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EDGECOMBE, marietta c. ([info]edgecombed) wrote in [info]pandorarpg,
@ 2011-12-13 12:35:00

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Entry tags:!status: complete, ^date: november 07 2003, character: jayne dough, character: marietta edgecombe, npc: pandora zurlo

Characters: Jayne Dough/Pandora & Marietta Edgecombe
Setting: Ministry of Magic, 7 November 2003, 11:46am after Isaiah Smith's funeral
Rating: General Public
Summary: It's time for Marietta to be put on Pandora's radar.

Although her plan to win the bet with Zacharias with his sister's faux kidnapping backfired most unpleasantly, she did not expect that such an unexpected surprise would present itself that very same morning and allow her to plant a seed of unpleasantness in Zacharias' brain all the same. If she couldn't win the bet, she could at least unwind him in some other way, and that made her feel as though she had won in some other way at least. Despite his attempts to make her angry, it was basically impossible for she was feeling elated at this point and the funeral which she had not been looking forward to was not quite so unpleasant seeing the look of discomfort on his face when he saw her. She was not quite sure yet how she would continue with this, but she was looking forward to seeing how it panned out.

Marietta made her way off of the Ministry lifts, delivering an important piece of information to another department from her own. Normally she would have an intern do it but this was not something that could be lost and she'd scared them all so much that they basically mucked up everything that she assigned to them now which only gave her more chances to call them incompetent and idiotic. It really did make her days more enjoyable. Marietta did not have a lot of contact with the people in the Department of Mysteries, but every now and again she had to work with them on something or another and today her mother required that she liaise with them on a project that was causing some trouble in the Floo Network that they were hoping the Department could help solve for them.

She was looking for the administrative research assistant. Marietta wasn't sure if she remembered the woman's name or not; she'd only met her the one time and they barely exchanged a few words a the time. Though she had not had any nightmares the night before, Marietta was still feeling quite exhausted from the lack of sleep the week had presented her with and despite not having the nightmare, she had still dreamed of the red headed woman and thrown up that morning anyway so she was still quite pallid looking when she finally reached Jayne's office.


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[info]jayne_dough
2011-12-14 12:07 am UTC (link)
Jayne was doing something she had never done before - nothing, at work. In fact, she was doing so much nothing that there were several memos going unanswered. Well, technically she wasn't doing nothing. She was leaning back in her chair, feet upon the desk, and reliving the lovely night she'd had (excepting the killing part).

Another memo flew onto her desk and she picked it up, opening it and scanning it casually.

"So, Mr. Crumplebottom wants the selkie file, does he? The one that I gave him a week ago and has been sitting on the corner of his desk, gradually being taken over by other paperwork?"

She pulled out her wand, crumpled the memo into a ball, and threw it up in the air. A quick spell, and the ball exploded into a shower of soap bubbles that playfully drifted around the room. She giggled girlishly, taking exquisite pleasure in such a small thing.

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[info]edgecombed
2011-12-14 12:50 am UTC (link)
Marietta was not expecting to see this when she walked into the office. It wasn't like there weren't people who abused the system, but as far as she could remember this woman was quite a mousy little thing who was more of a 'yes sir, I'll be right there' than a 'I could care less.' So seeing her with her feet propped on the desk wasn't the image of a perfect work ethic nor was it what she expected would get her the answers she needed for the Floo Network Authority. She really hoped that this woman was not going to cause her any problems because she was having a rather good morning before this, all funerals aside.

With a raised eyebrow and hardly a hidden amount of contempt, Marietta raised her voice and asked, "Are you the Administrative Assistant? I don't remember your name, but we met before. We've a problem in Floo and need the Department to help. Are you lot on holiday today and we missed the memo?" She looked at the one that Jayne had just destroyed and rolled her eyes.

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[info]jayne_dough
2011-12-14 01:02 am UTC (link)
At the sight of the newcomer, she could hear a mental hiss of pleasure from Pandora. Let me guess, memory? She didn't need to hear the response to know it was true, and the knowledge gave her even more confidence when dealing with this particular intruder.

After all, if she wanted, she could simply lie back and let Pandora handle things her own way. She felt a niggling at the back of her mind wondering what had become of her to have such thoughts, but she pushed it aside at the moment to deal with the current situation.

She smiled. "I'm the Head Administrative Assistant Research Division of the Department of Mysteries. What specific assistance do you require?"

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[info]edgecombed
2011-12-14 01:53 am UTC (link)
Well, at least she was actually paying attention now—that was something. Though the bitch was trying to give her attitude and Marietta didn't rightly appreciate it. At least she was working, not lying about turning memos into bubbles and giggling like a child. Really, didn't the Department of Mysteries need people with brains working to get all these secret operations done?

And had she really needed to prattle on for ten minutes about her title? Normally Marietta didn't sass people at the Ministry if she could help it, but there was something she didn't quite care for radiating from this woman and it was really making her skin crawl. "Great, now we've established what job you're supposed to be doing, can we get some work done?"

Marietta sat down without being offered a chair. She did not introduce herself, she kind of expected that the woman should just know who she was. She barely took notice that there was a placard on the woman's desk that read J. Dough as she made herself comfortable. Marietta handed the sealed envelop to Jayne, not offering her the chance to open it and look over the documents inside as she launched into the explanation of the situation, which was what the documents explained, though they also had the information on what the FNA was hoping the DoM could collaborate with them on and do to help solve the problem.

"The Network is having some issues—some kind of glitch that is sending some people one fireplace over from where it should be, but not others. We've checked all the standard issues that would cause this and nothing is out of order, so we think that something else is the matter. The Department has helped us in the past so we were hoping that they would do so again. One or two researchers to collaborate with our own experts and we should have the problem solved in a matter of days if not hours."

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[info]jayne_dough
2011-12-14 02:12 am UTC (link)
Jayne lifted an eyebrow as the woman simply sat as if she belonged there, and criticized Jayne's work ethic. Did this child have any idea how long and how hard Jayne had worked over the years? But of course not, those that felt they were superior to the rest could not imagine that a simple Admin Assistant could be useful in any way, shape or form.

Maybe you can kill her after all...

"Wait. Maybe... there might be something interesting about her. You did suggest we find other ways than killing after all."

But this one's annoying me.

"Patience, dear."

"I'll look to see who has the most experience with Floo-related problems and see if they're free. Off the top of my head, Duncan and Mathers would likely be most qualified." Because I would know them from being and doing nothing, bitch.

"Jayne, language. Though I can't fault the sentiment." If she didn't know better, she'd have thought it felt as if Pandora was smiling.

"Is that everything?" she asked sickeningly sweetly.

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[info]edgecombed
2011-12-14 02:41 am UTC (link)
Marietta nodded at her response toward the information she'd given Jayne. "The envelope. Madam Edgecombe wants a written recommendation of the researchers...you think best qualified," Marietta turned up her nose a bit as she said this, as if Jayne's opinion probably wasn't worth all that much considering how she'd found her, "and those who are available, when they'll be available and for how long they'll be available to work with us. I'll need it to take back with me."

Marietta put her hand on the desk and began to tap her fingernails on it, waiting for the information she had asked for to be written down from Jayne as she surveyed the office. Marietta didn't go to many other departments in the Ministry so she didn't have much to compare with, but she did think that her own office was generally more tidy than this. She couldn't be bias because she was not particularly fond of this woman already, surely. Normally she would be attempting small talk to nose her way into others' good graces around the Ministry but she just could not find it in her to want to have anything to do with Jayne for some reason.

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[info]jayne_dough
2011-12-14 02:50 am UTC (link)
Jayne cast a couple of spells to magically retrieve the files she needed. Despite this girl's attitude, she was genuinely good at her job - that was the greatest source of frustration, as no matter how good she was, it never seemed to matter to anyone but herself.

She was, however, growing terribly irritated by the nails tapping on her desk.

"Could you please stop that?" she asked as she opened the envelope and verified if the contents matched with what the girl had requested.

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[info]edgecombed
2011-12-14 03:20 am UTC (link)
Marietta smirked a little when Jayne asked her to stop tapping her fingernails. "I could..." she replied and continued to tap them for a few moments more before she actually stopped, just to be irritating.

She really had nothing to do while she waited for Jayne to get things together for her mother, though. There was no Zacharias around to torment and she wanted something to do. She bit her bottom lip, thinking about how he had seen her retching in the toilet because of the nightmares and an image of the red haired woman crossed her mind again as she often did these days. Marietta could be that beautiful one day, if she could only rid herself of scars on her face.

"You are certain these researchers are competent?" she asked randomly as Jayne was looking over the files to give herself something to do and maybe to question Jayne's abilities again too.

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[info]jayne_dough
2011-12-14 03:24 am UTC (link)
"I don't do the hiring," Jayne replied distractedly with a shrug. "But they haven't been fired yet, so that's usually a good sign."

She pulled out a fresh parchment and began writing information upon it.

"Why, are you looking for a job down here?"

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[info]edgecombed
2011-12-14 03:45 am UTC (link)
"Right," Marietta replied. "There are many who don't get fired that ought to have been. Doesn't make them good at their jobs." She wasn't implying anything at all about current company. Not at all.

She laughed and shook her head. "No, I'm quite happy with my own department. I just wanted to know if the people being assigned to work with me were going to be imbeciles or no." So maybe she was casually dropping that she was one of the FNA's 'experts' she had referred to earlier.

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[info]jayne_dough
2011-12-14 03:55 am UTC (link)
Jayne's mind, as usual, resisted any wish to counter with a comment of her own. Pandora, however, encouraged otherwise. She was beginning to enjoy listening to Pandora more than her own conscience.

"Usually we don't assign imbeciles, but if you require someone of your level of intelligence, I'm certain we can find you one somewhere."

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[info]edgecombed
2011-12-14 04:54 am UTC (link)
Any sort of amusement she may have been feeling instantly left her face at that comment. How dare this bint question her intelligence. She did not know anything about Marietta and the fact that she was attempting to put to question not just her authority to do her job well but her general intelligence was just absurd.

"That would require you to actually do some work though, and as I have seen today it's not something you're particularly proficient in."

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[info]jayne_dough
2011-12-14 05:08 am UTC (link)
"Well, considering you've only just walked into my office and have barely seen me work, I'd say you think far too highly of your own opinions and judgements," Jayne said, this time without an internal war over whether or not to speak. She was on a roll.

"The fact that you seem to fancy yourself some sort of expert, yet have come down here to deliver this request yourself, speaks volumes. You think most people are below you, and you treat them like garbage, hence you find yourself having to perform such 'menial' tasks all the while probably convincing yourself that it's because they're all incompetent. You sit here speaking like that to a woman whose career is almost as old as you are, and who technically could be old enough to be your mother, without batting an eye. You're an arrogant, ignorant child, and whatever you think of my work, it's far better than sitting here taking whatever shite you're spewing."

She tossed down her quill and folded her hands on the desk before her.

"I'll finish this and have the results sent up to your office. And if I were you, I'd be careful the next time I ask an assistant to get me coffee or snacks. You never know what sort of Wheezes product might be in it."

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[info]edgecombed
2011-12-14 07:02 pm UTC (link)
Well it seemed as though the assistant had claws of her own. She certainly spoke up more than any of the others Marietta bullied, but that didn't really matter—it wasn't as if Marietta was not used to someone making snide remarks toward her. She certainly wasn't going to take them in stride though.

Sneering, Marietta leaned forward when she replied, "You think that because you've suddenly grown a pair of bollocks that entitles you to speak to people holding real careers with derision because that's the way they've always treated you. You believe you're going to get some sort of fulfillment in your lonely, pathetic life from making a few snide remarks to their faces for once (instead of behind their backs) and making wild judgments of someone you've barely met just because she's younger than you, knows her own strengths and knows when not to trust important tasks to simpletons who will just muck them up so that she has to clean up after them."

Marietta stood then, knowing that the exchange was over. She was not going to be able to work with this woman ever again. "See that you do. And I never have assistants fetch my tea, they are far too moronic for even such a simple task."

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[info]jayne_dough
2011-12-15 01:05 am UTC (link)
The girl's cruel words nearly made Jayne shrink back into her familiar shell, but the comforting presence of Pandora soothed her into calmness. She remained unmoving as the girl stood up and made even more horrendous remarks about the assistants in her department. Jayne decided she would have to look them up.

Good, I hope she goes now.

"What? You can't simply let her leave without rightly putting her in her place. She has no idea that with a single word she could be dead right now."

But what do I say to that?

"Just let me speak..."

A light sprang to Jayne's eyes, a spark that had not been there a moment before, as Pandora took control.

"Someone so visibly marked for their betrayal of others should not toss around the word 'moronic'. In the end, you are just as mortal as any of those you malign. With so many witches and wizards falling dead, and the culprit yet to be caught, I would be more careful with my words." This time, her smile was more genuine, yet more cruel and sinister.

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[info]edgecombed
2011-12-15 01:46 am UTC (link)
Marietta was going to turn to leave, but no, the woman decided to speak again. Not only that, she dared to threaten her. Marietta dealt with people making rude comments at her, but she would not allow someone to outright threaten her without a rebuke.

"I did what no one else had the bollocks to do to get ahead. I bear the penalty of that decision, but I do not regret it, nor do I see any of the other Dumbledore's Army ignoramuses making strides like I am in this Ministry. I don't consider anything beneath my station so long as it will get me results and you might do well to remember that the next time you consider threatening me, Dough.

"These scars show that there is very little that I won't do to get ahead and I do not take kindly to threats on my life from anyone, least of all from the likes of you."

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[info]jayne_dough
2011-12-15 01:53 am UTC (link)
"Oh my dear, that wasn't a threat," she said with exaggerated sweetness. "If I had told you that I would slit your throat if you uttered one more word, now that would be a threat. I simply offered you a piece of valuable advice."

She picked up her quill and began writing, as if the child were no longer there.

"Please remember to close the door on your way out, child."

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[info]edgecombed
2011-12-15 02:24 am UTC (link)
It seemed like this bint had turned into a completely different person. There was growing a pair and then there was...well this. Marietta glared openly at her as she spoke, disbelief written across her face. It was certainly not commonplace for people to make death threats so openly within the Ministry walls and usually Marietta didn't let herself get this worked up but then she wasn't normally in this sort of situation either.

"You can stuff your advice, bint. If you ever try to threaten me you will most sorely regret it." Marietta slammed the door shut behind her when she left.

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[info]jayne_dough
2011-12-15 04:31 am UTC (link)
"Trust me, I'm not the one who will be doing the regretting."

She could feel the thrum of power in her limbs. Jayne didn't recognize it, but knew it nevertheless, as it had been growing more and more ever since she had first put on the mask and been possessed by Pandora. Her hand was lifted and brought up to her face, and it wasn't her imagination - there were traces of strong magic all around her fingers.

"Oh, it's been so long," Pandora spoke again through Jayne's lips. "But I feel it again. Not quite strong enough yet, but still enough to teach a lesson."

More words were spoken as her finger pointed at the door, and Jayne was awed by the use of wand-less magic. Wizards needed wands to focus their magic, but this... this took a power and focus that were far beyond her.

What did you do?

"Nothing she hasn't experienced already..."

For the next time Marietta looked into the mirror, she would see a new word carved into her forehead, but this time looking as if it had been slashed in. Just a single, meaningful word.

Bint.

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[info]edgecombed
2011-12-16 05:05 am UTC (link)
Marietta exited the lifts on Level Six, the Department of Magical Transportation where her office resided and was greeted by an eager young woman named Catherine who could no longer speak to her without squeaking out all her words. "Welcome back, Ms. Edgec—oh dear Merlin!" Catherine exclaimed, clapping a hand over her mouth as she stared wide-eyed at Marietta's face.

Marietta was not in the mood for this woman's obnoxious idiosyncrasies today, especially not after what had transpired in Jayne Dough's office. "Have you finally taken leave of all your senses, Candice? If that is the case go somewhere else because I'm not in the mood to deal with it today."

"But Ms. Edgecombe your face!" the woman blurted out, pointing at Marietta like the true dullard she was.

Was this bint playing games? Marietta knew that most people were aware of her scars, but she did cover them up every day so it wasn't as if there was something suddenly exposed for the idiot to be surprised about. "Do you just want to get yourself sacked now?"

"Bint!" Catherine squeaked out. Marietta opened her mouth to exclaim angrily at her, but the girl continued talking quickly. "Ms. Edgecombe your forehead says 'bint'! I am not sure if you know!" She covered her mouth again as though she was afraid she would get in trouble just for letting Marietta know about it.

Impossible. There was no way that woman could have done something to her without her realising it. Marietta stormed from the office to the loo, heading straight for the first mirror she could reach. Staring back at her was a new adornment of letters across her forehead spelling out 'bint', just as the little intern had said. How the bloody fuck had that bitch been able to do this without her knowing? Without her feeling it? And how the fuck was she going to get rid of it? She'd have to go home for the rest of the day—she certainly couldn't walk around the Ministry with this on her face.

Jayne Dough was going to rue the day she decided to go toe to toe with Marietta Edgecombe.

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