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Post by Skatie on Apr 24, 2018 17:38:12 GMT -5
Kerrigan ViglianoShe knew it was going to be one of those days from the moment she had woken up that morning. Late. Her alarm hadn't gone off and she had been woken by Severo shouting at Sebastiano for being in the bathroom for too long. She hated when they fought, because it was so rare, and that set her day off entirely off-kilter. She had rushed through her morning routine, not having the time to really focus on piecing together a stylish outfit, and had hurried on to work feeling subpar despite looking pretty in a fresh blouse and pencil skirt. Kerrigan never wore robes. They were so primitive and she wasn't raised to dress in a way that caused her to stand out as abnormal in the crowds. In Italy, witches and wizards put much stock in muggle fashion and even the oldest wizarding families took pride in blending in among the non-magical. This made her stand out when she arrived in the Atrium, her high heels clicking sharply with each step. She had to forego her usual morning coffee in an effort to get to her desk before her boss arrived. She did not make it on time. Her boss was not very impressed. So, grumbling under her breath in Italian, she had gone back down to the Oracle Mall to place the order for coffees and pastries that he had punished her with. She was an heiress, damn it. Not an intern. The trek back to the department had been unamusing, at best, as she magicked a tray laden with coffees and pastries through crowded halls and lifts. By the time she reached the hitwizard offices, she was nearly done with this tedium and looking forward to sitting at her desk and filing her nails. She always liked any excuse to visit these offices, at least. Maverick Erasmus always flirted and she would be lying to say that she didn't appreciate the attention, however meaningless. She was smiling when she approached that particular office, but it faltered slightly when she entered to find his desk vacant. Of course. "Hello," she greeted his partner instead. "Would you like a mocha, an espresso, or regular black?"
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Post by katey on Apr 24, 2018 18:12:36 GMT -5
Ambrose Fawley
The Ministry had relaxed their policies on uniform somewhat over the years, and for that Ambrose was grateful. In his father's day--not that his father had ever worked at the Ministry, or worked at all, considering the family fortune (which had been passed on to one of Aloysius's children, presumably; certainly not Ambrose)--robes had been required for all employees, and they were a variety of hideous colors. Now Ministry employees were allowed much more flexibility to wear their own clothes, and Ambrose took full advantage. He generally wore well-tailored designer suits at work. He appreciated that a number of people in his department chose to forgo the robes, including his partner, Maverick.
And the secretary, of course. She entered the office with a tray of coffees and Ambrose lifted his eyes from the paperwork on his desk to look at her. She was a fine secretary, but, well, she lingered. Ambrose couldn't stand when people lingered. Maverick never minded, not with her big brown eyes and her accent and whatever else it was that Maverick found so interesting about that half of the population. But Maverick wasn't here, so Ambrose would have to deal with her.
"Black will be fine, thank you, Kerrigan," Ambrose said, his tone flat and clipped. "And an espresso for Erasmus, if you could leave it on his desk." Ambrose was more likely to call his partner "Mav" to his face. Despite his usual distaste for nicknames, something about Maverick made it okay. He tried not to let others hear him use such casual language, though. He had a reputation to uphold.
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Post by Skatie on Apr 24, 2018 18:16:46 GMT -5
"You're welcome, Ambrose," Kerrigan replied. She always made it a point to speak to Ambrose in exactly the way he spoke to her, because a part of her resented that he didn't make any effort to pay her the attention she deserved. Not in a flirtatious manner, mind you. Kerrigan just liked gratuitous attention from everyone, regardless of gender or preference. She set his coffee on his desk, just within his reach, and then selected the best espresso for Maverick. "Where's Mav today?" she asked, not caring that Ambrose's entire aura screamed that he would like her to be on her way.
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Post by katey on Apr 24, 2018 18:27:47 GMT -5
Ambrose was horrified that he had somehow managed to get on a first-name basis with the secretary, and he hadn't even realized it. He should have insisted on calling her Miss Vigliano, no matter how permissive Maverick was with the nicknames and flirtations. He made a mental note to call her by her surname from then on. Maverick could marry the girl, as far as Ambrose was concerned, and he would still call her Miss Vigliano.
"He's on an assignment," Ambrose replied. Meeting a dragon expert about an explosion, but that was none of Kerrigan's--Miss Vigliano's--business. "I'm afraid I don't know when he'll be back." His voice was still measured, and he gave her a dry smile, but inside he was kicking himself for asking for a drink for Maverick. Now that she knew he was due back at some point, she might never leave. He hoped Mav appreciated that damn espresso.
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Post by Skatie on Apr 24, 2018 18:31:07 GMT -5
Kerrigan noted the measured tones being used with her and it caused her to rest her tray on Maverick's desk. She plucked a cup from the sparse few left and deposited herself into Maverick's chair, crossing her legs daintily and spinning the chair toward Ambrose. In all the times that Kerrigan had been in this office, wasting time with Maverick, she realized she'd never really spoken to Ambrose aside from the off comment. "So," she said to him pleasantly. "Would you say that Mav is...better than you at this whole...exploding things business?"
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Post by katey on Apr 24, 2018 18:57:37 GMT -5
Ambrose couldn't believe that she had asked such an impertinent question. There was no right way to answer it, of course. He certainly did not think so, but it wasn't as though he thought he was so much better than Mav either. If he jumped to his own defense, citing his own experience, it would seem disloyal to his partner or even that he was overcompensating. If he chastised her rudeness, it would seem as though he was avoiding the subject. The whole question seemed manufactured to make him angry and incapable of answering. If it was manufactured at all. The phrasing certainly left something to be desired. Exploding things business, indeed. "No," Ambrose said with a slight smile. "I don't believe I would ever say those particular words."
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Post by Skatie on Apr 24, 2018 19:02:36 GMT -5
"Mhm," Kerrigan replied as if she were a reporter, narrowing her eyes at him suspiciously as she sipped at her coffee. "You know, if I'd asked Maverick that question, he would have definitely said he was better than you." She had spent enough time with Maverick, though only at work, to know that much. "Though..." she paused, looking aside at the air as if remembering something, "there was this one time when you weren't here and Maverick told me you were one of the most brilliant wizards he'd ever known."
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Post by katey on Apr 24, 2018 19:11:52 GMT -5
Ambrose couldn't suppress a smile, a genuine one this time. "I'm sure he would." Maverick was enormously arrogant; Ambrose knew that well. He would say he was better than anyone at anything, especially if it was to impress a girl.
His smile faltered at the next statement, though. Don't take the bait, he told himself. Don't take the bait. There was no way Maverick had talked about Ambrose when he could have been talking about himself.
"Did he?" Damn it. His tone was light--bored, even, but Ambrose was still sure he had revealed too much just with the question.
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Post by Skatie on Apr 24, 2018 19:18:58 GMT -5
Kerrigan enjoyed another sip of her coffee, eyes smiling at him. She swayed back and forth lightly in Maverick's chair, foot jiggling a little. "He talks about you a lot when you aren't here," she then offered. This was the one topic he had ever shown the slightest interest in discussing with her, so she was locked in and ready to go. "I know," she rolled her eyes a little, "you think he only talks about himself with me, but we do step away from our natural narcissism now and then." She was grouping herself in with Maverick, knowing full well that she had just as much conceit as the handsome devil. His was far more honestly come by, though. Kerrigan was just spoiled.
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Post by katey on Apr 24, 2018 19:31:50 GMT -5
"Really." Ambrose found it hard to believe that Maverick talked about him a lot. He would probably talk about Maverick a lot, if he talked as much as Maverick did. Ambrose thought about him a lot. Not that he was in love with him or something, he was just one of the few people Ambrose tolerated, much less enjoyed being around. But Maverick knew loads of people. Surely there was someone more interesting he could talk about than Ambrose.
Ambrose took a sip of his coffee, which he had nearly forgotten about. It was still the perfect temperature. He wondered whether the person who made it had cast that spell, or the secretary had. It irritated him to think that she might have done something thoughtful and efficient. "That's interesting. He doesn't talk about you when you aren't here."
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Post by Skatie on Apr 24, 2018 19:35:04 GMT -5
"I wouldn't imagine that he would," Kerrigan allowed with the slightest lift of her shoulder. "We have an office friendship," she explained. "We entertain one another when it's convenient, but neither of us hope for anything beyond that superficial stroking of one another's egos." If he was trying to be hurtful, he'd failed miserably. Kerrigan had many so-called 'office friendships', with many gentlemen. She didn't do much discussing of Maverick outside of this space, either.
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Post by katey on Apr 24, 2018 19:38:37 GMT -5
Ambrose looked sharply at Kerrigan. Perhaps Maverick had talked about him, if she had some idea of what their relationship was like outside of work. "Erasmus and I work together," Ambrose said. Surnames, always, with this one. "So I would say that we have, by definition, an office friendship as well. I don't see why you assume there is anything beyond...superficial stroking."
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Post by Skatie on Apr 24, 2018 19:44:58 GMT -5
Kerrigan's eyes flashed with amusement at Ambrose's irritation. She couldn't imagine what he was so uptight about - she would have thought him pleased to hear good things about himself. She certainly always enjoyed hearing about herself. "Oh?" she replied with a smirk. "For one thing, Ambrose, you are not the sort to cater to superficial stroking. I rather think you only have time for very real and intimate stroking. The fact that you and Maverick seem to get on so well would suggest that you have a bit more than an office friendship."
Kerrigan had abandoned fact by now, playing on Ambrose's responses and hoping to allude to the fact that they were, in fact, quite closer than Ambrose would have liked anyone to insinuate.
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Post by katey on Apr 24, 2018 19:57:26 GMT -5
Ambrose's grip tightened on the arm of his chair. Whatever she was implying, he didn't like it. Of course his relationship with Maverick wasn't sexual in nature. Even if Maverick hadn't been as straight as an arrow, he doubted whether that would ever happen. But for her to insinuate something about what sort Ambrose was...He didn't like it. And as he had learned from extensive bullying in school, the best way to respond to someone who wanted to make you upset was to act as though you were completely comfortable with what they were saying. So he shrugged casually. "It is important to get on well with your coworkers. I don't think we are so close as you imagine." He smiled. "But you're welcome to imagine whatever pleases you."
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Post by Skatie on Apr 24, 2018 20:05:27 GMT -5
"I'm just trying to figure out why you'd be so shocked to know he speaks of you," Kerrigan reeled herself back in. She wasn't a bully. She didn't know Ambrose's preferences and certainly wouldn't have been cruel if she had - she just wanted the man to talk to her. Whether or not it was friendly talk seemed not to matter at all. "You are a brilliant wizard," she then said casually. "I'd heard a bit about you well before I ever met Maverick, you know. No one really knows much about you aside from that, of course. Did you know that the first time I came by and met Mav, it was because I was trying to meet you?"
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