(1939-02-14) Elevators and Origami
Details for Elevators and Origami
Summary: Rena meets with Perry Evans to talk about the mentorship program.
Date: 1939-02-14
Location: Ministry of Magic
Related: Mentoring Muggle-borns Plot
Characters
Rena

Perry Evans was NPCed by BadEgg

Another day in the Office of Misinformation - which basically meant tossing a ball randomly around the office, while they spouted out increasingly ridiculous excuses for sightings of magical creatures and other 'inexplicable' phenomena. They'd actually come up with a few /good/ ideas, as well. In a good mood, Perry whistles as he steps into the lift that would take him down to the atrium, reaching up for one of the handholds above his head.

One of these days, Rena will probably be the cause of much consternation within the office of Misinformation. Accident-prone as the young woman is, there's a hefty chance that she's going to slip up on the job somewhere in the future and need a good mopping crew to follow in her wake. Fortunately, today is not that day…

The door to the lift begins to close, and there is a hurried click-clack of heels on the floor as a young woman runs up to catch her hand between the panels before they meet. "Oh! Hullo there, Mister Evans," Rena greets Perry brightly as she slips in through the door. "What a coincidence finding you 'ere like this. I'd been wanting to speak to you."

"Had you?" Perry asks, looking surprised, and a bit confused. After a few moments thought, he lets out a quiet 'ah.' "Madeline introduced you, didn't she? I'm sorry - I can't quite recall your name." He smiles at her politely, though, as she joins him on the rather cramped lift.

Rena is jostled a bit by a rather cross looking secretarial-type, whose spectacles become knocked loose from the movement. Begging her pardon, the young redhead tries to edge ever so slightly away from the other woman to give her room.

"Erm… Irene Lee - Auror Initiate. I prefer it if people call me Rena though. Only my dad uses Irene." She introduces herself sheepishly, somewhat flustered and red-faced from the incident that just occured. Also, it's a bit uncomfortably warm within the close confines of the lift.

"Then Rena it is. And you can feel free to call me Perry," he offers in return, before glancing past auror, to the woman with spectacles. "You alright there, Margie?" he asks her, at the cross looks she's throwing. "One of these days we should cast an extension charm on these lifts. Not sure why we haven't done it yet, to be honest."

Rena brightens considerably at the mention of the extension charm. "What a clever idea!" She exclaims. "I did that to my 'andbag last week. Never was so glad in my life. It came in awful useful when…" Several pairs of critical eyes fall on the young Auror, staring at the chatterbox. "Ehrm…" Rena clears her throat with a soft cough. "Never mind."

Far more quietly than before, Rena attempts to speak in a less invasive undertone: "I wanted to speak to you about this thing where students might need what you could call an adult advocate, as it were. Someone who knows what it's like to be muggle-born. Someone who might be able to give advice and insight - or just encouragement."

"If we can use it on tents - why not lifts?" Perry agrees, smiling at Rena and not seeming nearly as cowed by the looks of the others in the car with them - though he does give them a briefly apologetic look and keeps his voice to an acceptable level.

"Oh, really?" he answers. "Wonderful. I'd love to have /at least/ one mentor for all of the students who're interested. /Anything/ we can do to help them - especially in the current climate…"

"I suppose I'm not terribly surprised by the fact that not many 'ave stepped forward," Rena admits with a small sigh, glancing regretfully at Perry. "Even the likes of Thomas Carrow eventually 'ad to give in to the pressures around 'is business, what with the protests from Grindelwald supporters - and 'e's a Pure-Blood!" Talk about a grim state of affairs.

"But, you can count on me. I'll gladly do anything to 'elp the kids along if they need someone to talk to." A wry smile is flashed here, but a genuine one, none the less: "I may not be the most shining example in the Ministry, but I /did/ manage to make it through school and all, despite everyone who thought I couldn't make it."

Perry nods at the mention of Carrow, but focuses his attention primarily on the matter at hand as their lift stops at the atrium, and he moves to step out - glancing at Rena to see if she would as well. "Aurors always inspire the children - or at least, it's the sort of thing that inspires Madeline. May I ask - which house were you in?"

Rena chuckles in a slightly self-conscious way when Perry asks which house she belonged to whilst in school. Rubbing the back of her neck lightly, and attempting to cover the blush tingeing her cheeks as she exits the lift, she replies quietly: "'Ufflepuff."

A beat goes by, and Rena adds hastily: "Truth is, the 'at seemed a little undecided at first, thinking maybe I was a Ravenclaw." For whatever that may be worth.

"Madeline best chum is in Hufflepuff - and from what Madeline writes of him, he has a bit of an adventurous streak. Perhaps I could pair you with him?" Perry muses thoughtfully. "It seemed to me - well. Houses are so important when you're in Hogwarts, it might be best to pair them up with a graduate from their own house."

Rena smiles warmly and nods, obviously in agreement with Perry's assessment of the situation. "I think that's a fine idea. If the lad 'asn't any qualms with being paired up with me, I'd be glad to be of any 'elp I can." She says cheerfully as they walk.

"Of course," she adds as an aside, "If Madeline ever feels the need to chat with me too, please let 'er know that she's more than welcome. My window's always open for an owl, so to speak."

"I will let her know - and I'm sure she'd appreciate it. This whole thing was /her/ idea - not mine," Perry remarks, fondness on his features as he talks about her niece. "One of the few level-headed notions she's head, truth be told."

"Better to encourage it then, in that case," Rena replies with a light laugh. Stopping a moment, she reaches into her handbag. Her arm seems to go a good deal deeper into the bag than it ought to… Well, she did mention she used an extension spell on that thing, didn't she?

"There we are," Rena says at last, withdrawing a piece of paper that is folded up into the shape of an animal. In fact, it is an origami badger. Although she doesn't explain the fact that her fiance folds these creatures so frequently that she's begun using the spares lying around as fanciful address cards; she hands it over to Perry. Written on one side in tiny, neat letters is the address at which she lives in Diagon Ally.

Perry accepts the folded bit of paper, turning it over in his hands, with a curious and puzzled look on his features. "This is remarkable. Did you make it?" he asks. "Is there a charm in it?" Would it move, he couldn't help but wonder?

A sort of soft, quiet smile touches Rena's features, and she shakes her head - slightly more shy than before, perhaps: "Oh, no, I didn't make it." She admits. "M-my fiance, did. 'E makes them all the time. It's called Origami - no magic involved - although 'e is a talented wizard. It's actually a Muggle skill." Pausing a moment, Rena then smirks: "One of these days, I will figure out 'ow to make them move, though. Mark my words."

"Origami," Perry repeats. "And it's simply folded by hand. I imagine there are other shapes he can make?" he asks curiously. "I'd love to see one move. That would be a very amusing sight. I might send this to Madeline - I think she'd enjoy it."

Rena can't help but chuckle softly, still looking a little sheepish about the whole thing. "I've got whole menageries I could send 'er if she wanted them, Perry." And that's the truth. The plural is no lie. She's undoubtedly driven Takeshi to create several zoos' worth of animals since they first became involved. "And 'e can make more than just animals. There are other shapes. I'm always amazed at what 'e can do with a simple, flat piece of paper."

"I'd be curious to see a few more, myself," Perry responds. "I'm half-tempted to pull this open to see if I could put it back together again. But I suspect I couldn't. So he just uses scissors and paper?" he asks. Not looking where he's going - he nearly runs into someone walking the other direction - pulling back sharply, and giving the hapless man a startled, apologetic look.

Rena nods, answering in the affirmative: "That's 'ow 'e does it, yea. 'E's tried to teach me, but I'm afraid I've just not gotten the knack of it. Not yet anyway." The young woman admits with a tiny shrug. "I'm going to keep trying to learn, though."

Near the doorway, Rena lets out a small sigh: "I'm tired of winter, already. I never look forward to the long walk 'ome in the cold. But coming 'ome for tea is always nice." Pausing, she flashes her smile at Perry once more: "You get in contact with me any time you need me for the kids, right?"

"Well, if you figure out the secret, let me know," Perry answers Rena, flashing her a smile. He carefully flattens the badger, then tucks it away in his breast pocket.

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