She was curious and appalled that there was a gentleman (Rhydian) standing on his chair... and spinning. It was hardly appropriate behaviour for such an event, she only hoped it wasn't someone she would have to be acquainted with - but she seldom had such luck.

But hhmm? Immigration officer and media liaison, truly fascinating. "I'll be sure to keep you mind then, should anything come across my desk you might be able to help me with." Who'd have thought, this meet and greet was worth it. Less so regarding her liaison position, but certainly regarding immigration. Movement of people was something they needed to pay more attention to, despite the obvious issues concerning unregistered immigration, but that's what they had alternative sources for.

And what sort of business? Emily smiled politely, though her lips remained sealed.

It was a nosy question to ask, all things considered, but Emily obliged her in the only way she knew how. "If I told you, I might have to kill you..." of course she was joking, and to show this, she chuckled lightly. "More of the same really, law enforcement type work, only it was for a privatised institution." And nothing more needed to be said on that matter.

How long did these talks go for? Were they out of time yet?

She had said please. With all of her blonde might, she had said please. The only thing she hadn't done was bat her eyelashes, and she knew from experience that she never had to do that. Hence why she had never taught her daughter that trick. Briar-Rose was well versed in singing, baton twirling and smiling. Eliora, on the other hand, was a professional in watching The Titanic, finding men that were awful and not wooing the colleagues that she wanted to. Rusty, that was. Aron, on an extended arm. But definitely Rusty.

She smirked, laughed and applauded at the chair antics. "Bravo, bravo." Eli waited until he'd taken his seat once more before shaking his hand, and taking his hat with her other hand. The hat was immediately placed onto her head and she grinned. "Suits me, huh?" She knew it did.

Everything did.

Coffee did.

... Man, she wanted coffee.

"Eliora Dodderidge."

At first, Rhydian thought this woman had a good sense of appreciation for things. Proper things like chair turning. Proper appreciation that someone close by didn't seem to appreciate in quite the same manner.

He was about to give said scowling woman a side-grin, when this Eliora's true appreciation was shown. For hats. She stole his hat. Okay, borrowed it. But his hat. It was being touched. And being placed on a head and....

OOOHHHHHH his HAT!!.

It was all he could do not to fidget, make grabby hands or otherwise snatch it back. Normally, he appreciated appreciation for hats. Quite greatly, too. Exceptionally. Hat people were the best people. So this, he should have appreciated it. But, there were a few snag points, lingering in memory mostly, that prevented such enjoyment. One in particular that had a gut wrench he had really wanted to avoid and not deal with tonight. Hence where he was sitting.

Still, Rhydian Blackhold was a master of fake, honest emotions and so, his smile never wavered. He was as good natured as if someone had just given him a new hat. He tilted his head, considered and pursed his lips. "Purple. Definitely purple. Would go better with your... Not hair. Same hair. "Eyes!" That was it. Totally.

But no, truthfully. He was being honest. Purple would have looked much better.

"The style's suiting though, Ms. Dodderidge. Maybe with a few autumn sprigs in. For the season and all."

Purple? Eliora raised an eyebrow and shrugged. "Purple doesn't agree with me. Colour allergies." Did he know that that was a lie? Was he fully aware that she was pulling his leg? She laughed the whole idea of pulling his leg off and removed the hat, placing it on the table. "Hat allergies." Did HE have any allergies? Any food that she wouldn't be able to tempt him with? That was always the intention she had when it came to this stuff. What couldn't she tempt a guy with?

Nothing, was the right answer. There was no object, feeling, food or whatever that Eliora couldn't use alongside her will to tempt a guy. Hell, she rarely needed something other than herself.

... She did need coffee, though.

Why did Aron get someone to bring him coffee and she didn't? Why hadn't she been given a coffee helper? Maybe she'd delegate that job to one of her new colleagues when they started back at work. Maybe that wasn't a maybe situation. It was most definitely a definite.

"Tis the season to be jolly, Blackhold. Not to wear hats."

But she did look incredible in his head gear.

Kai smoothed her sunset orange and gold ombre dress as she waited with a smile, a happy butterfly.........until someone was seated in one of the two empty chairs across from her. The someone......was the someone in the office who decided that he was her fashion police. Mr. Suit.....Mr. NOT-Bruce Wayne.....Mr. Charles Demetri.....*sigh*

Before she even had a chance to speak he put his forefinger up and told her not to say anything. Really? Was he even ruder than usual? Was that possible? She tried to remember the sort of semi positive meeting between her niece and his nephew....but... She audibly sighed and turned her head away from him. "You could just say 'Hi' and pretend to not hate me." She wasn't going to let him wreck her time though. She had few friends and was the only magitoxicologist so far unless they hired someone new. She needed to make friends, not have Charlie mock her dress....which is what she was waiting for.



Kai was pleasantly taken by surprise when a beautiful blonde woman sat across from her. She introduced herself pleasantly and Kai immediately brightened and beamed a smile at her. The twenty six year old turned her attention completely to the new woman and extended her hand in friendship. "It is a pleasure to meet you Miss Baines. My name is Annette K. Fern, but you can call me Kai if you like." Kai was beyond excited and probably showed it, another woman in the department and perhaps a coworker that wouldn't hate her like Mr. Demetri seemed to. "You are correct, I've been here for a year now and I welcome you to the Department of Accidents and Catastrophes. I am an Urgent Response Officer for the PART and tend to frequent the lab as well, so I am sure that we will be working together at some point." At least during meetings depending which section of A&C the woman was.

What better occasion to wear her new clothing purchases than the employee orientation for her new workplace? None! Well, getting a 'real' job was in fact the basis of her little, recent shipping spree, so yes. Appropriate indeed. In brand new canary yellow heels, Schuyler walked smoothly across the floor, the fabric of her blue dress catching the light and accentuating her figure. She wore a soft smile as her eyes scanned the small tables before her. So, speed meeting? How efficient. And fun!

There were quite a few tables that had both places occupied, but there was one nearby that had a vacant seat. And this table stood out to Schuyler. Well, not the table, per se. But the woman sitting there! The woman with the beautiful, colored attire and the hair... the hair that seemed to have no rival! Wow. It put Nigel Barrington, even Alec Summers, to shame. She was very beautiful and she gave off the impression of being nice, and Schuyler wanted to meet this woman.

Approaching the table with a smile, Schuyler greeted her. "Hi! Do you mind if I sit?" She already had her hand of the back of the chair.

As much as Delphine would hate to admit it, she was starting to feel more and more nervous as time ticked by. There was even a bit of foot tapping going on and slightly louder humming because, frankly, the silence was starting to get to her. She tried to concentrate on the sounds from the others talking but the lack of persons in front of her was making her feel uncomfortable.

That is, until her saviour came. One in the form of someone who was wearing a SPARKLY dress and some very high shoes indeed. Could she even walk in those? Because Merlin knew if Delphine tried to walk in shoes as high as those, she would be very likely to fall and take everyone else down with her. And then bad jokes would be made to ease the awkward tension in the air.

"You're shining bright today, Miss," she piped up, mentally thanking the woman, "Oh NO, dear, please help yourself." She even motioned to the chair but it didn't look like she needed to. "I'm Delphine, by the way, and I don't think I've seen you around before."

*grabs up two peoples like a bawsss*
 

Anybody????
 

The faint tap of her foot even though subtle had not gone unnoticed by Galen. He wouldn't have been any good at his job if he wasn't observant.Spell research sound interesting wasn't necessarily Galen's cup of tea but to each there own.She had a couple more questions for him the answers of which he decided to keep short and simple. [b] " Event Security actually," Before he could as more about her the buzzer sounded. " It was nice to meet you Marilyn." He started to stand and leave but she was already making her way to another table. Galen sat back down and took a drink of his water.

Ah, and there was his first conversation companion of the night! He'd met Marilyn multiple times before, and there was no doubt she'd left an impression. Women always made Sherman uncomfortable, and there was a point in time when he would have downright feared the likes of a lady such as the one before him now. He'd gotten a handle on that, but he still lamented the fact that she was stuck in the DMAC.

Her quick tongue and easy demeanor would have made a mighty fine liaison, no?

"And you, Miss Romalotti! How has the Ministry been treating you this evening? I hope everything is to your liking." That was the point of the event, after all. "I trust you're excited to get back to work?"

That wit, while Sherman would have put it to different use if given the choice, wasn't lost on A&C.

Aron was a lucky man, he was.

'Shining bright,' Schuyler liked that. And yes. She was. Her personal life was doing much better than it had been, she would soon be signing the lease to her new apartment, and she had landed an Environmental Protection job at the Ministry of Magic! Plus, she had an excuse to dress up, and that was always a plus.

"Thank you," she smiled. For the compliment, and the seat. She smoothed her dress against the back of her thighs and sat down opposite the blonde. Honestly, how did one grow such lovely hair? "Delphine. That's really pretty." And original. She liked it, and her expression said as much.

"I'm sure you haven't. I was just hired with the Department of Environmental Protection, so I'm a bit of a newbie." Or more than 'a bit,' she supposed. All the same, she was excited to start. "And what's your department?"

"It's always nice to come back and acquaint oneself with the new blood." Marilyn's wide smile remained firmly in place as she casually adjusted herself in the seat; leaning forward slightly. She'd wanted to make sure he could hear her well enough, without either of them having to strain themselves. In fact, she often felt concern for the older man. Mostly due to him being a fine leader. "...and yes! Very much so. Of course, I attribute some of that to me being fed up with Winter holidays. I couldn't get those Christmas decorations put away fast enough."

Honestly, the mess it had made...Marilyn abhorred clutter and disorder in her home, but Olivia had been excited for it. It was a case of 'When your children guilt-trip the bless out of you...'

"What about you, Minister Clark? Are you prepared for the new year? Anything you're particularly looking foward to?"...Also, why hadn't she stopped and helped herself to a cocktail before seating herself? This had been poor planning.

Wasn't she a polite woman? And young, too, by the looks of it. Merlin, so young! Delphine wondered whether she was old enough to be working yet as she smiled back at the other woman. Surely, she was still a university student, yes? Then what in the name of Merlin was she doing at the Ministry? Enjoy your youth while it lasts, kiddo.

"Thank you," For the compliment and for joining her. "I got it for my birthday." And here was bad joke number one to ease the tension, if there was any. "What's your name, by the way? Because I hardly want to be calling you the Sparkly Dressed Woman in the future."

Well this, if anything, certainly explained the looking young part. "Oh, a newbie! You must be incredibly excited about all of this." Had the event lived up to her expectations? "And now I know who to come to if I face a vicious plant that's after my life." At this point, the older woman gave the younger one a wide beam, as if to say that she was joking. But seriously, if she did face any dangerous plant of any kind, she was going to contact this lady here. "I work in the Minister's Office, actually. A paperwork department, if you ask me."

Pause.

Long pause.

"I'm the Senior Undersecretary, by the way." Yes, hello! Was that a scary enough title?

Color...allergies? And....HAT allergies? If it was a situation requiring some sort of decorum and tact, Rhydian might have shouted. As it was, the table edge connecting with his thighs as he tried, and failed miserably, to shoot to his feet cut off all immediate verbal shock. A wince, a groan and he sat back down, barely noticing how the table - and his hat - had jostled.

Unsettled by this news, particularly that of the hats, Rhydian gave the woman a wary eye and inched his poor, badgered hat back towards himself. "I believe the proper terminology is color blindness and lice."

And, suspecting lice was the worst case, Rhydian picked his hat up and flipped it over, peering as much as he dared for the darting white ticks. Merlin, it would be the last time he would lend his hat to anyone. If it was infested.....

Hello? What was this now? He nearly dropped his hat as his mouth unhinged itself. "Not the season? Ms. Dodderidge, it is always the season for hats. One never quite looks right without them. You just have to find the right one."

Maybe that was her problem. Maybe she had never had a good hat in her life before. "Once you find one, you can't go back."

.... Excuse -- what?

Colour blindness and LICE?

"I believe the proper personality traits are arrogant and looking-for-a-smack." Her eyebrow rose and so did she. Rose from her seat, that was. She made sure that she hadn't left anything, but also that she had time to shove his hat onto his head and tut at him. "Your mother must not have made you aware that accusing a lady of lice is improper." And with that, Eliora flipped her hair over her shoulder and made off towards the buffet.

Lice.. Psh..

She bet that HE was the one with the lice problem.

Oh, and things had been looking so good. His loss, obviously.

Well, yes and no, respectively? He might be one of the first people to admit that arrogance was a key trait of his. But looking for a smack? No. No thank you. And that little offer had him pulling back a bit.

Merlin, he'd just commented on her not wanting of a hat. And how helpful he had been giving her suggestions to help her find a good one. It wasn't every day that people were so generous about such important secrets.

And then of all things she was making comments about his mother! Indignation went along with his arrogance. "My mother had more important things than to----"

And his hat was back on his head with a force from the lady. Really? She probably squished it!

With a huff, Rhydian yanked it back off and pushed out the center, eyeing the woman as she left. There might have been a few mutters about bees in bonnets and ants in her pants that went along with the lice comment. Seriously, some people didn't know how to take words with good graces.

Only a person who actually had lice and was embarrassed about it, would react so defensively. At least, that's what he told himself as he drummed his fingers on the table. One moment, another and then as soon as the buzzer when, he was pushing himself up and leaving.

He should have suspected this wouldn't go over quite as well as planned.

Schuyler grinned and shook her head when the other woman mentioned that she got her name for her birthday. A little cheesy, but Schuyler liked it. It was just the sort of thing her dad would say. "Schuyler," she answered. "My name's Schuyler Emmons." Hmm, sparkly dressed? "I think it's more shimmery, no?" She looked down at her own dress. Maybe sparkly just made her think sequins, and Schuyler was NOT a sequins person. There was a smile on her lips when she lifted her head again. "Sparkly dressed woman does sound pretty cool, though." Schuyler, the sparkly dressed woman, ooh.

She WAS excited, could Delphine tell? The smiles and fancy dress may have given it away. "Oh, I'll do my best to come to your rescue then!" Should a human-eating plant ever attack this lovely-haired lady. She listened as Delphine explained that she worked in a 'paperwork department.' Also known as the Minister's Office.

"Aah," Schuyler nodded. "Well, Senior Undersecretary sure sounds like a good title. So, next step is over-secretary?" Kidding. Gosh, that corniness earlier must have rubbed off on her.