the only payoff to having faith {frida trickett}

It was almost infuriating how much work there was to do and how little of it was actually getting done. It had been like this since the turn of the century, as if it had never happened before. The large stacks of paperwork that were left on her desk for her to sign seemed to say otherwise though. They were barely in the year and already they were falling behind. Ingrid could feel a headache coming on, most likely caused by a mixture of irritation and a lack of breakfast. She pinched the bridge of her nose, attempting to stave off the impending annoyance, but it was useless. Perhaps getting actual food in her system would do her good. A glance at the clock told her it was almost lunch time anyway. “Matthew, do me a favor and make sure no one bothers me until I get back.” She could hear her secretary stammering, but she didn’t care. This was far more important.

Had she been thinking, she’d have realized that staying in the office to eat was a bad idea. Then again, doing much of anything work related was a bad idea when she decided to venture out of her own little area. Sure, sometimes she got to see family or friends, but more often she saw him. Today wasn’t the first day she’d caught sight of Marcus in the halls, his smug face still around despite everything. There was a sinking feeling in her stomach and her fingers automatically went searching for the (missing) ring. The one she’d thrown at him as she screamed at him to leave. The one that had been some family heirloom or other. It didn’t matter now, though. The engagement was off, the ring wasn’t there, and Ingrid still had to see Marcus on an almost daily basis as they passed in the hall or around work. The Ministry was huge and yet it seemed like they were always running into each other. Before she could take another step towards him (and thus, towards where she’d normally be eating), Ingrid swerved, making a beeline towards the elevators.

After a moment to regain her composure, Ingrid found herself staring at the buttons, unsure of what to do. Now she was here, but she had no idea where to go. Perhaps Frida has some time. With that thought in mind, she pushed the button for level six, where she knew her cousin would be working. There was an air of confidence about her as she exited the elevator despite the fact that seeing her ex-fiancé had shaken her more than she cared to realize. It had been a while ago, and some of her family had started to catch on that something was amiss, but getting over it was taking longer than expected. Too long in Ingrid’s mind. She pushed the thought away as she neared Frida’s workspace. There was a smile on her face as she caught her cousin’s attention, although perhaps it was just a little forced. “So, it’s almost lunch and we haven’t had a chance to catch up in far too long, dear. Let’s change that.” It was mean to be a suggestion, albeit one that was more forceful than intended.

It was a very busy day at the Broom Regulatory Control but Frida, unlike some of her coworkers, was enjoying every minute of it. In her usual style, the brunette was rushing around enthusiastically making orders and just as eagerly obeying orders given to her. She was in the middle of the hierarchy at her department and although she wanted to be much higher... say, the head of department, the Trickett was truthfully quite happy where she was. It was a safe place to be. A batch of fifty broomsticks headed for Diagon Alley had come in that morning and the whole department was ensuring that they all were a hundred percent malicious magic free so that they could be transported to their respective shops by twelve o'clock sharp.

Fri allowed herself a quick glance at the large clock hanging on the biggest wall in the workplace, and knew that the deadline was sooner than most would like. Bouncing around the workspace, wand ready in hand, she began to search of an unattended broomstick to get to work to and once finding such a broom, the sunny adult began flinging all sorts of charms and obligatory spells at it. After making notes and knowing that it checked out fine Frida giggled, levitating the broom and placing it with the 'safe' pile knowing it would soon be dealt with by another employee. Realising she was done, she jumped up and down in delight clapping her hands for (mainly) her own benefit. Beginning to get ready to leave for a break, the Hufflepuff alumna noticed a very familiar blonde in the corner of her eye, whom was trying to get her attention. Ingrid!

Running over to the family member with a beaming, signature sunshine smile, Frida exclaimed "Ingrid! Oh my goodness, what a wonderful surprise!"
The brunette flapped her arms at her side, more than happy to see family again. "Lunch...? Oh! Of course, lunch!"
Fri started to move around searching for her things, a high bundle of energy whilst doing so. Continuing the conversation in the midst of this, she began "That is very true... But it shouldn't be so! We must change that immediately."
Stepping back towards Ingrid, with her stuff in hand, Frida's eyes sparkled with delight. "Where'd you want to go? Ministry food is so boring!" I've been asking them to spice things up a bit, but they haven't listened as of yet.."

The younger of the two Tricketts grabbed her cousin's hand, yelling some sort of farewell at her coworkers and dashed off towards the lifts. Pushing the button for it to open, The 'sunshine' began asking all sorts of questions. " So, how are you? What've you been up to? Is work okay? How are your siblings? I know Freya's alright, since I saw her not that long ago.. Has anyone got new brooms? If they do, make sure I check them before they use them. Is there any new gossip? Do you know if you..."
Frida was broken off and interrupted by the sudden 'ding' of the lift and it's doors opening. Jumping in (literally) the energetic woman beamed at her older cousin, waiting for the lift doors to shut.

Ah yes. Words. Ingrid blinked as she was barraged by them, the reason for not visiting more often suddenly coming rushing back to mind. She let out a hum of what she hoped sound enough like concurrence. “I can’t imagine why they haven’t done that yet?” There was sarcasm dripping from her words, but that wasn’t abnormal for her. It was practically her primary means of communicating with others. “But you are right about going out being the superior option here. Perhaps we avoid Geri’s bakery today?” Despite the fact that she loved her brother, Ingrid wasn’t sure she could put up with the man today. Her patience was already being tried, and frankly she was starting to reconsider this whole thing. The wolves may have been the merciful option.

It took all of Ingrid’s willpower to not yank her hand out of Frida’s, but she managed to avoid it. The elevator couldn’t get there fast enough for her, and not for the first time she felt her headache growing. She needed food… or to hex someone. That would probably make her forget about the headache at least. Ingrid forced a smile onto her face as she listened to her cousin prattle on; questions came at a rate no human should ever be able to fire them off at. “I’m fine; I’ve been working on relations with Saudi Arabia despite not speaking any of the languages spoken there, least of all Arabic; work is just lovely.” The emphasis on the last word should have made her actual meaning clear, but part of her wasn’t exactly sure that Frida would get it. Explaining would have been a chore though, so she let it go.

And there it was. Ingrid couldn’t help but roll her eyes at the mention of brooms. “None of us have, although I’m in the market for one. Trust me, you’ll be the first person we contact if we’re looking. Everyone is…” She paused, realizing for the first time she was unsure of how to answer that. Sure, she knew that everyone was fine for the most part, that people were going off and living their lives. But at the same time, it felt like such an empty answer. “Fine. Everyone is fine, dear.”

Perhaps it was the direct nature of the cut off question or the fact that it was, in fact, cut off, but Ingrid found herself wondering what Frida had been about to ask. “Do I… what? I do many things, you’ll have to be a tad more specific.” She followed her cousin into the lift, letting her take charge over where they were going.

Frida beamed at her cousin as Ingrid, (in her mind) quite clearly concurred with her sentiments. She just knew she wasn't the only one! "I know, right? They can't just not be listening, since they always say comments are welcome. Maybe all my notes never made it... Ooh, Ingrid! Do you think I should suggest it in person?"

She was a little confused at why the blonde wanted to avoid Geri's bakery. Normally the brunette loved to visit the bakery! Tilting her head to the side, Fri asked "But... but why? You haven't had... a fight have you? Although, pastries are rather boring... Alright! You win!" The Hufflepuff alumna giggled, happiness expelling her earlier confusion.

The Trickett smiled at her older cousin's responses to her questions. Ingrid was well, which was always nice to hear. Saudi Arabia? Wow! That must be so cool! Frida thought, as her desire for adventure and travelling came rushing back to her. The sarcasm was completely lost to Frida. "That is amazing, Ingrid! Saudi Arabia must be so wicked! Do they wear funny clothes? What about the food? They must have some really exotic stuff, right? Do you think I'd like it?"

Fri breathed a sigh of relief at the news that no one had bought a new broom without her checking it first. Not only did the woman want her family safe, but she wanted them to perform on the best brooms out there. "Well, that is good news. If you're looking for a really good broom, we've just had a new batch which we literally just finished checking! They should be being transported to Diagon Alley right this second! They were really really wicked brooms."

The brunette blinked in confusion as Ingrid paused before answering if her family was alright. Did that mean someone wasn't alright? That she was lying? "Are you sure? You're not just saying that, are you? You wouldn't lie... not to me."

Momentarily taken aback by the lift's sudden arrival, Frida nearly completely forgot about the other question she was about to ask, before Ingrid very helpfully reminded her. "Do you... Do you.... Oh! Of course! Do you know if you will be.." Frida paused unsure whether she should be excited or extremely excited for this event. Considering it to be the latter, she finished her sentence very quickly indeed and added a squeal at the very end. "... doinganythingforValentinesday?"

Jumping around in the lift doing nothing was pointless now that Ingrid was inside, so she hopped over to the buttons and realised she had no idea where to go. In a moment of her purely twisted sense of logic, she twirled around twice, slapped a hand over her eyes and reached out a finger for a mysterious button. Removing her hand, Fri did not let herself see which button she had pressed as she whipped back around to face Ingrid, grinning. "Do you wanna make some sparkles?" For dramatic effect, (which was entirely unnecessary) Frida moved her hands up and slowly down and around, fingers wiggling. She pulled out her wand whispering "Mico..." and jumped up and down in the yellow sparks that were making their way out of her wand.

Another 'ding' startled her and she hurriedly waved her hands as the lift doors opened to remove any evidence. Not bothering to peer out first, Fri ran out the lift yelling "Come on, Ingrid! Come on, come on, come on!"

It took all of Ingrid’s willpower to avoid rolling her eyes. Of course the sarcasm went over Frida’s head; what had she really expected? Instead, she put a smile on her face that could have been mistaken for a grimace from afar. “Perhaps that’s the best way to be sure they get your suggestions, dear.” Those poor chefs; she might go warn them before her cousin took the idea to heart. Or maybe not. It would be just as amusing to watch them scramble and flail about, and she hadn’t been entertained at work in a while. Not since one of the ambassadors from Germany had caused quite the scene about the lack of strong beer at a dinner party.

“No fight. I just don’t feel the need for another pastry. They are indeed boring.” Ingrid had to bite back a smirk at the thought of Geri overhearing this part of their conversation. He’d go red and try to defend the bakery. He did do a wonderful job, but sometimes one just wasn’t in the mood for what could be found there.

A sigh escaped her as she heard the enthusiasm in Frida’s voice. Of course she hadn’t understood the sarcasm in the statement. “They dress… well, as to be expected of an area that not only had a different culture but a different climate to consider. And yes, I think you would enjoy the clothing there.” She wasn’t too fond of the heat or some of the other bits of the area though. Politics made it hard for her to enjoy certain things about the cultures she visited; this is why she was a diplomat and not a politician. “And noted. Should anyone mention looking for a new broom, I’ll point them that way.”

“Would I lie to you, Frida?” The answer to that was yes, but her cousin didn’t need to know that. No, as far as she was concerned her family could continue to think she’d be truthful to them in all matters. Not just the ones that suited her. “Everyone’s fine; there’s nothing to worry about.”

At the mere mention of Valentine’s Day, Ingrid froze. Her brain came to a screeching halt, and for a second she could have sworn her heart even skipped a beat. Of course she’d bring that up. Of course Ingrid hadn’t prepared an answer. Of bloody course. “I…was honestly planning on spending the day working and then going home.” It was the truth, although there was a lot left out. She didn’t mention the lack of a person to enjoy the day with, or the fact that she’d be dwelling on years past.

Before Ingrid had a chance to comment on the childishness of Frida’s actions, the elevator had already arrived at its destination. Ingrid muttered an apology as she followed close behind. “So, is there any place in particular you‘re going?” Her words grew louder as she found herself trailing behind. She was no slouch, but Frida’s enthusiasm was hard to match.

Frida took great delight in what she thought was Ingrid quite happily smiling at her. She was pleased to know that her cousin agreed with her idea, and at that thought she rapidly clapped her hands together. "Then I shall... Just before lunch is over! Thanks Ingrid! You always know what to do!"
Perhaps while she was there she could explore the kitchens a bit. Merlin knows that there would be tons of fun stuff to do in there!

The Hufflepuff alumna let out a sigh of relief she didn't know she had been holding when Ingrid clarified that she and Geri didn't have a fight. "Oh thank Merlin! I could never imagine having an argument with my family!" The closest Frida ever felt she had gotten to an argument was back in her Hogwarts years in year five, when Sindri shouted at her for being 'so stupid and naive' but all that ended with was a hug... Frida didn't think it counted.
At her fellow Trickett's agreement with her assessment, Frida allowed a light giggle to escape her lips. The sunny woman had always found pastries to be so bland, lacking adventure and bite. She lived for herbs and spices, anything to make the food more exciting. She liked her meals to be an expedition, an experiment, an adventure!

A wide smile graced the face of the Hufflepuff alumna at the description of the Saudi Arabians. It sounded lovely! "Different climate? Oh! Its a lot warmer there than in London, isn't it?" Ingrid thought she'd like the clothing there? Well, she did love the sun and her cousin did say that it was partly due to a different climate... Maybe they were brightly coloured too? That would certainly make her happy. "Are they colourful? You know how much I love lots of colour!" To emphasise her point she flung her arms wide, as if to demonstrate how much she loved them. "Good! We have a deal!" Fri winked at Ingrid as she finalised her part of the imaginary agreement. It warmed her to know she was, in her view, doing her role properly and that she was trusted in it too. At that realisation, she was positively beaming.

The fact that Ingrid had asked herself if the blonde would ever lie to the brunette made Frida instantly more at ease again. How could she doubt her cousin even for one second? No one ever lies to family! Casting her eyes downward in a short-lived but rare moment of calmness, Frida mellowly replied. "No. Of course you wouldn't! I'm sorry Ingrid... That was horrible of me to assume so!" The broom regulation employee placed her hands behind her back, creating a tiny window of silence before piping up again in full enthusiasm once more. "Thats wonderful news then! I wish them all lots of happiness! ... You'll let them know I said 'Hi!', won't you?"

At Ingrid's less than forthcoming explanation of her plans for Valentine's Day. Frida had to do a double take to ensure she had heard correctly. That sounded dreadfully boring! Merlin, Frida thought, I'd keel over and die from boredom on a day like that. "Gosh Ingrid, that sounds like the most insipid day ever! Though I suppose I forgot about... um... thingy..." Fri gulped nervously unsure if she should finish that sentence. thinking better of it, she decided to change the subject to herself. There was always lots to chat about! "I'm going to spend it with my brothers! Ragna will be cooing over adorable Esja and her father anyway. Have you seen little Esja recently? She is so gosh darn cute! I could die from the cuteness overload! I love her too much! Anyway, Otto and Islof certainly wouldn't mind another family member joining us... I'm positive they'd love the idea! You can come join us, Ingrid! You shouldn't be alone on Valentine's Day!" All the talk of family and love had excited Frida to the core once more and in order to release the surplus energy, Fri continued to jump about in her usual manner.

Positive her cousin's voice was getting further and further away, the brunette ground to a halt and whipped her body round to face the way she came. She chuckled as she waited for her snail of a family member to catch up. Bouncing on the balls of her feet, the 'sunshine' exclaimed, "Why are you so slow? There's so much to do! So much to explore! So much to eat!" At that revelation, the twenty-four year old felt her mouth watering and she licked her lips in response. "Food, Ingrid! Food...." At this, Frida abruptly turned around and skipped off presuming Ingrid would follow her route and speed. Answering her question, Frida giggled "Nope! I don't even know which floor we're on or where the exit is! But that's part of the adventure! Unless... You know of a really tasty place that you'd like to go to?"

Well, that wasn’t her intention at all. Now she really would have to give the kitchen workers a heads up. Or not. It would probably be amusing, watching them scramble around trying to deal with Frida. A smirk appeared on Ingrid’s face at the thought. Yes, maybe she’d let them do that while she sat back and watched. “Any time, Frida dear.”

“What, us? Fight? Never.” Ingrid couldn’t help rolling her eyes as she spoke though. Ingrid and Geri disagreed on quite a lot of things. Trivial things, of course, so it rarely escalated into a full blown fight. But Geri had been the one who wanted her to go public with her break up, and so she had stopped talking to him for a little bit because of that. That was a while ago, and now it was a moot point. Despite it never really coming up, it should have been clear to all of her family that her and Marcus were no longer together. The mere thought brought a frown to Ingrid’s face, and she had to hide it before Frida saw.

She nodded, amused at how enthusiastic her cousin was about this. “Well, it’s a lot of warm colors or bright cool colors like turquoise. The cool colors were traditionally harder to dye and the dyes aren’t exactly local to those regions. Walking through the market place is a treat. If you’d like to go, let me know and perhaps I’ll bring you along.” She paused for a second before adding, “as long as you let me do my work and don’t do anything without let me explain the culture.” On second thought, maybe it was a bad idea to let Frida come with her to Saudi Arabia. Maybe Russia. Or Greece. Yes, she’d take Frida to Greece instead. Ingrid shook her head as the thought passed through it. Wait, why am I taking Frida anywhere? She scowled at the floor, unsure of what exactly had transpired that would make her want to bring family on a work event. Stupid cheerful disposition, luring me into a false sense of security.

The fact that Frida actually bought it was almost surprising. Almost. But Frida reminded Ingrid of Freya in that regard, and she made a mental note to warn her little sister about the dangers of putting blind trust in others. “I shall indeed tell everyone when I see them next. Everyone’s so busy, and Freya’s still in school so I’m not sure when that’ll be.”

A single eyebrow arched as Frida didn’t quite finish her thought. “First off, I didn’t realize you knew what insipid meant. And second, what exactly did you seem to forget about, hm?” Her stare was pointed as she spoke; Ingrid was at least partially aware of where that sentence was originally going. She wanted Frida to say it though; assumptions would get them nowhere.  She nodded as her cousin continued, her eyes still firmly fixed on Frida. “Mmm, no, I don’t believe I have. I also shall pass on spending time with you all, but thank you. Now again… What did you forget earlier?”

The sudden stop was almost disastrous. Had Ingrid not been staring so intently at Frida, she probably would have collided with the woman. Instead, she managed to stop before that happened. “You… Of course you don’t.” A sigh escaped her, and she wondered why she bothered going to Frida of all people. It was easier than anyone else. Keep that in mind next time you want to do it, Ingrid, because this will be the punishment. “I don’t, so I guess it’s up to you to lead the way.”

The younger Trickett's mind began to float off in all sorts of directions, thinking about what she could suggest to make the food tastier, until Ingrid's voice cut through her daydream like a knife. She looked at her older cousin with a grateful, beaming smile. If Frida was truthful, which she nearly always was, she enjoyed being called 'dear' a lot, particularly by Ingrid. Although she certainly didn't need it, the brunette liked having the conformation that she was loved.

Fri chuckled lightly at Ingrid 'joking' about fighting with Geri. The Ministry worker's greatest wish was for everyone to get along in the world and for love to spread everywhere. She knew that it was a lot to ask for, so she had started her quest by making sure that all her family had lots of love. Frida had never been in a fight, nor had she ever witnessed her siblings having one. She realised that it was probably her greatest fear. "Oh good! I'm so relieved, you are both just so nice!" Satisfied with the answer Ingrid gave, the Hufflepuff alumna clapped her hands together in delight.

The description her cousin was giving made Frida more and more excited by the second. She gasped at the mention of warm colours and started babbling away. "Warmish colours are my favourite of all time! Turquoise is really pretty too! Does that mean the cooler colours are more expensive? I love marketplaces!" At Ingrid's offering to take her along, Frida's mouth fell open in shock, then closed again but quickly reopened. The brunette then burst into the most enthusiastic smile that she had quite possibly ever made. Recovering quite quickly from her original shock, Fri let out a long squeal of happiness and excitement escape from her lips. "Oh my gosh, Ingrid! You'd let me tag along? Ahh! I'd love to! It'll be so much fun! So many people to meet! So many new friends! New food! New clothes! Merlin, it would be amazing!" The Hufflepuff alumna paused momentarily, thinking about why Ingrid felt the need to tell her to let her do her work. Smiling,  thinking nothing of it, Frida exclaimed "Of course, I'll let you work, silly! But we'll still have so much fun! Thank you, thank you, thank you Ingrid! I love you!" At the end of her mini speech of thanks, Fri decided to show her appreciation by jumping onto Ingrid for a quick hug before she let go again, bouncing around the place in pure joy.

Relaxing slightly hearing her cousin agree to talk to her family for her, the sunny woman quickly pumped her fist in the air. Everyone was busy? That's a shame... I was thinking about surprise visits... oh well. Fri giggled as she listened to her blonde cousin clearly doubt her English abilities. Granted, she knew she wasn't a genius but really? "Of course I do! Insipid equals bland, boring or colourless! Jeez, Ingrid... I didn't get my job at the Ministry just by smiling! I had to work hard too! Besides, one day I wanna be head of the Broom Regulation Office!" She clapped her hands once more at the thought of a promotion and her eyes began to twinkle at the prospect.

Oh. Um. Ingrid's second point was one Frida really didn't want to answer... Her talkativeness had gotten her into trouble plenty of times and Fri knew it. Maybe she could just shrug it off and Ingrid wouldn't notice? Yes, she'd try that. "Oh, uh... Nothing relevant at all! Not at all. Forget I said anything." The brunette grinned at her mission's success. That was totally believable!

"Oh! Then I'll have to bring Esja with me when I see you next! You'll love her, she is such a cutiepie! Oh... Okay. Will you be alright on your own?" Frida really did not like the idea of her cousin being alone, yet she knew that there wasn't much she, alone, could do to convince Ingrid and so the sunny woman left it at that... for now.
Gah. Ingrid had gone back to asking about her unfinished sentence. Again. Frida began to feel a little guilty about technically lying to her cousin, particularly after Ingrid had said that she wouldn't lie to her... Ooh, alright then! "Okay, okay! I forgot about M...Mar...Ugh! Marcus! There, I said it! I hope you're happy!" If anyone else had said it, it could have quite possibly sounded rather aggressive or rude. Frida, on the other hand, stated it in so much of a singsong and such enthusiastic conviction that it was almost impossible for it to be taken the wrong way.

She grinned at the prospect that Ingrid had no preference where to go. She twirled around several times in the vague hope of trying to find an exit. Eventually spotting one, her eyes lit up at the sight of it. Frida immediately stopped spinning and ran off, her heels clicking rapidly on the floor. "I've found an exit! Follow me, follow me, follow me!"

There was naïve and then there was Frida. Had she always been this… Ingrid wasn’t sure what term was appropriate. Even her normal insults seemed a tad too tame, and they’d probably all go over the girl’s head anyway. It was odd, thinking they were close in age and yet so far apart in maturity. “Yes, it’s certainly lovely, getting along with family.” Her deadpan should have given her away, but frankly she wasn’t certain about that much anymore.

Ingrid absentmindedly nodded. “Well, not as much anymore since importing isn’t terrible, but it used to be. See, the history there is… You know what, never mind the history.” She paused, seeing the expression that crossed Frida’s face. A sigh escaped her; she’d made a mistake. A really big mistake. “I wouldn’t recommend talking to too many people without… Look, it’s not like it is here, and frankly perhaps I should take you someplace like home rather than a totally foreign land right away.” It made sense to say it, but even as the words escaped her, Ingrid found herself regretting it. Because it meant she’d take her on a trip eventually, and that they’d start small. Keyword: start. But Frida was family, and seeing her excited about the trip was certainly nice. It wasn’t often she saw this level of excitement about her work. True, she loved what she did, but that’s why she had gone into the department in the first place. There was suddenly more weight on her than she was used to, and it took everything she had not to stumble and fall. Thankfully the hug was over almost as quickly as it began, although she wasn’t quite sure what to make of it. Her hands clenched slightly and she took a breath. She doesn’t know better, it’s fine. My pride and personal space issues will get over themselves for two seconds to deal with family. A slight frown appeared on her face as she thought, but it was soon rushed away in favor of a small smirk.

Head of… Well that would certainly be all that, wouldn’t it? A small chuckle managed to slip out of Ingrid, and she only hoped that Frida hadn’t sensed the slight bit of derision that it had masked. “I wish you the best of luck with that. Becoming head of a department takes a lot of hard work and… well, luck.” But mostly hard work, and while she didn’t want to say it, Frida didn’t exactly seem the type they’d make the Head of department. Then again, who could say with the other areas. What Ingrid did know was that she was shooting for the same honor in her own department, and she was going to get it eventually.

Ingrid merely nodded and hummed to show she was listening as she stared at Frida. She was going to get her answer one way or the other, and if it wasn’t through asking, it would be through intimidation. When her cousin finally did manage to spit it out, Ingrid did her best to keep her face from going paler. “And what about Marcus?” If it had been possible to freeze with mere words, Ingrid would have done so. Her tone was icy, her words sharp enough to cut. The man was a sore spot, sure, and maybe her cousin didn’t deserve what was currently being aimed at her. But she’d brought it up in the first place, and Ingrid was going to make sure she knew better next time around.

She was silent as she followed Frida to an exit, merely hoping that the woman knew where she was going for lunch. The last thing she needed was to get called back early for some stupid reason or another (frankly, any time she got called back it was for a stupid reason, but she’d never admit that). Especially not if it meant ending on anything relating to her ex-fiance.

Talking about their family had made Frida's mind wander off to her siblings. She liked to keep tabs on where they were almost everyday so that she could always be there for them. She wondered what they would be doing as she absentmindedly grinned in complete agreement with Ingrid. It certainly is!

The shock and excitement of her cousin taking her on a trip was still in full throttle as Frida bounced up and down but was screaming for joy in her mind. She loved going on adventures! Listening to Ingrid carefully, the brunette found herself completely enthralled. Importing? History? What did she mean 'never mind the history'? Frida bubbled with curiosity as she blurted out "No, I wanna know! History can be fun!" She smiled quickly before her smile was momentarily wiped as Ingrid suggested going some place else. "Talking to people without what? Come on! It'll be fine! Totally foreign places is the whole point of it, an expedition into the unknown of sorts! Please?" Frida began to pout her lips as her eyes gave one of her well practiced puppy dog looks. She was positive it'd work as well as it had with all of her siblings. Although their mother had told her brothers in particular that they were too soft for giving into her. Ingrid was not soft. "I won't be any trouble! I promise I won't do anything without your permission first!" The Ministry worker liked having power and so she was sure that her blonde cousin would be tempted by having that power too.

Frida paused her bouncing once Ingrid had chuckled and she faced her with a ray of sunshine beamed from her face. She obviously approves! Fri tilted her head to the side as Ingrid told her she needed to work hard. She knew that already! Fri sometimes wondered if she would have worked as hard as she did if there were no direct competitors also pining for the same spot.
The brunette nodded her head in thanks as a coy smile became visible. "Thanks! So, you approve of it? I know it does, which is why I work hard to the best of my ability every single day! I've always believed myself to be a lucky person anyway!" And that was true. Frida felt lucky for a great many things! Surviving the Ministry during the war, good education, the fact she had a good job that she enjoyed, a nice house, parents, siblings, and she was an aunt too! She had the best family ever and she felt privileged and the luckiest girl in the world to be a part of it.

Fri felt a pair of eyes boring into her skull and she didn't like it very much. She realised she wasn't at all comfortable with her cousin staring at her. She flashed a jovial grin at the older Trickett in an attempt to get a smile back. The icy tone she was met with made sure the grin didn't stay on the brunette's face for long. The twenty-four year old knew that she occasionally made the mistake of taking everything people said literally but she thought it would be impossible for anyone to not notice the malice on the tip of her cousin's tongue. Frida's eyes came popping out her skull for quite a few seconds. Shock set in for a couple of moments but Fri was mostly surprised, worried and although she'd never admit it... horrified. Had Ingrid really just snapped at her? Frida knew it must have been close to a decade since anyone had ever raised their voice or had been cold towards her. It wasn't something she had expected at all. The Hufflepuff alumna had a bunch of things she wanted to say but as she kept trying to say them all at once, her mouth kept opening and shutting with no sound coming out. Frida wasn't sure if she should look at Ingrid in case she saw hatred in the woman's eyes. The young Trickett didn't get upset by almost anything but the one thing that would break her heart was being hated by her own family. Instead, Frida used her wand as her focal point as she gathered enough courage to finish the troublesome conversation she had quite innocently started.

"Well, we do work together and... uh... We talk... a lot... well, sometimes... and, uh, I, I mean you. No! I mean, he and, UGH!" She stopped suddenly as her mouth and throat dried up and she swallowed nervously a few times and licked her lips before breathing out a shaky breath, allowing herself to be calm enough to naturally have her sunny smile once again. Prepared this time, she gently spoke "Ingrid, you know what I'm going to say and it isn't worth me saying it. I don't want you to hate me... I'm sorry. I should never have brought it up."

Reaching the exit doors with less of a spring in her step than before, she spun around checking that Ingrid was still following her before pushing open the door and walking out confidently. Piping up with renewed excitement and energy, Frida asked "So, what do you think you'll get to eat? How many courses? Do you want dessert? There's this amazing place that does spicy food and has these huge plates full of food to share and does the greatest ice cream sundaes ever!" Her arms began flying about as Fri began rabbiting again with particular emphasis on the huge plates. "Do you like ice cream? What's your favourite flavour? Mine's mint choc chip! .... Do you have a long break? Do you need to rush? I don't mind at all!"

Of course she had to offer. Of course her cousin had to take her seriously. Somewhere in the back of her mind, Ingrid could feel a headache forming. This was going to be a very, very rough lunch hour, she could already tell. “Not this history. This history is full of oppression and socio-political issues that I’m not entirely sure I want to navigate you through. At all.” Frida probably wouldn’t understand, or at least, Ingrid sincerely hoped she didn’t.  There were some things that Ingrid didn’t think most people needed to know, and some of the horrors of the world around them were included in that. Not that they hadn’t dealt with plenty of gruesome things on the home front recently; no, there were plenty of horrors to go around. Her family didn’t need to know more than what they already did. “Perhaps I’ll take you to Japan first. You’d love it over there… Merlin, I think you’d fit right in with some of the muggles and their trends if you don’t go overboard on the magic.” A small chuckle escaped her, much to her chagrin. It was quite the look Frida was giving her, and all she could do was raise an eyebrow in response. “That look won’t help you. I’m not taking you to Saudi Arabia for your first trip out, and that’s that. But you’re right: you won’t be doing anything without my permission first.”

“Approve is a strong word.” Ingird knew how important backing someone could be, even if she wasn’t officially endorsing her cousin right now by saying something. Still, being diplomatic about it was the best way to go about things, and she didn’t want to throw her weight behind family (despite knowing she’d eventually end up throwing her weight behind her family because Tricketts stick together). “I think you should go for it if that’s your goal, and I think that the only approval you should seek is your own.” Faux words of wisdom if she ever did spout some. Her old professors would have been pleased.

The way Frida reacted, an outsider would have thought Ingrid was threatening the poor girl. Sure, she was annoyed, less than pleased that Marcus still managed to haunt her even during her fleeing from his presence (not that she’d call it that, of course). Part of her felt slightly bad for subjecting Frida to this, but at the same time, Ingrid needed to get it across that Marcus was not a subject that she was keen on discussing. The man was an off limits topic and she would not tolerate it being brought up lightly. “No, Frida. I actually don’t know what you’re going to say. Perhaps you should just spit it out already.”

A soft sigh escaped Ingrid as she listened to Frida move on, rattling off something about a place with desert and ice cream. “Ice cream is lovely, spicy food sounds wonderful, I don’t need to rush, and peppermint. Peppermint ice cream is my favourite despite it being a traditionally seasonal flavour.” The answers were rattled off methodically, and it was clear that she’d just be following her cousin around anyway so she didn’t bother listing any suggestions on where to eat.

Curiosity was taking over Frida's body like a parasite as she listened to her cousin attentively. The word oppression sounded alarm bells in the sunny woman's mind and the curiosity dissipated instantly. She frowned as she responded "Oppression? That... That doesn't sound nice. If it isn't nice, I don't want to know. I like to hear happy things!" Fri's eyes sparkled as Ingrid mentioned another foreign country that the brunette had never been to. Japan.... It sounded wonderful! "Japan? Where's Japan? Is it pretty? Do they have lots to do? Do they have good food there? Oh and muggles! I love muggles! What about the magical folk? Are they friendly too? Have you been there before, Ingrid?"
She sucked in a large breath of air, finally remembering how to breath after her round of questions. Looking at Ingrid in defiance, Frida sighed as she realised her look wouldn't work on her cousin. "If they don't have nice history... I might not want to go after all... They may be bad." It seemed a logical line of reasoning for the Hufflepuff alumna. "No, we'll go to Japan instead! For how long? What should I bring? Can I take Poof with me? He's small so he could fit in luggage! .... That might suffocate him though... Ooh! I'm so excited!"
The ministry worker was grinning from ear to ear once again at the proposal of a new, nice country to go to with her cousin.

Fri blinked in confusion twice before tilting her head to the side. Strong word? What's that supposed to mean? Realising she didn't know how to respond to a comment she didn't understand, she filled in the blank with a quiet "Mm-hmph!" She wasn't sure whether she was supposed to agree or disagree, so she choose the more optimistic of the two. Frida beamed as she listened to the wise words of Ingrid. She's so smart! "It is my goal... and I think... I have my approval? I hope I do! But... but... You're so clever and wise Ingrid! Why? How? Thank you!"

The brunette realised her face felt funny. It was due to not smiling for quite a long time. Her muscles had grown quite accustomed to its smiley position and Frida wished for it to be pain free and yet it couldn't. She couldn't smile. To Fri, her cousin had always been so lovely and it was difficult to watch her act so cold and indifferent towards her. It was an innocent question that she had asked, but Frida knew deep down why it affected the fellow Trickett so much, even if the brunette couldn't put it into words properly. Listening to Ingrid's icy tone made another confused look appear on the Hufflepuff alumna's face. Ingrid does know. She just wants me to say it. ...Fine. I will. "Well, its just... You and Marcus... you don't... love each other anymore... do you?" There. Done and dusted. Despite thinking it resolved, a nagging feeling made Frida question her decision. Her cousin was beginning to scare her now, an emotion the usually sunny woman only realised once she felt herself backing away from Ingrid, palms open. "Please, can we stop now. You're... you're scaring me." Her voice cracked and Fri looked down at the floor in shock and weakness.

A lot happier once they had left the building, Frida enjoyed listening to her cousin's methodical answers.  It made it easier to understand and to remember. "Yay! I'm so glad you agree! Its great to have a cooling ice cream right after a hot curry... Then you get the best of both worlds! Oh? You don't? That's wonderful! We can spend the whole lunch break together! Ooh! Ooh! We both like minty ice creams! Its like we're related!" Hang on a minute... "Oh wait! We are related! Haha!"

Eyes flitting about as she hurried along, she found the place she was searching for straight away. It was quite far off... Frida picked up the pace as she skipped along the path not even bothering to check Ingrid was following. Eventually she arrived to her favourite destination. "This is it! The best restaurant ever! Go on! Open the door! Open the door!" 

"It's not." The words were curt, and for a second, Ingrid felt bad. But it reminded her far too much of what had just happened here. Oppression wasn't something that was a far off idea, but had been a very real part of their life for a little while. That was a terrifying fact, and Ingrid's mouth set into a hard line for a second before she could shake it off. "Japan is in the Pacific Ocean near China. It's an extremely pretty area, especially in the spring. The food is wonderful, and the muggles are oddly charming." It was Ingrid's way of saying that they were polite and yet clueless. While magic still wasn't something to be cast everywhere, it was much easier to get away with "forgetting" that depending on the situation. "The magical folk are polite, and I have indeed been there before." She didn't mention that she was working on relations with the Prime Minister of Japan, nor that she was well acquainted with many of the diplomats from that particular area.  They weren't always nice, but they were polite, and she could respect that. Another sigh escaped her as she realized just how much of a headache this was going to be. Frida was shooting off questions rapidly, and Ingrid almost couldn't keep up. "We'll plan everything out when I have some free time to take you, alright? For now, let me take care of that."

The fact that Ingrid's comment went over her cousin's head was both wonderful and slightly worrying. At least she didn't take it the wrong way, but one day Ingrid would have to sit the other woman down and explain exactly what she meant. If only to save her from her stupid ex, who would certainly be using the same language that Ingrid did. I swear to Merlin, if Marcus messes with my cousin I'm going to hex him again and leave him tied up for his assistant to find. Instead of scowling at the thought, though, she just smiled. "I try, dear. Perks of having wise people around me, I suppose." She didn't clarify who, and she didn't want to. Neither Leah nor Kendrick needed their egos stroked.

"No, Frida. We don't." It was hard for Ingrid not to make a snarky comment at her. Of course they didn't love each other... Marcus wanted some halfbloods to be treated like muggleborns as if it all actually mattered. There was a pause, and she took in the sight of her cousin. The fact that she managed to scare her enough to get a physical reaction was shocking, and Ingrid felt slightly pleased. Good. Perhaps she'll learn something from this."I want you to remember this, Frida: we don't talk about Marcus. We don't talk to Marcus. We don't associate with Marcus. Understood?"

At least that was behind them. They could enjoy lunch in peace and perhaps Frida would take away something from all of this. "Indeed. It's as if we're family even." Her deadpan was refreshing after the earlier serious comments. The fact that it took Frida that long to realize that they were cousins was slightly concerning; had she been dropped on her head as a child? Perhaps. The jury was still out on that one.

Ingrid smirked and did as her cousin said, letting her step in before following suit. The place looked like it had good food, although part of that could have been her stomach talking. The smell, at least, was fabulous. "Well, you know how to pick them."

Frida jumped back in surprise. Her cousin's answer was short but it certainly wasn't sweet and it was exactly that fact that made the brunette decide she wouldn't question Ingrid any further on it. If it was a horrible history Fri wanted no part of it. She was sensitive to such things and was a lover of all things good. Her mind wandered to pleasant daydreams of bold and daring adventures to the great Pacpific... the great Percific.... the great.... "The what ocean? Per-ri-cific? Weird name! Where's China? By pretty do you mean its colourful? Do they have beautiful flowers or... pink trees? Do they have pink trees? That would be amazing! Food! Good food is wonderful! I can't wait to go! Charming muggles? Oh, it sounds perfect. Like a dream world..." The Trickett's voice gradually trailed off and faded away as she began to think of a world where everyone was happy and the food was spicy and the rain was made of chocolate and trees were pink and.. Did she say she's been there before? "Oh, you have? Ooh, ooh, what did you do? Was it fun? Or was it for work? I mean, work is fun too but holidays are fun-er! Did you meet anyone? Did you bring back souvenirs?" Frida couldn't believe this was happening. Ingrid was really going to take her to this magical land! A deep breath in and a slow shaky breath out tried to calm her down but it didn't help a smidgen. She was far too excited now. "Ooh, okay! But when? When are you free? When am I free? ...When am I free? Hmm... Take care of what? Take care of what?" The ministry worker's speech came through as short, sharp bursts as she jumped around in excitement. It wasn't everyday she was invited to go to a foreign land!

Wise people? "Who? you must be really lucky then! I think I'm surrounded by millions of wise people and they all seem to say so much more witter comments than me... What if its me? Do you think if I spent more time with them I might ameliorate myself enough so that I can be like you?" Wiseness. Something Frida had learned to associate with age. The older you were, the wiser you were. Perhaps I'll be as wise as Ingrid when I'm as old as she is now. Yes, Fri thought nodding to herself vigorously. That is acceptable. I can wait.

Ooh, ouch. The curt words were like sharp daggers in Frida's soul. It was so sad. For love to just be suddenly lost and to turn into obvious hate... It was heartbreaking for the brunette to witness it. True love was meant to last forever and her mother had always told her that it was the most powerful magic of all. None of the stories ever mentioned that it could fade away, nor did they say it would cause suffering. She wanted to believe that what she'd learned was true but looking at the family member before her made Fri question the basis of her ethical standards. "But... wasn't it true love? It can't just fade away! And it'd never cause pain! I was raised with the principle that true love was the most powerful and longest lasting magic of all time! Unless... you didn't... truly love Marcus?" Frida quickly shook her head and blinked back some tears, bravely trying to make them disappear before Ingrid saw. That was totally crazy. You don't get engaged to someone you don't love. So then why? Well, thats a mystery to discover by myself! It can be a new adventure! At that thought a small smile creeped back onto her visage. At Ingrid's request, the 'sunshine' turned away from her cousin clutching her elbow much like a child. "No." The single syllable was sharp and it made Frida clasp her mouth in surprise. That wasn't supposed to come out. Still refusing to face the blonde woman, Frida chose to continue. "I can only agree to the first I'm afraid. you're not thinking logically here . I have to talk to him. Its my job to talk to him. I was his intern after all, and as such we're still sort of partners! Hee hee! Plus, the rest of the department would suffer a bit... Besides, I like him! He's nice! And he is my friend! I can respect certain things but you can't control who I talk to! I always thought you were the kindest, most lovely person in the whole world... I wouldn't want that to change. I know you don't like him and I promise I'll never say his name in front of you again, but please. Let me do my job. After all, we've planned to be the dream team of head and deputy head of the Broom Regulation Office one day, you know!" With promotions and teamwork aflutter in her head, she finally turned back towards Ingrid, resuming the much earlier bouncing all the while giggling merrily.

Ingrid had made a joke! It had taken Frida several moments to realise this but after a couple of blinks the Trickett realised it was a joke! "Ha ha ha! You're so funny, Ingrid!"

As she stepped inside, Fri's eyes closed and she breathed in the heavenly exotic scent of her beloved eating place. The sunny woman waved to everyone she knew as she listened to her cousin. She likes it! "you like it? Oh, I'm so happy! This has been my favourite for years and years!" Frida rapidly clapped her hands together before grabbing one of Ingrid's hands and attempted to drag her to a table. Removing her coat, she hopped onto a chair and adjusted herself so that she was sitting cross legged. Looking at her cousin, Fri asked "What'd you want to drink? Have whatever you'd like... My treat to you! Hee hee!"