<33 Tishaaaaaa
 

Alexa stared down at her hands tiredly, "Who else? He's bought everyone of any importance over there. Nobody cares.." She looked out the window with a sigh glancing back at her bestfriend. Gratitude was evident in her dark brown eyes. "Thankyou.." Her support was invaluable. She tried to smile at the prospect of coming back. "I always keep safe" She told her matter of factly smirking slightly, "Your word is law Mrs Greenwood" She said, then began to laugh softly. The first sign of any humour in weeks, "I know there'll always be you to drag me back here in the case I stay" Egypt's tears touched her and she chewed her lip trying desperately not to cry. Pain.. The word echoed through her ears and she gulped. That's what she'd been trying to stop. Anybodies pain. Seemed pleasing everyone had in fact pleased no one. As Egypt retold her story, Alexa pushed back her hair trembling. He hadn't come home..she knew that much and he would've probably been drinking. She sighed, I'm not the same without him...but somethings have to be. If I don't come back..I want him to move on" And even thought it was bitter to think of it in that way, she couldn't help but remember that he'd done it before.

Addie sat down at her neat desk and gently placed the figurine down on the table. She admired it...how sweet of Kris to put all of this in place! He was really quite smart...and handsome. Addie had to admit that. She wasn't blind, ya know. Anyone could see that he was nice-looking.

She pulled Kris' note (which had folded itself back into an origami bird) out of her bag. She still had a while before his next note...maybe she could send him a note also. He would probably be in the Time Room or his break room...She decided to draw a picture for him. Her quill moved across the paper quickly, creating a drawing of him that was quite lifelike.

Getti finally emerged from her little nest where she'd been working on the layout as well as the editing process. Her eyes were red-rimmed and she had a handkerchief scrunched up in one hand as she strode in her three inch heels across the floor towards the layout editors section. In her other hand, she held a stack of layout plans which was finally ready and up to her standard. It had taken a while, and it didn't help that she was feeling under the weather, but it was finally done.

"Right," she stopped in front of the editors and laid the layout plans out on one of their desks, "Do any of you have a problem with this?" The implied statement here of course, was: none of you have any say and this is how I want it done.

Addie nodded towards Sienna. "I'm gonna be here for a few more hours," she called after her. But she had already left. Sighing, she crumpled up a picture and threw it away. It had been such an exciting day-except for right now. Then Getti came in. Oh, just fantastic.

Thankfully, she strode past her desk and on to the editors. "Um..." she squeaked, Getti made her sound like a mouse on helium sometimes, "Can I see that?" Give the woman a break-she was curious. It was in her nature. 'Naturally inquisitive' as she preffered.

Just as she was about to go on and explain the layout arrangement to the team, one of the journalists decided to come over and stick their nose in the whole affair. She didn't bother turning to see who it was, but spoke to one of the layout editors instead, "Am I missing something? I thought you three are the only people I have on the layout team."

Meaning: Go do your own work, you busybody.

Getti wished that the Frederick Taylor method of management was still acceptable and that Elton Mayo hadn't made a huge mess out of things and made people aware of human rights and unionised workplaces and all that newfangled nonsense. Her job would have been so much easier.

She was just breezing in from another round of interviews with a few house elves when she saw Getti barking at some of the layout people. Getti didn't look happy, well she never looked happy, but today she looked murderous.

She turned quickly on her heels and headed back out the door. She didn't know where she was going but she was going to find someone else to interview. She was in a good mood and didn't want that woman to ruin it.

Ian scratched the back of his head lazily. "Err," he drawled as he raised his free arm to point randomly at desks. "I guess it might be somewhere over there. It used to be Enrico's desk until...well, now he's the Boss."

Hoshino attempted to hide the resentment in his voice but the grimace on his otherwise handsome face was still evident. Rico? The Boss? Really, now?

A swift liquid lunch in the Leaky for Nathan, because it was the only place not overrun by children (gesh! Kids everywhere! It was bad enough at home without the kids of Hogwarts invading the street where your place of work was.), and back to work he toddled for an afternoon working on layouts.

Things were a lot happier in the office these days now that Getti and Mona had made a permanent exit from the paper's offices. It was weird how only one or two people could affect the whole atmosphere of a place. Nathan was even beginning to quite like his job now that he had Rico as a boss. The atmosphere was a hell of a lot more relaxed.

He nodded and smiled at the few people in the office as he wandered over to his desk and took a seat. Even his seat seemed less... spring ridden these days.

"Really?" Hunter left his side to wander among the desks. It was too hard to tell which one was hers just by sight alone, and she finally paused by one of the cleaner desks that no one was currently occupying.

"Excuse me," she announced to everyone around the desk. "Is this desk taken?"

Nathan who was about as observant as one of those funny porcelain muggle garden gnomes, had been too engrossed in his work to be aware of the conversations going on around him let alone that Ian the photographer fellow showing a new girl around the office. He was slow to look up when she addressed him and his expression was vague at first as he looked at her. “Oh.. em..” He said blinking his eyes as he tried to focus. Nate was so used to the noise at home nowadays that he could shut himself off from his surroundings completely in order to concentrate – a skill which impressed and infuriated his wife in equal measure.. “No, love. It's all yours.” He said warmly. “That is, if you don't mind sitting with the Layout Team.” He glanced over at Ian and back at the young lady and then he stood, extending a hand complete with newsprint stained fingers towards her in welcoming. “I'm Nathan by the way. It's nice to see a new face around here.” He gave her a warm smile and gestured for her to take a pew at Rico's old desk.

Strong handshake. Strong serious woman. Just what this office needed more of... heh - not. Nathan was starting to realise that this was a familiar trait among female journalist types. ....But what a bloomin' cool name! “Lovely to meet you Hunter.” Nathan replied with a grin as she sat and stared at the mess Rico had left behind. “Um.” He glanced over at the reporters desks. “I guess you'd have to speak to the woman in charge over there. What section are you supposed to be working on, love?”

Nate looked away from Hunter as he felt someone approaching. He looked up to see Ana and gave her a smile. “Hello Ana, love.” He said warmly. Maybe she would be more help here than he or Ian had been and point the poor woman in the right direction...

She smiled at her husband. He was looking around like he had just realized he needed to be awake for something. She loved that look on his face. He looked like the man she fell in love with almost 20 years ago. "Hello my love," she said to him quietly before her attention was drawn the the reason for the conversation.

She kicked herself for being remiss in welcoming her replacement. Egypt had been forgetting a lot of things lately and she didn't like it one bit. Especially when she forgot to welcome a new person to the office. She smiled as she caught the end of the conversation. "Well this is the dashing woman that is going to walk my beat." She smiled holding out her hand. "Egypt Greenwood. Nathan's better half," she winked at her husband.

So, this was her new journalist.

"Great, well, you'll be working with me," Ana said with a smile. "I'm Lifestyle's Section Editor, but I also do the articles, obviously... they're not so bad, you know," she added, noticing the rather worried look which came over Hunter's expression. "I'm not into trifles myself... for me Lifestyle actually means the way someone lives and what influences it... whatever we ened up working on in the past, it's always been interesting, you've nothing to worry about," she assured.

"Hi, Egypt," Ana smiled at her. "I reckon she'll fill your shoes all right... although they are pretty big shoes to fill," she joked.

Egypt turned to Ana and gave her a great smile. Ana had been a great boss to her and she was glad that Ana was there to buffer the benevolent essence of Mona and Getti. "Hello Ana" she told her with a small little curtsy. "You look stunning as ever," she told her honestly. "Oh posh these old shoes," she giggled looking down at her brand new pink and dazzling Jimmy Choos.

Egypt looked at the new woman. "You don't like pink?" That was all the sugar and spice and the things litter girls were made of. That was just weird for her to think about. Paris and Willow loved pink, Egypt loved it pink. She shook her head, everyone woman had to find her own way. Her sister Tomasina despised the color pink. "I am sure you are going to fit in just fine Hunter. I only wear a size 5 anyways so my shoes aren't that big." she reassured her. The Daily Prophet was a fun place to work now that Getti and Mona had flown the coup. The harpies had returned to the Underworld. "Well if you want you can have a desk int he bullpen over there." Egypt said pointing to the area of the offices that were for the reporters.

"Yes, I DO want," Hunter nodded vigorously. "And I want the ropes, in absolute detail, shown to me. Spelled out strand by strand, if possible." She was going to master this place in no time. Had to.

"I don't dislike pink for itself, but for... being excessive. My last job was at TeenWitch and we had a pink feature in every issue. Which was a bit sick, if you ask me, because girls are MORE than just pink. They needed articles about role models and how to be strong and make good decisions. Not... how to wear silly fuzzy pink things."

Ivy walked in and sat at her brand new desk. She pulled out a picture of her and Jordan and set it on her otherwise plain desk. She immediately started thinking about him. She decided she missed him too much today and she would go surprise him and have lunch.

She pulled out her quill, the same blue color as her hair ;) and started writing the next article.

She nodded understanding how she felt being thrust into a new situation so quickly. "Well Hunter we are very informal around here." She used her hand to indicate the messy desks of some of the reporters, and the lazily flying memos floating through the air. "All we ask is that you meet your deadlines and occasionally bring in some good coffee." She giggled. Hunter was very intense.

Egypt's face crinkled up. "Oh yes my daughters hate TeenWitch, no offense to your writing skills, but I do hate when girls aren't presented with everything they can be in life. My daughter wants to be an inventor and she is all girl don't get me wrong, but you know she is more than just pink and lace." She nodded. She understood what Hunter was saying. Her mother hated pink and all the things that kept women for realizing their full potential. "Well I hope you will find more freedom here at the Daily Prophet. Ana is a wonderful editor." Egypt had certainly enjoyed working for her.