Would it be too much if she hugged him? Olivia was feeling like she wanted to, like he needed a hug. And seeing as Becca wasn't there to do it.... Walking forward, she placed her arms around him and gave him a quick squeeze, before stepping back to her desk. Smiling gently, she nodded. "That is what they say." She had heard it somewhere before.

Help her? Ohhh.

"It's nothing really, sir. I was going to ask for a couple of weeks leave, so I could visit a friend. I just didn't want to ask you yet as we are already missing people. It can wait." She didn't like fibbing to someone she liked, but the matter wasn't his to worry about now. The next person in would have to be the one to tell anyway. Whoever that might be. Sigh.

Brian's smile slightly widened. Atleast they didnt ask him the reason behind his resignation. Smart people. Or they knew already? Shrug.

Taking Jaxton's hand in his, he looked up at him, "Same here, Jaxton. But remember, you can come to my house when you get free time. I'd like to trekking with you.." he said, shaking his hand gently before let it go.

Jamie. One of his new employees but dutiful.

He nodded his head gently at her response to his sudden announcement. "I understand. I'll miss you all and this place too. But you're all talented to cope with a new upcoming one too.." he said positively. It was true. His employees are well trained for all kind of situation.
A hug. From his division head. wow...

Brian didnt expect this. It was really a pleasant surprise, but a much needed one for him at this difficult time. Brian smiled and hugged her back gently, thanking her for that nice, timely gesture through his eyes.

"Oh..okay. I thought something serious..you know. Don't scare me.." he grinned, shaking his head slightly. He was going to miss them all and everything. "So if you guys give permission, I'll go and pack my stuffs in my office." he told them quietly and taking another look around the area, the one he used to feel like his second home.

As Brian hugged her back, Olivia smiled and blinked several times. She was not going to cry. It wasn't as if he was going to vanish off the face of the earth. Once back by her desk, she scratched the back of her neck and frowned some more. This wasn't how she thought she'd be spending her last few days.

"Oh no, nothing serious," much "Sorry I scared you." A small chuckle escaped and she looked down at her hands. He wanted their permission? Still a nice guy, even in a hard situation. "Of course, sir. We...we shouldn't keep you. Good luck. With everything." Olivia smiled, the warmth reaching her eyes, which were stinging with the unfallen tears.

Brian smiled at her, "It's okay."he noticed her chuckled. Atleast she got back herself now which is good.

"Okay, So..Brian Lee is signing off. Thankyou so much for all the support and love you guys showing on me." he paused for a second, "I hope you all ready to give a warm welcome to your new Boss soon. I wish you all the best!" he told them, looking at each and everyone's face calmly with a small smile on his face, "My Castle doors are always opened. You can come at anytime!" he invited them whole heartedly before stepping forward and touched Olivia's hands gently, who looked fighting with tears obviously. "Take care, Olivia. You know my place, so dont hesitate to visit me when you have time." his voice was tender than usual, then he walked through the door after taking one more glance around the room.

So this was his department, where his workers would (and should) be reporting to so that he could dole out assignments and tasks as he saw fit. Hmm. This was it. He noted the door to what would soon be his office but did not enter just yet. The glass door there was vaguely interesting but not enough to distract The Ghost from his priorities.

Ikenna Gevrik did his usual poking around the room and cubicles, pleased at the organisation of it all but not at all satisfied with the lack of employees. They had lost basically all of their leaders, this he knew, but that was no excuse to be slacking off. Not now that he was in charge and not ever.

The dark, shady man finished snooping about the basic layout of the work area and came to a stop near one of the division head desks at the back of the room. He rested one arm on the top of the cubicle wall and spared a glance at his unique, thick, magical watch.

And here we go.

Lucy wore a short ivory dress with shiny red pumps on her dainty feet. She played with a lock of her dark hair and jumped up when she saw the new department head. She threw back her hair and only a few locks stayed on her shoulder. "Hello, sir. I'm Lucy Parrish!" she said with a smile.

Daria moved slowly through the doors and into the Department of Ministry Security. She was busy shaking her good-for-nothing watch, as she walked slowly past a man she did not know and a fellow employee, Lucy Parrish. "Hey, Lucy!" Daria mumbled as she passed on her way to her desk. Finally giving up on the now broken time piece, Daria removed it from her wrist and threw it into the top drawer of her desk.

It was then, Daria raised her eyes and noticed a man watching her. Daria nodded to him and said, "Hi... my name's Daria, Daria Devereaux. Nice to meet you." As Daria studied him, she waited patiently for a reply.

Jamie silently walked back into the office, looking around to see who was actually there. Sigh. Another day. It wasn't going to be the same without Brain she knew, but she knew she needed to move on. Get to know the new person and complete her work.

Sigh. Sigh.

Walking forward she moved to where her cubical was and placed her bag onto the desk. She sat down wondering who was the new person to take charge of the floor. She really hoped it was someone nice, and not horrid. Jamie stood and peeked over the wall of her cubical for any hint of a new person.

Things seemed different. Ever since Brian had left the place was so much less...calm. But there was nothing Olivia could do about it, she just had to turn up and do the job she always did - maintain the Ministry and instruct her own workers. For now at least.

Taking off her cloak as she entered the office, she slung it over her arm, bag in one hand, other hand rubbing her tired eyes. It was as she made her way to her desk that Olivia noticed a few people milling around. "Good morning!" she smiled cheerily. But her eyes narrowed when she saw an unfamiliar face of a man - and he was leaning on the wall of her cubicle. "Hello there, sir," she said, slightly wary. "Can I help you?"

Nils walked into the cubicle level and looked around. He didn't really reconize much people here, but accepted that they too, worked in the same department as him, Security.Waving to a few people, he stood with his arms nicely cupped around each other and looked at the dark skinned man. Where had Brian gone to? And was this a meet and greet meeting that was going to happen?

Even though he knew the department would never be the same again, Jaxton walked into the department with a small bounce in his step. After all, there was no reason why he had to be in a bad mood simply because Brian had decided that it was time to move on with his career. That wasn't part of his job as a friend, and it certainly didn't involve the new Department head.

With that in mind, Jaxton shot a friendly smile at Olivia before he moved over to his cubicle. He noted the man standing next to Livia's desk and raised a single eyebrow in curiosity as he heard her ask if she could help him. And... that was a good question, because he couldn't even recognise his face from anywhere else in the Ministry either.

The ants come marching in... hurrah, hurrah. Ikenna did not move from his current position as one by one, his employees trickled in and went about what he assumed was their usual business in their correct office. He had read all their files already and was now determined to start matching names with faces....

The first to enter would perhaps be the first to leave, as Gevrik felt tempted to send the young woman strutting in straight back home to change her clothing.

"Miss Parrish." Ikenna's tone remained neutral and his voice deep as his gaze calmly trailed from the woman's red heels, up past an extreme amount of leg, over her light dress and all the way to her smiling face. Short dress and a bright smile. How inappropriate, all of it.

Ikenna said nothing beyond securing the woman's name in his mind and he only conveyed his displeasure at her dress by shaking his head ever so slightly.

He would wait for more employees before addressing her further.

This employee knew the other one, apparently. This could be a good sign, that the workers were not (openly) hostile to each other and would therefore be a bit... more trusting than the other Ministry workers Ikenna had met thus far.

"Miss Devereaux," Gevrik flawlessly repeated her name, again to be certain he would not forget it. At least this woman seemed slightly more professional, although she would be mistaken if she thought it 'nice' to meet him...

"Please, come join your co-workers," Ikenna's voice rumbled toward the face peeping out from behind a wall, "Miss Sullivan."

Yes, he knew who it was. The self-seclusion was interesting to Ikenna. A self-defence strategy in face of the unknown and new, perhaps?

Another employee who seemed familiar with his employees and confident enough to just stand around, staring at him. Ikenna figured out who it was from his build and youth.

"Mr. King," Ikenna greeted the most recent (and silent) addition to their assembled team but said nothing further.

And "Mr. Tanner," Ikenna quickly greeted the next employee to enter and allowed his searching gaze to inspect the man.

Hmm interesting. Jaxton's eyebrow raise... was welcome, in a way, because it meant that this employee was starting to think correctly. Ikenna was a stranger in their offices, randomly appearing as he had with an air of impatient waiting. Now the waiting was over but they should all have still been questioning his presence and yet... it was only the division head who greeted him with a question.

Although she hadn't been the last to arrive, Ikenna had waited to address the woman he had been most eager to meet. When no other employees seemed to be entering just yet, the dark man finally focused his piercing stare on his only division head. Olivia Hawthorne.

After a long, silent moment spent studying her countenance and attempting to get a read on the exhausted-looking lady, Ikenna spoke, as cryptically and quietly as usual. "You may help me, Miss Hawthorne, or I at least certainly hope you will."

He gave her one last lingering look and then slowly turned his head to address the rest of the assembled employees, eyeing them each one by one.


"I am your new Department Head, Ikenna Gevrik.... but you may call me Mr. Gevrik." He paused and rubbed one large hand around his goatee, considering where to direct his speech next.

"I realize that you have recently lost," and he used that term very loosely, "both a division head and a department head, so I ask that you will allow me to step into and fill the considerable void they have left behind.

"I have been personally hired by the Minister of Magic to bring the British wizarding government's current lack of security and safety up to par because I am, simply speaking, the best in this business. The substandard security I have discovered in my preliminary screening of this Ministry thus far is not a direct reflection of you or your department, but rather a reflection of the poor standards of this Ministry and its leaders as a whole."

He paused to allow that information to sink in and moved away from the division head's cubicle to stand in the centre of the work area. Arms folded behind his back in something of a military stance, Ikenna continued speaking.

"Although the matter of maintenance around the building is... also important, I have decided to place tasks such as those on the back burner so that we may focus on the priorities. We will begin by tightening the safety measures currently in place in this Ministry and by creating new safeguards of our own. To start, this department will conduct a series of in-depth 'security checks' on the current Ministry employees and division heads. I myself will be inspecting each department head... and you all individually."

Gevrik raised a brow and looked around at his employees once again. He decided to allow another moment for consideration and tilted his head slightly. "Any questions so far?"

He knew her name - and the names of everyone else in the room. And he wanted her help. Presumably all their help. Olivia narrowed her eyes as she listened to the man talk, her thought of him being their new boss was confirmed when he told them his own name. Mr Gevrik, must remember that. No first name basis this time round, and he was acting alot more suspiciously and guarded than Brian ever did.

But she was slightly shocked by his assessment of the security, and she folded her now empty arms in a subconscious gesture of defensiveness. It wasn't her division, but she had thought the security of the Ministry was rather settled. Obviously this man had higher standards - hopefully they were not unobtainable ones. Olivia looked down as he mentioned them losing Brian and Chris. It was a sore point for most of them, the two were greatly missed. But it seemed the new man had things for them to do, so they wouldn't have time to dwell on anything. Obviously she wouldn't be cleaning the floos that morning.

Her eyes followed him as he moved to another part of the room, her ears listening intently to what he was saying. Maintenance on the backburner? So that would mean she would be doing security for the foreseeable future? Hmm. Questions.... Stepping forward and unfolding her arms, Olivia looked the man directly in the eyes and smiled. "I would just like to ask something, Mr Gevrik..." She cleared her throat and thought out what she was going to say. "Apart from one incident that springs to mind, I wasn't aware there was anything wrong with the security in this Ministry. The checks, and the new measures you wish us to implement - are they for any particular threat we need to know of, or just an upgrade in general?" Because she really hadn't heard of anything that would threaten them, or get through the security they already had.

Jamie's head had snapped up when she heard someone address her. Looking at the man whom the noise had come from she raised an eyebrow. She didn't know him, other then Olivia she really didn't know anyone. Well she needed to before long, she was after all working with them.

But back to the present, this new guy. Whom seemed to know her name - though she didn't know how - and seem'd to be taking charge. Hmm. Placing her bag on her desk, she slowly walked towards him, wondering what he wanted.

She soon found out. He was the new head of the department? When? There hadn't been any notice beforehand. Then again was there suppose to? She really hadn't been through this sort of thing in the job before so she didn't know. But now he wanted to change the system. What was wrong with the current one? She asked herself. Nothing that she really could do about it all though, she'd just go with the flow and hope she wasn't a threat of any kind. Ha. Like she would be.

Jamie currently had no questions, and after listening to Olivia ask one she turned to go back to her desk. She could listen from there right?

"Welcome" She said turning back to the man suddenly. How could she forget that?

"Just an upgrade in general," Ikenna answered the division head quickly and smoothly enough. Her eye contact was appreciated, as that made it even easier to sense which incidents she was thinking of specifically. "I must say, the Minister has done a fine job of keeping under wraps the various catastrophes that occur here on a daily basis..."

He could think of several, mostly on other levels, but enough separate events to be a nuisance. "I would appreciate suggestions from all of you on particular areas or levels that could use strengthening or heightened security, such as entrances or exits, or any problem areas that you know have been infiltrated before."

Gevrik extended the offer of input to the rest of the office with a general nod in their direction.



"Just a moment, Miss Sullivan," Gevrik called out, noticing that the listening woman was content to just sit at her desk and be an inactive participant in their department. He would not have that. He would put her to work, right now if necessary.

And then, as if on cue, Ikenna felt a tingle in his arm and glanced down at his wrist toward what appeared to be nothing but a watch. It was in reality a very small, detailed map of the Ministry with intricate, moving dots. Hmm. The man made a few taps and moved his finger about the face of the watch for a closer look at the Level 8 layout.

It seemed one of the small wards and security charms he'd placed in the atrium earlier had been tripped by whoever was out there wandering toward their level and would likely be snooping outside their cubicles in just a few moments. Frowning slightly at the dot labelled Erica Radley, the head of security looked up and gestured toward Jamie Sullivan.

"Miss Sullivan.... would you be so kind as to step out into the corridor for a moment and escort into our offices the Department Head of Magical Creatures? It seems she feels that she should have been invited to our little meeting..."

Invited or not, Ikenna was looking forward to discovering the woman's motives for spying on him. Wasn't that his job?

"I see," Olivia nodded her head in understanding and refolded her arms, resting her bum against the edge of her desk now. The man had not avoided eye contact, so he was certainly confident. She tilted her head and shrugged her shoulders lightly at his next comment. "She must have done..." Either that or I'm just not very observant. Which wouldn't be good.

Suggestions? Well as she said, she only knew of one 'infiltration' and that was sorted quite quickly. The other levels were a mystery to her. But that one was certainly worth mentioning. "The incident I alluded to before, Mr Gevrik...That was in the atrium, by the fountain. I would suggest we start with increasing the security at the main entrance and possibly the floos?" But he looked like the sort of man who had already done that.

Turning her head to look at Jamie when he addressed her, Olivia was expecting him to say something else - but he didn't. Not at first. He just looked at his watch. Furrowing her brow, she strained her eyes to see what it was he was actually inspecting. She was jolted out of her nosiness when he finally spoke again. Department Head of Creatures? What on earth would they be doing on level 8? Being just as nosey by the sound of it.

Nodding her head towards Jamie, Olivia motioned for her to do as the new boss said, even though she could sense the woman would rather be at her desk.

Jamie turned back at the new head of the department's voice. He was calling her back? But she thought she would be able to just get back to her work, isn't that what she was suppose to do? Sigh. Jamie turned back to the small group and waited to see what she was to do from now on.

It wasn't that she hated her job, she loved it in fact. She just wasn't one to hang around in a group for long and socialise, well as she tried to. She never really did get the hang of it all. And the new head not responding to her welcome slightly unsettled her. Did she say the wrong thing? Make the wrong move?

As she watched on she noticed the head - Mr. Gevrik? - look at his watch. Well that's what she thought it was, he was taking a lot of interest in it when it only told the time. Well most watches did, what was the bet his was magical? But he was addressing her again, okay. New job, good. Escort someone to the department of magical creatures? Yeah she could do that. Before she nodded her yes she saw out of the corner of her eye Olivia give her the nod. Ok so she had Olivia's permission.

"Yes sir" She said, not too loudly as she turned away from the group and headed towards the door. Once she was there she pulled open the door and stepped out, closing it behind her. She didn't look back.

Gevrik had been hoping someone would bring up the atrium's security and the floo entrances... and his remaining division head did not disappoint.

"Yes...." he mused in an agreeable tone. "I did start there, with just a few preliminary wards and spells of my own. It could use a second-look, however, if you would like to take care of that." He was confident Miss Hawthorne would have some invaluable input and inspection practices of her own though. She was usually in charge of maintenance, was she not? Thus she should be the most familiar with weak areas of the Ministry.

Ikenna trained his gaze on the other employees assembled there next, waiting for someone else to speak up. He could just assign them all tasks right away but was trying to at least appear a democratic leader.... for now.

Ikenna watched and waited for the young woman to leave the offices on his orders, realising a bit belatedly that he had forgotten something.

"Thank you, Miss Sullivan...."

And it was back to the waiting game, waiting for the other employees to speak up. "Anyone else have any input?" Last call.

Well this felt incredibly... weird.

The Magical Creatures Department Head trudged along into the Level Eight work cubicles, looking like she didn't particularly want to be here, because, well she didn't. She only took a little break from her Department to go....explore. And the level 8 corridor seemed to be the place in which she had stopped, taken a break if you will.

But she obeyed the woman who had approached her and told her to follow, not because she was scared or intimidated or whatever, but just because she didn't want the other to get in trouble if she didn't follow.

"You wanted to see me?" she asked, holding her head high, arms folded across her chest as she approached Ikenna, or Mr Gevrik if that was what he preferred.

Jamie followed the women into the room, closing the door behind her. She followed the girl a little way into the room before she noticed she was heading towards Mr. Gevrik. Jamie changed her course and heading towards her desk instead, she had some paperwork to do anyway. She really didn't want to get invovled in all of what she suspected as a problem.

Sigh.

She looked down at her desk once she reached it, realising she hadn't looked at anyone when she entered. She sat down, hiding behing the screen type wall.

As the two women entered the office, Ikenna's gaze left his employees and tracked their entrance instead. It appeared Miss Sullivan thought her work was done for the day.... or at least she thought she had something more important to do at her desk than report back to Ikenna. Hmm. He decided he would just let her slide for now, mainly because he had a new person to address.

"Miss Radley." Gevrik stepped forward and bowed his head slightly before straightening up and making eye contact with the other department head. He waited a moment before speaking again and when he did, his tone was light and casual.

"Actually I believe it is you who wanted to see me. I can at least admit to being curious as to why you seemed to be aimlessly wandering Level Eight but no, Miss Radley, I did not particularly want to see you."

She was easy on the eyes, one might say, but Ikenna was not one to say such things aloud. He simply wanted to know the purpose of her 'wandering.'

Ahh, so he HAD been there already. It figured really, he looked like the organised type.

Olivia nodded her head at his request. She was capable of that, despite it not technically being her division. "Of course, sir. I was due to repair some of the tiles today anyway, if you'll allow me. I can check the protection before hand." He was going to let her do that part of her job, right? I mean, yes he'd said maintenance was on the backburner, but surely if something was broken it was easier to get through, or overcome? .... or something.

Just as she finished speaking the door opened, causing Olivia to turn her head curiously. Jamie had not long gone out, and now she was back - with the person she'd been sent to get. Eyeing her up and down, she gave the woman a smile and a nod of greeting. Did not speak to her, however, the Head was there to see Mr Gevrik, so it was probably best not to interfere.

But she did notice something about Jamie....

....She had ignored them when she came back.

"Would you excuse me for one second, Mr Gevrik?" Olivia asked, tilting her head in the direction of her worker. "I want to check on her." Walking over to Jamie's desk, she poked her head over the top of it. "Are you alright? We all really should be paying attention to the new Head, Jamie. Work will have to wait for a bit," she smiled, eyeing the papers the woman had on her desk. "Come on."

Erica did not speak to anyone else, but did spot the friendly smile and nod from another employee, so returned it quickly, not wanting to seem rude at all, for that she was not. However she wasn't here for a friendly chit chat with others, so returned her eyeline straight away back to the new Head.

"Is a reasonably new Head not allowed to explore the Ministry?" she asked, an eyebrow raised. "I was just.. curious, as to what the other levels looked like, I'm only new myself" the Blonde spoke confidently her arms folded across her chest. Maybe the curiosity in her had taken her up here for a reason or just, she subconsciously wandered up here, either way she was being totally innocent.

....Maybe.

Ikenna did not break his staring of Erica Radley, even as his division head spoke. "Yes, that sounds appropriate," he approved, noting out of the corner of his eye that she was approaching Jamie.

Something really was wrong with that woman, apparently. Ikenna had no time to dwell on it just now, however. There were bigger fish to fry.



"You know what they say about curiosity," Ikenna hinted, not even bothering to finish his sentence with the trite saying. The blonde woman's arms were folded in a defensive gesture but she carried a note of confidence when she spoke. Interesting. And still she was not being entirely truthful.

"Perhaps your curiosity would extend to my office?" He gestured toward the frosted glass door just beyond the cubicles but did not break eye contact with her yet.

"Curiosity killed the cat yes?" she finished off the question, even if it was rhetorical and wasn't meant for answering. "But do you honestly believe that is true? A little curiosity can't be so bad, especially if its intended to be harmless" she stated, defending her position. The creatures head seemed to have an answer to everything, mainly because she didn't want to get caught out. She honestly believed she wasn't doing anything at all, unwelcome.

"If you feel that would be more appropriate" she stated looking around at the other employees in the Department, they didn't seem to be too nosey right now, but she would go if he wanted her too.