Teal nodded as Lorraine wished his young kid a happy early birthday. Although he missed having a relationship with the kid in his life, he was pretty scared of having the kid come live with him now… hopefully Cy didn’t hate him by now. Teal gave Lorraine a slightly crooked smile as she mentioned helping him set up a birthday party for the kid, and that he needed to keep the same sense of security as he had with Meredith, which probably wasn’t much security in the first place.

“Thanks Lorraine, I’m not the greatest birthday planner.” He said with a wink, thinking back on the day he planned a surprise birthday for someone in the office; just to sum it up, it was the most dreadful birthday of the year to say the least.

Teal nodded as Lorraine said that he should get his application soon, he was planning on doing that right after he finished speaking with Lorraine. Knowing him, he was going to over think the whole process and write up some dreadful application. Good think he had Lorraine on his side, and with that thought he felt a warm sense of reassurance in the pits of his stomach.

“Yeah I’m about to head up to Level Eight and grab one. I think they’ll be due into that Department soon, so I need to get to work fast.” He said with a nod. “Honestly I think experience wise, I’m the best in the field. Work ethic is going to be a problem though. Hopefully Aricca puts a good word in for me.” He said furrowing his brow slightly in humor, thinking of his current Department Head. She was great, and he was surprised she was resigning.

Teal looked back up to Lorraine, and he suddenly thought of her feelings, what was going on in her life. So far today it seemed that had just been talking about him, and Teal couldn’t help but feel slightly selfish. He looked up into her eyes, pressing his lips tightly together, maybe she felt as lonely as he did outside of the workplace.

“So what about you? I know productivity on Level Six has been at its peak ever since you became Department Head.” He said with a small smile, “But what about outside the Ministry, I haven't seen you outside of work in ages it seems.” He said with a nod, that needed to change indeed. He missed Lorraine’s company more than he thought.

Lorraine just listened to Teal again; reveling into his blue eyes. He didn't need to say anything more to her because she knew that he was scared to be raising a child, even if he was already eight and missed all the exciting happenings that occur at toddler age.

A half smile formed on her lips when he admitted to being not the best birthday planner. That was an understatement, from what she remembered of him. "No problem Teal. The secret is to make it special for him, not you or the guests, just him." That was tip number one at least.

Nodding in approval as he said he was about to head up to level eight and grab one, she phased out again. He was so modest when he talked of his work ethic and she frowned a little at him. "I don't know how you think your work ethic will be a problem. Assuming its the same as from our school days, I think you are the best there too..." She was still slightly disappointed when she thought of Aricca resigning, but knew that it was probably for good reason. Aricca was always so fabulous with everything.

Her thoughts of Aricca were interrupted though when he questioned her! About what's been going on in her life! Meep!

Catching his small smile, her brow furrowed instinctively at him. "I don't know about being at its peak, but I've been trying my best," she admitted sheepishly with regards to productivity on Level Six. She had to look away from his eyes at the next comment though and down at the table. Another twinge of guilt within her.

"I uh..." eek! She never hummed and hawed around Teal; why now?! Yet for some reason, she couldn't find the words to describe what she had been doing outside the Ministry. Biting her lip, she chanced it and looked up into his blue eyes again. "That's because I don't do much outside the Ministry. You know that, Teal. The Ministry is my life."

Teal smiled as Lorraine gave him a few tips on the birthday, special to him? It seemed simple enough, but he was probably going to need her help in implementing some ideas. The poor kid probably didn’t know anyone now that he was moving, it really was a pretty sad thing to behold. Hopefully he didn’t shun Teal for forgetting him… aaah it was all too complicated, too much to worry about right now. “You’re right.” He said with a nod, “I wonder what he’s interested in.” Teal said with a wry smile, shaking his head. The boys own father didn’t even know a lick about the kid.

Teal smiled slightly as Lorraine complimented him, yes he was pretty sharp in his school days; times change though. “Yeah, I think I’ll handle well, I’ve never really had a problem with living up to expectations.” He said with a nod, knowing there were some dire exceptions, but he opted not to dwell on those.

Teal felt slightly bad at his last question as he saw guilt dash quickly across Lorraine’s face. He knew she was obsessed with her work, and Teal was probably going to be feeling that soon if he made Department Head. He pressed his lips together tightly as she explained how the Ministry was her life. Teal didn’t have to same dilemma, he had a much smaller work load at the moment. But he was extremely lonely outside of the Ministry, that was a fact. “Ah, yes I knew it might be something like that.” He said with a quick nod, “But you know Lorraine, we could always hang out more. Outside the Ministry you know. I’ll always be looking for something to do... especially with you.” He finished with a sideways smile, his worn blue eyes falling on hers.

Lorraine nodded when he told her she was right, her usually pale cheeks flushing a little. Normally she tried to maintain modesty, but that didn't always work so well lately. "Just a week or two and I'm sure you'll find each other out just fine," she told him encouragingly. Sure she didn't have kids, but it couldn't be that hard to figure out your kid's interests, right?

She returned a smile when he said he thought he would handle it well, to which she agreed with wholeheartedly. Despite their differences, if there was one thing she did know of Teal it was that he was a hardworker when he really put his mind to something.

Lorraine blinked a few times as he replied to her lame excuses as to why she didn't have anything interesting to tell for doing something outside the Ministry. Biting her lip, she was sure her cheeks flushed even more when he suggested they hang outside the Ministry more often. And then that last comment, especially with you... Her mind was spinning in circles, as she suddenly found herself uncomfortable.

"I should go," she said quietly, tearing her eyes away from his blue ones. "I uh - have tasks to catch up on. But I'll talk to you later... bye Teal and er, good luck!"

Before she uttered another word, she stood from her chair and hurried out of the break room back towards the lifts.

James entered the break room the usual look of focused determination was shadowed slightly with a hint of worry. It was something he couldn’t help. His brother Talen was just lucky he had even been home to realize they were late anything could have happened that night. James wasn’t going to think about that right now, Right at the present moment James was focused on one thing… a cup of coffee.
He poured himself a cup of the steamy brown liquid and took a seat at the nearest available spot. He took a drink. “Surely there was no reason to worry about them. Talen is fine and Alex is safe at School. It didn’t take much convincing for him to realize he was probably worrying over something silly.

"Yeah, but we managed to raise her quite well. Considering the fact, that she was a dragon" Kelly laughed. "There is nothing else to tell, I just love magical creatures. It's in my blood. Both my mother and father had a close connection with creatures different from us."

Violet grinned. "Well, I'm glad you got this job, then," she said. "It's not easy to care for a young dragon! You must be a really patient person!" She laughed and took a sip of her coffee.

A sphinx entered the break room, drawn by the scent of hot coffee. Ah yes... Food.

It approached the source of the food, its stomach grumbling with a thunderous sound not unlike a growl, low and guttural. Its eyes met the violet eyes of the coffee drinker. It sat down on its hindquarters and looked at her expectantly.

Aelita has run in a room. Strange animal ran before her.
"Stop it! stop it, please! It has ran away from a Time Room! It is very dangerous! I can't catch it already 3 hours! And don't touch it! If you will touch Kreig you will burn!

Violet looked up as something entered the room. It was a sphinx. Her violet eyes widened. The sphinx looked at her. She froze. She watched warily as it sat in front of her and looked into her eyes. She drew a breath and slowly let it out, nervous now, but not scared. She knew how to deal with sphinxes. Sort of. Violet looked away from the sphinx for a brief moment as someone else came in. The frantic woman was clearly following it. Violet looked back at the sphinx. Well, it was stopped. As long as it didn't lose interest in Violet. She swallowed.

It's necessary to eject it! But I won't do it/ All my hands in burns/ Spells don't operate on it/ and what to do??

Egypt had been walking around the Ministry taking stock of just how much cleaning that needed to be done when she heard some commotion in the break room. She picked up the pace and headed through the offices toward the break room.

She eyes the sphinx when she entered the break room. She didn't seem to be looking to attack anyone. She just seemed to be hunger. Egypt walked calmly over to the other side of the room so the sphinx could see her and see that she meant no harm.

Egypt looked up at the woman that was going to pieces right there. "Calm down." She said in a soothing voice looking directly at her. "She is just hungry and looking for something to eat." She looked over at the creature. It was certainly different than the ones she had seen in the Middle East. This one was brightly colored. She looked at the creature and spoke to it. "Would you return to the Time Room if I solved one of your riddles?" She asked it gently.

Aelita understood that Kreig hungry. "Has somebody cheese?" Kreig likes cheese/ and maybe Kreig will go with somebody who has cheese/

James had left Teal's office in a puff of pride. he hadn't expected a promotion at all. He grinned as he made his way through the hall silently thinking over the things he had to get done now. He heard a commotion as he started passed the breakroom.

James stepped into the breakroom and was vaugely surprised to see a sphinx sitting calmly across from Violet. As a women he had not meet before spoke calmly to the creature.
He looked at a third lady in the room who seemed to be beside herself. " Sphinx pride them selves with their riddles. this one seems calm enough perhaps she is right." He looked at the unknown woman ( tomasina Riddle ) " maybe we can sway it simply to return but answering a riddle or two, with out cause of further injury."

She looked up when someone else entered the room. She was glad that he wasn't overreacting and panicking. She nodded her head at his suggestion. There was no use getting riled up with this creature so far she was just looking around and looking for some food. She smiled at the man.

" Does anyone know how it got out in the first place?" James asked looking at the others in the room.
" Cheese?" james had never heard of a Sphynx liking cheese it could be possible.

"I have no idea. I was just doing security checks on this level when I heard all the screaming." Egypt said. She looked over at the hysterical woman, seriously doubting that the sphinx liked cheese.

This sphinx likes cheese. Don not forget that It is Kreig!

Through all of this, Violet just sat there staring at the sphinx. She was listening intently to the conversation. "Cheese?" she said blankly. "I didn't know sphinxes liked cheese." She spread her hands out. "Sorry, I don't have any," she said apologetically to the sphinx. "Maybe there's someone in the Time Room who has cheese." She was trying to get it to leave. "If we solve a riddle for you, will you go and see if anyone in the Time Room has cheese?" she asked it gently. She knew full well that sphinxes were not stupid, but it was worth a try.

The sphinx watched the violet-eyed woman and yawned, showing its razor sharp fangs and cavernous pink mouth as it did so. It looked back to the violet eyed woman and let out a small chuffing sound.

The sphinx tilted its head, considering the question.

A riddle, perhaps-
But don't trade in cheese.
Such things made of dairy
Can make Sphinxes sneeze.

Better choice, if to move me
You find is your quest,
You must solve my puzzles --
Three riddles, your test:

First:

Bring to me chests without hinges, key or lid,
but inside golden treasures are often hid.

james furrowed his brow slightly as he played over the riddle in his head. Suddenly it came to him. " Eggs.. you want eggs?" he said calmly looking at the sphinx as it sat across from Violet.

The Sphinx smiled. Yes, it had been easy- the first test should be. She awaited the delivery of eggs, her stomach grumbling noisily.

She yawned again, looking at the wizards and witches expectantly.

Egypt nodded and went out to go find some eggs. How did the Sphinx want her eggs anyways. She walked briskly down to the cafeteria in search of eggs. She grabbed a couple of raw eggs and went back to level 4. She could use her wand to make them any way the Sphinx wanted them.

She walked back into the break room and slowly walked over to the table in front of the Sphinx and placed the eggs on the table. "These are raw eggs." She explained. "I can make them anyways you want them." She told her.

Violet blinked twice, calmly. She looked back at the sphinx and smiled.

"Eggs?" she said. "Why do you want eggs?" She waited as Egypt got the eggs.
ooc: sorry for extreme shortness of post

james watched the sphinx curiously as Egypt gave her some eggs. he was glad to have gotten the first riddle right but there was still two left
and they would sure be harder.