeed." Even though she knew two less than Gavin and one less than Charles, she was amazed at it. She was enjoying the conversation and getting a little more comfortable talking to Charles again.

Dacs wanted so badly to strike the woman but her boss would lecture her on being nice to other people.

You're right about two things. I don't have feelings especially where you are concerned. Secondly, I wouldn't dream of living like an animal in a hole, I prefer a house. I see where you're aspirations are sister, very low indeed." she quipped back,"I guess that's all you can afford. What didn't daddy leave you any money?"

She when to take a low blow and when to kick back."You should care about what I think of you since I am the only Dacosta that lives up to my father's name instead of feigning it's honour like you." Taking a dangerously close step toward her, she locked a cold, dark glare at her sister and said,"You came here after the name Dacosta was established and respected through me. You are barely my understudy. So, talk about embarrassment when you define yourself."

Easing back, Dacs did all she could to not reach for her wand.

"Okay. I'll be waiting." Not impatiently or excitedly, but still, waiting. Showing no emotion at the new information, Charles wondered why both of the people in front of him didn't know how many languages they spoke for sure. WAAAIIIIIT. He spoke some Troll? OUTRAGE! He narrowed his eyes once more, but before he could speak, Elizabeth had uttered words of admiration. He liked that. Very much.

"You're extremely close to catching up, so don't worry." He replied kindly, but now turned back to Gavin. "Excuse me, Gavin, but you just said you couldn't speak or demonstrate any Troll, yet you contradicted yourself by just telling me you do speak a little." Yes, Charles was feeling internally victorious.