blow it up [elijah]

Gross.

People lined the hallways of The Daily Prophet's small corridors, old people who were probably discussing politics and taking up all the space so that no one could get through, even if they'd wanted to. And it was absolutely gross. Daisy had "accidentally" jammed her elbow into the sides of some older men that decided they'd wanted to take up that spot right there in the middle, not even bothering with apologies or even glances cast their way when she pushed past them to get going in the direction of her next destination.

She didn't know why she had to check up on the cartoonists - she honestly had no idea. For one, she was in no way associated with them, considering the fact that she, herself, was a photographer, and two, the cartoonists, she was almost positive, were adults. They could really check in their work all on their own without other adults checking in on them to make sure they were making good progress on tomorrow's doodles. The only reason Daisy was braving the crowd of old men and little goblins running from room to room - or, in some cases, standing straight in the middle of the corridor talking to their mates about the Minister of Magic - was because Mabel, the nice welcome witch slash secondary secretary for The Prophet, had asked her nicely and given Daisy a lolly, which was now hanging from the twenty one year olds lips. Daisy quite liked Mabel.

Her elbow ended up buried in the back of another person that was standing in the walk way, but this time the person she was accosting was a female. Daisy had felt bad at first, for hurting her fellow witch, but the moment she'd remembered that she was the one standing in the way, she got over it. She was kind of tempted to stick her lolly in the hair of the next person that felt the need to stop and hold her up even longer (the brown eyed witch really wanted to get back to her own photography room and finish her own drawing that she was doing - the caricature of her boss, Hilda), but before she could, unfortunately, she made it to the drawing room.

"Hello," She didn't even bother to knock on the door before she walked in - it wasn't like they were doing anything gross, like standing in the walkway, or snogging, or anything. "Uh," Daisy adressed the closest person to her. It was some random bloke - a random bloke with nice hair and nice cheekbones. And his lips were nice, too. "Yeah, someone important downstairs was asking if your doodles were ready for tomorrow's paper?" She asked, grabbing the lolly out of her mouth. "They want to review them or something. I need them." She told the man adamantly, before returning the candy to her mouth.

Elijah didn’t like to be bothered when he was in the inking stages of his drawings. It was tedious, but important work. One smudge and he’d have some major fixing to do, and he didn’t like mistakes. So, rather than immediately responding to the intruding witches commentary Eli finished inking his last piece before pinning it up to dry, and where she couldn’t get to it till he let her. Blinking, the wizard turned his attention to the newcomer.

She was pretty, in the drawable kind of way. Eli hadn’t ever really met a girl who’d made him feel differently, but that didn’t really bother him, either. Cracking his knuckles Eli finally spoke “They’ll be ready when they’re dry. So, you’ll have to wait.” Normally Eli tried to at least sound like he wasn’t an antisocial artist, but this woman had called his art doodles and for that she would wait.

With that, Elijah turned his back to the witch, and went about inking one of his projects for the end of the week. Barely looking over his shoulder the ex-Ravenclaw made it clear just how welcome she was “Make sure you keep your lolly away from the ink. No matter how important you think you are..” He really didn’t have time for some demanding little pixie. Eli had drawing to do, and time to spend alone, so that when he got home he could read about something interesting, and forget that people with seemingly few braincells actually existed.

He didn't respond in a timely matter. Daisy did not like that. She wasn't used to getting service late after she showed up - Daisy Hawking always got service right as soon as she'd wanted it. Even though this wasn't technically a service, per say, she'd still expected to get treated like it was.

"Why are they drying, what ink are you using." It wasn't even a question, really. "You know..." She looked over to the man who had actually had the audacity to turn his back to her, the fool. How rude. "There's this super cool ink," Daisy stopped talking for a moment, just a moment to pop the lolly in her mouth while she shrugged her coat off, letting her tattoos breathe. "That actually dries really fast and this obviously isn't it." After she set her coat down and moved her candy to her cheek, Daisy approached the piece of art that was hanging. It actually wasn't bad, for some antisocial artist type. Usually, they just produced the dark, negative-type pieces that looked like they needed to be developed. "You should probably invest in some."

Daisy stopped talking for a moment to study the piece, her hand gripping the short stick of the lolly and twirling it in her mouth. "Actually, or, there's this charm, I think, that dries things. I mean - if you've heard of charms." Her eyes quickly shot over to the guy before she looked back. Her hands went up when he commented on her lolly - told her to keep it away from the ink like she was some sort of child who was gonna stick it right on the page. After that, she was tempted, but really, she didn't want to fail Mabel.

"I am actually rather important," Daisy lied, turning on her heel before slowly walking closer towards the weird artist. In her division - the photography division - she was really one of the lowest in the place. But she didn't mind. She got to take pictures. "If I don't get these down to Mabel in a little while she's gonna be proper angry, and I'll just tell her it's your fault. What was your name again?" Daisy stood right behind the man, peaking over his shoulder at his next doodle. "That's a nice doodle."

Without turning from his work, Eli replied to her question, his tone giving away the fact that he was only half listening, as he was focused on his work “Muggle ink. It inks nicer in some situations..” He was about to leave it at that and write the witch off as simply annoying, but then she kept talking. Stifling a sigh, Eli had to stop himself from snapping at the woman. Of course he knew there was ‘cool’ ink. He had a jar on the self just over her left shoulder. When she told him to invest in some, the wizard couldn’t help but laughing a little. Turning to acknowledge her finally, he smirked at her and pointed towards the shelf “I work for the Prophet, and am a professional artist. Of course I have some. Ever heard of technique?” She was annoying, but so far at least she was amusing, he told himself.

Until she made the remark about him knowing charms. Then, Eli decided he’d had enough. Turning, the man threw his hands up, getting ink smeared across his cheek in the process “Have I head of charms?! Are you mad? Of course I’ve heard of charms. I can guarantee you my NEWTs were all better than yours.” He probably shouldn’t have let it bother him too much, but the tone in the witches voice was driving him crazy. Shooting her a slightly apologetic glance, the ex Ravenclaw turned back to his drawing table, determined now, to finish the drawings so the irritating woman would leave.

She was trying to make him think she was important. That made Eli laugh, honestly. Shooting her a look, and a raised eyebrow “No you’re not.” He stated simply. He didn’t recognize the blonde, so that meant she was relatively new, and the few departments that worked with the comics weren’t very important in the big scheme of things. They were important to the paper, but not otherwise. Smirking at her Elijah waited to see what her next move was. Mabel. He’d met the woman once or twice, and didn’t really have an opinion. Shrugging he spoke “Tell Mabel whatever you want. I don’t particularly care. My job gets done one way or another...” Now he was just being argumentative to poke fun at her. Turning again to hang another strip to dry, Eli looked the witch in the eye “My name’s Eli Dasher. Elijah, actually.” While he waited to see what the girl would say next, Eli surveyed her various tattoos. They were well done, and interesting enough, he supposed, but his artists eye was never really satisfied. 

Daisy's eyes almost rolled in the back of her head at his use of muggle ink, how amateur. Muggle technology was far behind wizarding technology, he couldn't really be seriously telling her that muggle ink was better than wizarding, in some situations. She wanted to scoff but that would be unprofessional - Daisy hawking was really all about being professional. "Of course I've heard of technique. I am a photographer, you know. We're basically one in the same," You're just more amateur and less pretty, she wanted to say, but instead, settled for, "I'm just better than you, apparently." A smirk covered her face when she met his eyes, looking away and tossing her hair over her shoulder.

Her eyes rolled again when NEWTs were brought up - there was no doubt in Daisy's mind that he'd done better than her. All of her NEWTs were in the easiest of subjects - core classes, and Muggle Studies, too, which was the easiest of them all in the witches' opinion. "Were they, though?" Daisy spoke, her words slurring together due to the candy laying on her tongue. "I got six, how 'bout you? Don't quite remember the grades, but, eh," She told him with a dismissive shrug.

"I'm so important," She nodded. "If I wasn't why would I be sent here?" She asked the man. "But then again, if I was, why would I be wasting my time with something so unimportant," She thought outloud. "You're right, I'm not important." Daisy shrugged again, her eyes scanning the picture he was penning. "I'm gonna tell Mabel you were mean to me," She told him. "Cause you were. I think you basically implied that I'm stupid and that hurt my feelings, so I'm telling her about you." She watched carefully as he hung up another piece of paper, twirling her lolly in her mouth over and over. A small smirk covered her face when he told her his name, and started looking at the tattoos that covered her arms.

"I'm Daisy, Daisy Hawking, photography department, nice to meet you, kind of." She nodded, letting one of her hands run up her arms. Her skin was rather cold, actually. "Do you like them?" She stepped closer to him. "I got this one in Hawai'i," She pointed to one specific design, "And aaaall of these in India," The witch motioned to her entire left arm. "I lived there, it was great," Daisy spoke quickly. "Have you ever been to India? It's hot there."

One in the same? Was this blonde bimbo that stupid? Eli couldn’t believe what he was hearing. Better than him? She just didn’t know when to quit, that much was apparent enough already. Rolling his eyes and huffing quietly the brunette made himself keep working “One in the same? Please. I create art, you just use a muggle invention to capture a moment. I’d hardly count that as equal.” He was being a jerk, and he knew it. But this woman was on his last nerve, not that he really had many to begin with “And” he continued “if you were better than me, miss. You’d have to be my boss. And I know you’re not because you’re not a balding man over the age of forty, unless you’ve decided on making a life choice you haven’t told me about?” He eyed her sideways, waiting for her reaction.

At the witches next words Eli laughed “Of course they were. Look at me, and then look at yourself.” Now he was overstepping a line, but in some ways, Eli didn’t really care. He’d never really understood other people. Not in the way he understood theories and books. Plus, he decided, he liked arguing with this witch, she could hold her own. Six NEWTs? He didn’t believe that for a second “All O’s” He said without much enthusiasm, as if he were bored. He’d taken four, but that was besides the point.

Her importance hadn’t ever been a question, not to him. She didn’t have that important air that actually important people had. This one had more of an ‘I want to be important’ vibe going on, and it wasn’t working. When the blonde threatened to tell “Mabel” on him, Elijah almost snorted “Go on and tell your precious Mabel whatever you want to about me. I don’t care.” He finished with a shrug “Artists are known for being difficult anyway.” And everything he’d said was true. He didn’t care in the least.

Daisy was her name? How fitting “likewise..” He said. He was fairly sure he didn’t mean it. Even if she was fun to argue with, she was also incredibly annoying. When she brought up her tattoos Elijah nodded “They’re quite nice, yes.” Annoying personality aside Eli could appreciate the womans good taste. Nodding along in appreciation, Eli shrugged at her next question “No, I haven’t. I haven’t been to India or Hawaii. Of course it’s hot in India. It’s India. Where else have you been?” He didn’t travel much, but he didn’t think she needed more ammunition against him. And he knew she would use it if she could. So he hoped that by asking more questions than he answered, he could avoid giving her any at all.