The staircase leading from the Ninth Level down to the courtrooms on level ten is the only public access way. There are no lifts here. Some of the steps are a bit worn, but as long as you make use of the rail, you should make it up or down in one piece.

ooc: Everyone is welcome to create their own RPs in this thread.

He wasn't paying a particularly large sum of attention to where he was going or how he was getting there. That part of his mind was on auto-pilot, bringing him slowly down towards level ten with a pace that would frustrate a snail. But he highly doubted a snail had as much on their minds as he did. If it did, he really pitied the snail.

A slow sigh left Sabel as he descended another step, consecutively flipping the page of one of the files he was mulling over. Really, he had no idea what he was doing, or if the vauge understanding of the intention he had would even work. Damien hadn't been gone long, but it was moments like these that Sabel realized how much he missed the man. Who was he supposed to bounce ideas off of now? Who was supposed to tell him that he was going in over his head far off the deep end.

...He supposed there was the thing called a 'conscience' that he possessed, but sometimes it was better hearing it out loud. Maybe he would have to bother Emily, or Legend, if they weren't at each other's throats.

If there was one thing that Jaxton hated doing, it was travelling to see the MLE employees on level ten. Especially since there were stairs involved. So he was fit, so what? He didn’t like the old, slippy, uneven steps. They played havoc with his knee that had gotten busted while he was out on ... leave. He’d managed to get it mostly sorted but every now and then it simply started to play up. Sigh, oh well.

However, now that he had been to see them, he was on his way back to the office to fill out some paperwork on his latest patrol. Oh, the joys. He ran up the stairs, in an attempt to show the stairs that they weren’t going to beat him; when he noticed one of the young YATI’s moving down the staircase. While reading. Slowly. Very slooooooooooooooooooowly. “You know, I think a snail would beat you to the office.” He remarked. “You really should pay more attention, I could have been anyone-“ –from the cult, went unsaid.

Jaxton frowned slightly as he tried to place the young man. Sabel, he thought was the man’s name... He’d had that fight with Damien just as he’d gotten back a few months ago. Right, yes. Sabel.

He had passed several people on his way and given them each nothing short of blatant ignoring. Then again, no one had ever addressed him. Strange looks maybe, but no words.

So when he was spoken to, he stopped, stepped to the side and spared little more than a glance up from his papers. The man coming up the steps was barely recognizable, but Sabel placed him as someone in the MLE. If he bothered to take his attention off the file he was reading then he might have vaugely recognized the man as one of Damien's friends. As it was his eyes were already back on the pages, flipping to the next one.

"Cult members usually don't start off a meeting with a joke." The words slipped out distracted and idle as Sabel's eyes scanned the page, his brow furrowing in thought. "And anyone else has done well ignoring me." So he was anyone and he wasn't anyone. Clearly, hewasn't focused on trying to make sense at the moment.

With a frown etched over his face Jaxton stopped, side-stepping so that he was once again in Sabel's way. "Sabel." He said sharply, in an attempt to snap the young man out of his daze. "Those were very dangerous words to say aloud... and there are more people than just them to look out for." He rolled his eyes slightly. Honestly, weren't the British taught how to use their common sense?

"How do you know that they wouldn't use a joke? Did you're jaunt to DA not teach you anything?" He asked the young man in front of him, softly. He was barely speaking loudly - however he hoped that he had the man's attention. Truly he did.

They had to be careful.

Always careful. Always prepared. Always paranoid.

But now? Now even more so. They could never rest easy. That was when they would strike. That was when they would sense their momentary weakness and strike to the core. Oh yes, they had to be prepared.

When the man stepped in front of him, Sabel froze, his entire body going rigid. He didn't need to look up to know he was blocked, or that the man was dangerously close to being in his personal space. That got his attention, and drew his eyes away from the papers.

It took a moment to place the man as Damien's returned friend, and only then did the frown slowly work it's way off his expression; but only slightly. "More people?" He didn't see it. "If you're referring to the Dark Wizards, I'm sure they would find it highly amusing to hear such a comment in passing. Hell, they're probably grinning in glee watching the ministry tearing itself apart from within."

Yes, it was a peeve of his, but given the man did have a point and Sabel wasn't wanting to go mouthing off one of Damien's friends so early, he did keep his voice low and with an air of caution. "Diagon was happenstance: I saw Emily and she looked like she was in trouble, so I went to her." Period. "I've met both Rafael and Wrekin before, and neither are the type to drop a joke on a dime." Borr on the other hand.....

Letting out a sigh, Sabel lowered the file to his side and nodded a little. "I understand."

Ah. Now, see – that got his attention. Even though he was a step under Sabel, he was still slightly taller – a large hunky hulk of American in the Canadian’s direct path. Oh yeah, that was slightly intimidating but that had been the point of doing it... The man hadn’t been paying attention and he didn’t care what anyone said; that wasn’t the way to go about your training... no matter how young you were. Bad habits died hard once they were set in stone.

Jaxton couldn’t help it. Seriously he couldn’t. He rolled his eyes at the younger man. “Not everything is black and white.” Again, his voice was hushed but considering how close they were standing to each other, he was almost 100% positive that Sabel could hear him perfectly well. “There are others who would wish to draw a target on your back. It is not simply them and those-“ the Cult and the Dark Wizards, “-who have it in for us.”

The Auror paused, and seemed to think something over for a minute. “Damien would not be happy if I let anything happen to you while he was recuperating.” Yes, that was the word he was using to describe why the Head Auror wasn’t here – and he wasn’t going to change that. “I do not care if Emily led the attack or not, you she shouldn’t have done it...” He would have gone on, into a long rant about thinking about the consequences of their actions – but that rant had already been heard (more than once, he assumed) – so he didn’t need to hear it again.

“Just be more aware of your surroundings. Friends and Enemies come in all shapes, sizes and forms. Besides – I might have been a polyjuice me. Would you have been able to tell the difference without waiting for the hour to be up?” Jax asked him suddenly, intriqued as to what the Brits had been taught in their training. Poor Sabel.

Alright, maybe if the man hadn't insisted on rolling his eyes or giving him a lecture on what he thought happened, Sabel would have been able to step down and step back into a place of similar respect that he held for Damien. However, that was not how events turned and despite everything Damien had taught him, despite the man's friendship to Damien, he found the fires peaking again.

He wasn't going to argue however, about things being black and white. Several people he knew said otherwise, and for him it was an undecided grey area; no point in going there, in picking a fight where there wasn't a point to have one. "Them and those are the greatest concern right now." Really, he had no idea what this Jaxton character was talking about. There was no one else besides personal enemies of jealousy or vengeance that he could think would want to paint pretty targets, and as far as he knew, for the time being at least, he was clear of those.

As for being under Damien's wing, he apparently wasn't clear of that. And while he didn't mind being so close to the man in concern, he didn't particularly like behind stood over like he needed to be protected. Instead of voicing it in words however, Sabel reigned in his tongue and simply gave the man a flat look that said just as much. As for Emily, he could only arch an eyebrow. He shouldn't have moved to stand by a friend's side who was in trouble? Granted, standing back and observing may have been the 'best' course of action, but then again, if something had happened, would he have been able to act quick enough from the sidelines? "Sometimes, Mr. Jaxton, the rules of the written book are neither black nor white."

Sabel's head tilted a little bit as he considered the man, his hand slowly closing the folder. Polyjuice? Friends and enemies? That was a good question. "Mr. Jaxton, meaning no disrespect, but I highly doubt that's the case. The Cult or Dark Wizards would not expend effort on polyjuicing into a man I have no care about or relationship too. If they wanted to manipulate me and my trust, they would have picked someone that I would be concerned about. Or, they would confront me head on, as they have done in the past. So, if you'll excuse me, I have more important matters than deliberating 'ifs' and 'maybes' of improbable scenarios."

Jaxton watched the younger man as he seemed to have to reel in his emotions. Silently, he wondered what he had said to him that made him act in such a way. Not that it mattered, he was being honest with the young Auror... just like Damien always was. Yup. He raised an eyebrow as Sabel told him that they were the greatest concern. "That they are," he agreed softly. "But it is when you are distracted that the others can attack." Oh yes, Sabel wasn't nearly cautious and paranoid enough yet... no doubt something that Damien would try to help him with before he left for good. Smirrrk.

"Oh, stop complaining." Jaxton muttered rolling his eyes, although this time he offered an explanation - something that didn't happen often with the tall American. "I had a Mentor until I was a lot older than you - they are not there like your parents were when you were a baby. They are there like your Professors were at school, to help guide you to your best work and to help ensure you aren't hurt in the process." Or... at least that was how Damien viewed being a Mentor. He wasn't 1000% sure on how Damien was going about it - but he was pretty sure he wouldn't want Sabel dead. Pure and simple really.

"And sometimes, an ego can get in the way of realizing that you are simply asking for trouble." As far as Jaxton was concerned, the three YATI's were darned lucky to have gotten out of that conversation as easily as they did. "On the contrary, I believe that is exactly what they would do. It's true that morphing into Emily or Damien would have gotten them closer to you, as they are closer to you in general..." He paused, as if looking for the right words to describe just how much effort and energy they WOULD put in. "Yet that is not always the best place to put yourself if you are undercover. After all, it is often hard to know every intimate detail that has passed between a pair, and these finer details are the things that would trip them up, and alert you that they aren't who they should be. Whereas with a familiar face, who happens to be - more stranger than aquintance, it would be less likely to be strange if they spoke out of turn." He paused again and looked at Sabel. "Remember that they are in this for the long-haul. Brewing a batch of polyjuice potion is one month out of forever... its nothing."

He took a step to the side so that he wasn't in Sabel's way anymore and then looked at him. "All I wanted to tell you was to be more on gaurd - no-one is safe right now." He didn't move away straight away, rather he gave Sabel a minute or so to reply. He wasn't completely horrible after all.

Sabel watched the other man from the corner of his eyes; considered him quietly as he spoke. For a long moment, even after the man had stepped to the side to allow him to pass, he simply watched him.

Then, slowly, a breath left him and the file lowered to his side. He supposed he had a very good point about the disguises and manipulation. The man wasn't stupid. Maybe a little dramatic, but not stupid. There were kudo points for that. "How would you suggest I put any trust in you then?"

"You can't... Rather, you shouldn't. Don't take Damien's word for it, that I can be trusted. Or Izzy's... or anyone else's for that matter." The American paused, his forehead scrunching up slightly as he contemplated the other man's question. "Trust us hard to give. It is even harder to earn." He nodded his head. "You need to question everyone, even those you simply assume are good."

Borr was a good example for that - but he didn't dare say that aloud.

"Take you're time to realise that I am not here to hurt, maim or hinder you or your career in any way - rather, that when I have time, or you need advice- I'm another helping set of hands." He smiled. "How much trust you put in me and my abilities, is something you need to determine for yourself." He smiled, and nodded his head, happy with his answer.

Sabel had both given and received a few different types of looks in his lifetime, but there wasn't one look quite like the one he was giving now that he had ever seen or displayed before. He wasn't too sure what it all entailed, but he did know its most general expression was that of disbelief.

"Let me get this straight, you don't want me to trust you." He pointed his finger a little at the man before waving it around slightly in thought. "But you want me to take my time in trusting you. However, ultimately, you cannot be trusted when your closest friends say you can be?"

Either he was really confused or Jaxton was really confused. Where that line was drawn was getting rather fuzzy. "If you can't give me a reason to trust you, I'm not going to waste my time looking for one." He would be slotted in with the others and when this whole mess was over, he would decide what he thought of the man through his actions.

"I would suggest, Mr. Jaxton, that you don't start your offer of trust with relation to my career." Ikenna had threatened him with his career, Wrekin had done well enough of the same and he was sure laughing Berty Borr would do the same if he was given the chance. Actually, he was fairly sure he had been told by the man he didn't have a career in signing. What a kill-joy.

"Yes... and no." Jaxton said, holding in the sigh that he wanted to let go. This kid just wasn't getting that he should be paranoid. "I know that I'm not a bad guy. I'm here for the MLE," aka anti-cult-everything, "and I've been an Auror for as long as I can remember." He paused and looked at Sabel. "I have plenty of knowledge that I'm happy and willing to share."

He wasn't entirely sure what Sabel wanted to hear. "Were you never told not to let your friends dictate your actions?" He paused. "If you were friends with Alpha. And Alpha wanted to do drugs - would you? Or if Alpha wanted to run away with Beta and not tell anyone apart from you - could you let them do it?" He asked. "I am trust worthy, however your perception of me, should be made based on your own judgements - and it shouldn't be a collaboration of the judgements and feelings of those you work with. That is how you end up following Omega to hell and back." He said with a nod of his head. He wasn't fully sure if that made sense, but it made sense to him.

"How about the simple fact that I have been in one form or another, a part of a Ministry and its training schemes since I left my Magical Academy... and I've been on placement," aka missions, "more times than I care to remember. And I'm still here. I'm obviously doing something right." He said with a nod of his head. He wasn't going to explain himself to Sabel more than that. He was worth trusting - but that trust had to be earned between them.

Alpha and Beta and Omega? Sabel let out a slow sigh and glanced down the stairwell. "They wouldn't be my friends if I didn't trust their judgement."

With some disappointment that he wasn't yet at his destination, Sabel turned his eyes back to the man. "And that is all hearsay, by your tongue." He didn't know the man or his records. Anyone could say they were totally for the MLE. Anyone could say they had worked for the ministry since they learned to walk. Anyone could claim devotion and dedication. It was easy to speak of generalizations.

Shrugging his shoulders, Sabel transferred the file to his other hand. "The Cult would also say they weren't the bad guys. You're going to have to give me more than that." Like the details he spoke of. Unless, of course he wasn't interested in having Sabel's trust. And from the way he had spoken about time and trust, perhaps that was the truth.

"Just because you trust their judgement, doesn't mean you should follow their decisions and make their actions you're own." That was the only thing Jaxton was trying to put across to the young man.

And that, got extra brownie points from Jaxton's point of view. The kid was finally starting to question what was being said. "Exactly." He smirked at the man. "Paranoia, curiosity and the total ability to question the truth were three things we were taught in the States." He paused slightly trying to figure out what he was going to say next - after all, it wasn't like he could tell the YATI that he'd just spent eighteen months pursuing one of the Cult's men... or that he'd done other missions in the past while in the States.

"You are a YATI... what exactly do you think I can tell you, to prove I'm loyal?" AKA - You know I'm not allowed to give out details, even if I wanted to. "I am not one to lie, I have been busy for the last twenty two years with the Ministries, I've taken multiple... leaves of absence... over that time." Smirk. "And I think you agree that I am still here, kicking and fighting." There wasn't much more that he could say, considering details weren't allowed to be given. Hmm.

Paranoid. That's what it was. Sabel hadn't been able to put his finger on the word to describe Jaxton's actions, but that right there was it.

Wonderful. That was all he needed. Another MLE employee telling him to distrust everything in the entire world. He wanted to shake his head. Although he knew his perception was still fairly naive on the state of people's minds and hearts, he didn't let that naivety go so far as to make him an idiot. And for him, that was enough. Paranoia wasn't needed.

"Well, Mr. Jaxton, if you haven't yet noticed, you aren't in Kansas anymore." Stop trying to make it so.

Taking a step down to the same level Jaxton was on, Sabel paused, giving the stairs a considering look. "How did you injure yourself?" His eyes came up to the man, searching his expression. "You have a limp very similar to Damien."

"I wasn't in Kansas to begin with." He retorted, with a small smirk. Nope, he was from Florida. Right country, wrong state. Although, he might have been nit-picking... but he couldn't help the small amount of joking he did.

As Sabel inquired into his hip, a small frown moved over his face. "Its a hip injury." He said slowly. "Duel. December. Just before I got back. I've found it flairs up under cold temperatures." He informed the younger man, although he wouldn't say more than that. Nooope.

Sabel's eyes narrowed a little in consideration. Either the man was dense, pureblood or he was playing around. The little smirk that presented itself suggested the later, and relaxed Sabel just a little bit. Paranoid and dense wouldn't have been a good combination. Paranoid and snarky, well that combination really depended on the circumstances.

But the truth was, he didn't really care where Jaxton was. Really, he didn't even care how the man had got his injury; he wasn't interested in the story. Anyone could make up a story about an injury. What he was interested was the expression that came with the answer to his question. The look in the man's eyes. And there wasn't much besides the small frown. And that, didn't reassure Sabel any.

But he didn't have time for games. If the man was part of the Cult, he supposed the Cult would find out sooner or later anyways. If he truly was one of Damien's friends, than he needed his help. And Damien trusted him. So that was going to have to be good enough. Despite what the man said about friends dictating actions, Sabel figured there was no point in having friends if you couldn't trust their judgement.

Letting out a slow breath, Sabel cast another glance down the stairwell. "I'm in need of some help, and given Damien's not here and I don't know when he'll be back, if ever, I suppose you will have to fill in for his counselling." Slowly, his eyes turned back to Jaxton, the urge to pull out his wand just in case a rather overbearing sensation. "I need to know if its possible to put Lord Borr on trial."

Jaxton's eyebrow moved northwards as he was told that he would be playing mentor until Damien got back. Huh. He hadn't seen that one coming - but maybe he should have? After all, he had mentioned the term "mentor". Darn. Heh. Oh well, he'd help if he could.

So he listened to Sabel's question and his face moved into a slight furrowed frown as he considered the younger man's question. "Hmm." He looked down at his hands as he contemplated the ins and outs of such a thing and then sighed softly. "Possibly. The actual concept of putting Borr on the stand, is true and doable..." He nodded his head, although he licked his lips as he tried to figure out what he wanted to say next.

Blinking, he obviously came to some form of conclusion and sighed. "However, as far as I know, there is nothing concrete to put him on the stand for... and you would need an incredibly rock solid case to do so." He paused and sighed. "I somehow don't think being a crazy boss is enough either." He added softly, although he would love nothing more than for Borr to end up on the stand.

Really, Sabel couldn't have asked for a better response. It both gave him hope and gave him some reassurance that Jaxton was on their side.

A smile trickled onto the corners of his lips, and it was a far cry from being pleasant. Nope, devious as devious came. "I thought that might be the case. So, I figured a trial by association." He lifted the files in his hand and gave them a slight wave. "If we can prove his alliance with Wrekin, with Charles, with Ikenna and other Cult members, if we can prove their guilt in one matter or another, then the wiseness of having him in the station he occupies will be questionable to the people. He may be the Minister, he may help make the laws, but ultimately he answers to them. And if he won't comply to the laws, then that right there is enough to remove him from office."

It sounded so simple, but only in a perfect world. It would be a lot of work, a lot of conjecture, but perhaps, if they got a good jury, if they got members of the Cult to testify, then maybe it would work. "Will you help me?"

Jaxton frowned as he thought through what Sabel was asking him. He raised one of his eyebrows as he raised one of his hands, so that he could run his pointer finger over his lips, seriously contemplating the ins and outs of such an allegation.

"The problem is that we don't have too much evidence against those in members. We simply know - or think - that they are participants due to what they have told us or say." He paused, his forehead still frowning. It was a well known fact between Van, Izzy, Damien, Ali and himself that there was little he wanted more than the down-fall of the Cult... however he truly wasn't sure if this was the way to go about it.

It also probably wasn't safe. At all. Especially since some of the Ministry cult members seemed to already know Sabel. He had a rather large X on his back already, if he had figured things out right. Which he might not have - but he wasn't going to ask that. Definitely not.

"I can see what you are trying to do however I'm not sure if it is safe..." He wasn't one to run away from a fight - but he had already placed his trust in Evander and whatever he was planing. "- perhaps the people to put this too, would be Izzy and Van." He said with a slight sigh. "If they agree, then I'll do whatever I can." Silently, he didn't think Van would go for it - however, he liked to see that the YATI's were trying to come up with some way to end the... repression. Yes, repression.

"I don't think any way of dealing with the Cult is safe." Sabel relinquished with a sigh, drawing his free hand back through his hair. Some of his excitement, some of the cocky nerve, had dissipated at the reality check Jaxton was giving him. Yes, he could trust this man.

Dropping the file back down to his side, he cast another longing look down the stairs towards the Court Ministry level. He wanted nothing more than to pursue this with everything he had, to find loopholes to push this thing through. But, reality was reality. "You're right." Another sigh. "I'd been hoping to go to Evander when I had...more evidence." But that probably wasn't the smartest idea.

His eyes flicked up to the man beside him with somewhat of a downtrodden look. He could feel the fatigue of the battle with the Cult already weighing down on him, and he hadn't even been part of the battle for very long.

Having given up on the courtroom he had been searching in and hearing Legend and what might have been Emily in the other courtroom looking when he peaked in, Simon made moved onto the outer work areas. There was no point in joining the duo and running into his former housemate once more and risk a repeat of what had happened earlier. He'd be civil, he had promised himself that as he had time to think but one couldn't be sure of what he'd have to put up with in the process.

When that had proven just as fruitless he had explored the ways out of the level, finding a staircase going up. Or at least one that could be used to go up and down from whereever. Simon decided to take it, following it up for the duration of the steps that were available and heading towards whatever lay at the top.

The continuing search for those cushions!

What else could he do?

Whenever he felt like seeing Evelyn down on Level Nine, he always ended up with getting annoyed at the endless corridors unable to see his girlfriend. Merlin! He almost hated the Department of Mysteries because it, the department itself, did NOT let him see his girlfriend.

With frustration at the level's labrinth-like corridors, the young man left the place and just walked and walked not even knowing where he was going. He did not care anyway, his mind was too busy with the mixture of annoyance and disappointment invading it.

The next time he looked around to see where he was, he found himself...well...the level 10 stairwell. Taking a deep breath, he leaned against the wall. Maybe if he could calm down a bit, he could go back to the office with a better mood.

With a sigh, Jaxton stood at the bottom of the large staircase and sighed. Why did it have to turn and twirl so much? Why, did it have to be so long? Seriously... Why couldn't there be a lift right down to level ten?

Sighing, he then took a deep breath and then started to jog up the stairs. He was determined that he'd make it the whole way up without stopping.

No. There was no good reason for it. Yes. He wanted to test his fitness. Why not, after all? He wanted to make sure that he was still in shape now that he'd been in the office for a while without being out and about.

However, that plan got stopped when he noticed one of his own YATI's. Hmm. "Mr Carter?" He asked, looking at the confused looking man who had stopped a little down the steps. "Josh? Are you okay?" He asked again, so that he could pull the man out of his thoughts.