nonviolent communications | renard

[zenevieva mira novell]

━ 've given up too much to stop now. ━

12th june 2028

FOR THE LAST...YEAR OR two, Zenevieva Novell was the grunt (intern) of the Beast Division. Being a half-vampire herself and even upon moving to the UK so long ago, the Novell knew she wanted to work within the Ministry. It was the need to be helpful and considerate towards others, and even after a change of attitude the more the blonde grew, the determination to help never wavered. Well. Until she joined as an intern that was.

Graduates were required to at least intern for two years, meaning that Zen's internship was coming to an end this summer. Finally. It wasn't complete hell in the Beast Division, but going from an area where she was free to socialise to restricted within an office, reverting back to her introverted-ness while chasing coffee orders or general orders for her superiors wasn't entirely ideal. Most days during the week the half-vampire was assigned to work alongside Renard Goyle.

Goyle was a familiar last name no less, but throughout Zen's time at Hogwarts, she barely spoke with the older Goyle's younger sister. So it was..just as awkward to speak to Renard whenever she needed to. Placing some papers down on the free space next to him, Zen breathed a little deeply. Carrying papers while her magic shakily held another stack up a few flight of stairs was all she needed that day. "Here..are the reports you requested from..December '27 till now.."

| renard walt goyle |

[renard walt goyle]

▲

The Beast Division notably dealt with common household pests, though the occasional rare nuisance appeared that had to be handled swiftly. Renard had just finished the paperwork on his unusual dealings with a Graphorn that had suddenly appeared in the Kiedler Forest and was getting extremely close to the muggle village of Butteryhaugh. He had never heard of the place before, and was not surprised when he arrived there to find that it was easily smaller than Diagon and Horizont Alleys combined. Based on the reports, the locals seemed to have believed that a wild bear had reappeared, an animal that had supposedly disappeared from England centuries earlier. Obviously that was going to draw the attention of muggle scientists, so once the Ministry caught word and sent someone out to see what the actual cause was, it came back reported as a Graphorn. And a very curious one at that. Renard had never actually seen a Graphorn in person – only their horns for potion-making - but per his research it had the possibility of being extremely dangerous. Having headed out in a state of preparation that was probably beyond what was required, he was surprised to see that the creature was…friendly? The happy greeting of its tentacled maw had left him covered in a sticky saliva of sorts, though it could have been worse. Once the creature handlers arrived to whisk it away, he was in great need of a shower. Thankfully that left the paperwork brief, as there was very little of note to write about it. His theories of illegal transportation or breeding were unfounded of course, so unless another Graphorn appeared on the outskirts of Butteryhaugh in the Kiedler Forest, it would remain a mystery.

So engrossed in finishing this report quickly, he hadn’t even noticed his frequent intern, now newly minted colleague, standing in front of his desk, the reports he had requested in her hands. “That’s our next job,” he muttered without looking up from the Graphorn brief. “Various dealings with ghouls over the last six months by the Ghoul Task Force. They don’t seem to see a correlation between all of the recent appearances of the creatures, but they never do because they’re so far up their own-” He stopped himself as his pen circled in the last period of his report, looking up at Novell at the same time. “I am under the impression that Horizont Alley has a particularly nasty ghoul infestation. Some of those reports have notes of slime and other viscous liquids found on the scenes, but without any ghouls in sight. Obviously we all know that ghouls are loud and smelly, so unless they’ve learned to keep after themselves, we need to figure out what’s going on.” Renard had a theory that this was a case of a roving Chameleon Ghoul, as they were particularly hard to hunt down by normal standards. Why the Ghoul branch couldn’t figure this out was beyond him, but it wasn’t his job to tell them how to do theirs, as much as he wished he could do that. The only other possibility was that the perpetrator was a Hidebehind…but considering no one had been attacked yet, he found that unlikely. Whatever this creature was, he and Novell would figure it out.

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[zenevieva mira novell]

━ 've given up too much to stop now. ━

ORGANISING THE PAPERS WHILE THE Goyle wrote, Zen used her magic to assist with the task. She hadn't realised that he was preoccupied with something else, but instead was only doing what she was instructed to. Listening as Renard spoke, the Novell hummed to show that she was paying attention, before she cleared her throat as he cut himself off, finding herself standing a little awkwardly as he looked up at her.

For Zen, there was the underlying suspicion from Renard and others in the office despised the higher ups, but it wasn't the Novell's place to say anything or even assume. Though, nodding as Renard continued, Zen's brows furrowed as she began to think. "So maybe the first thing to look into is the reports that highlight the slime or liquid comparable to the others? To find any small pattern between those, as usually they would state what kind of slime or liquid it is right? Mass..density, colour and odour?"

| renard walt goyle |

[renard walt goyle]

▲

"Bingo," he pointed at Novell with his pen, before returning to the report in front of him. She was easily the best new employee he'd had since starting himself. Always on top of the situation and understanding the gravity of it all. Unlike those fools in the Ghoul Division. "This shouldn't even be our concern to begin with, but considering I was the one that started putting it all together, I don't see any problems with checking it out. If it ends up being nothing, then so be it. That happens when dealing with ghouls sometimes." He didn't look up at her once while saying all of this, instead focused on scribbling the last few details of his theories onto a fresh sheet of lined legal paper. He found the the oversized yellow pages were perfect for record keeping, and they were easily transferable over to official record keeping scrolls with a charmed quill.

Organizing everything related to the mysterious ooze into one pile, Renard tapped the sides together to make sure everything was even before clamping then together with a binder clip. Standing up, he dropped the reports and notes into his bag and fished his wand out from underneath another, different stack of paperwork. "Get whatever you need. Maybe some extra vials in case we stumble on some fresh...whatever this stuff is," he asked Novell. "We'll head out for Horizont in five. I just need to drop off this Graphorn report with the lead before we go."

Grabbing his older paperwork that he'd just completed, Renard left his desk and headed towards his boss's office. After a brief discussion about the report and where he was headed next, he was back onto the floor and ready to disapparate to Horizont whenever Novell was. This seemed like a relatively easy job. Their first stop, according to his list, was the flower shop run by the Flint girl. Easy enough. Their families went way back, so it would probably be easy to get details out of her.

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[zenevieva mira novell]

━ 've given up too much to stop now. ━

SMILING SMALL FROM THE PRAISE, Zen knew she loved striving for the best and proving she could always reach it. She had been an intern for a long while, and hoped that her efforts within the department was proof enough that she was ready for any position. Curious eyes wandered as the Goyle scribbled on another pad of paper but as quick as she looked, Zen looked away even faster. "Understood. But surely the Ghoul Division should take more...responsibility in this aspect? Or is this something we should record and comment upon in the report later down the line?.."

Standing straight as Renard stood, she nodded at his instruction, stepping out of the way and off to firstly put reports away, the files that she had collected and would need later were left in a nice stack on her desk as well as to gather her things. The Novell then went off, grabbing extra vials and additional gloves and equipment they would probably need if they needed to record samples. No one wanted to touch..slimey or ghoul related liquids with their bare hands after all.

As Renard stepped out, Zen used her magic to help her with the stack as well as organise her things and the equipment into her brief-case. Once the door shut once more, signalling the Goyle's return, the Novell was ready, her coat resting over her arm. "I'm ready when you are. Vials, equipment, especially additional gloves all packed also."

| renard walt goyle |

[renard walt goyle]

▲

Unfortunately, if the two of them spent all day wondering about why the Ghoul division was or was not doing their jobs correctly, they would also be in violation of mucking up their own work. Renard had never really thought too highly of his colleagues there, mostly because they were all a tad odd. And not strange in the normal magical sense like most of their kind. More that they seemingly enjoyed catching ghouls. And talking about them endlessly. And pondering what it would be like to actually live with a few of them in the same house. When he had first started off in the department, he thought they were merely interested researchers. Sort of like magizoologists but for ghouls. Oh how wrong he had been. Plenty of eighteen-year-olds fresh out of Hogwarts would have thought that though. These guys were obsessed with ghouls in all of the unhealthiest ways. So Novell was right, in a way, that it shouldn’t be their job to figure this out. Whatever the Ghoul squad was doing, they apparently didn’t think this was the handiwork of one of theirs.

”Excellent. Shall we?” He lead the way towards the nearest jump zone, disapparating in a flash and finding his feet touching the ground in Horizont Alley. Smoothing out his hair and straightening his tie as he waited for Novell to land behind him, Renard glanced around the alleyway. It was quite dreary for a June day, though he really needn’t complain. The heat wave that had preceded this week had been brutal. For once, he was glad he lived in a rather modernized condo that happened to be equipped with air conditioning. These poor saps in Horizont most likely suffered through it with window fans and cooling charms.

He didn’t even wait to make sure it was Novell when he heard the tell-tale pop of an apparition behind him. The florist was just up ahead, and he really didn’t want to waste too much time dawdling about the shopping district contemplating the weather. He could do that the next time his dear wife had a conniption. ”Here’s where we’re going first,” Renard pulled out a copy of their destinations for the day and held it out for his junior colleague. ”I imagine the flower shop is a target for all sorts of magical nasties because of what they have in stock. I do wonder why we’ve never been called out prior to this though…” Wondering was all Renard could though, as his hand found the knob to the front door of the shop and he pushed his way inside.

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[zenevieva mira novell]

━ 've given up too much to stop now. ━

FOLLOWING RENARD'S LEAD, ZEN KNEW when conversations were due and when they met their end. She quite enjoyed the vibe or more so the feeling she had gotten from her superior, especially since she was always given direct or straight forward instructions from him. There was no beating around the bush at all. With Renard disapparating first, the Novell approached after, disapparating along with him, the sound of her arrival and the familiar clothing telling her she made it in one piece.

Usually, travelling in the most typical of wizard ways always fumbled with the half-vampire's stomach. Like motion-sickness to a No-Maj, but yet it didn't make sense as to why. Clearing her throat to signal she was there also, curious eyes wandered, taking in their surroundings before Renard pulled out a piece of paper. Zen's eyes scanned as she took the document, nodding at his instructions.

"Maybe they thought to never check it? Places or things that look 'normal' are always brushed under the carpet..even in departments like our own.." It was more of an assumption than fact, but in the few years Zen had spent as an intern, listening with sharp ears and careful eyes over reports that had flooded in, that tended to be the case.

Watching carefully as Renard opened the door, the half-vampire waited to step inside behind him. Despite it being the early afternoon outside, the flourist shop itself felt dimly lit. "Surely..they should be open for business now..no?"

| renard walt goyle |

[renard walt goyle]

▲

He hated that Novell was right about certain things being ‘brushed under the rug’. That was the Ministry in a nutshell! It was increasingly frustrating as it all started to pile up, and Renard had started to wonder why he put so much effort into his job. One of these days he’d be promoted and end up in a position where he could control the efforts of the department. Maybe then he’d understand it a little better. But no twenty-five-year-old was going to be doing that sort of job. Even if he did have a lot of field experience, he was starting to realize he was too good at it. Eventually someone up the ladder would figure that out as well and try to keep him permanently in his current role. ”It’s more that they don’t want to deal with it until it’s a problem. And now it is,” he grumbled as he looked around the extremely dark shop. Maybe his junior had a point, and the shop was closed currently…

There was the sound of shuffling in the back, whether from owner, employee, or ghoul, and Renard was positive that it was because the bell over the shop door had jingled as they abruptly entered. ”Ms. Flint?” he called back, craning his neck to see if he could spot any motion accompanying the sound. It felt strange calling her that, considering their families sort of went back to when their parents were in school. Glancing back at Novell, he took another couple steps forward into the shop. ”We’re following up on the report you made about the ghoul?” He was again met with silence, but heard a door somewhere deep into the store open and slam shut. Maybe she was in a different room. ”Hello?” he called again, a little louder before turning to his coworker, ”You’d think she’d be more worried about customers?” Another sound came from the back of the store, this time sounding like something was being dragged around. If the report had been about anything other than a ghoul, he wouldn’t have been too concerned. Motioning at Novell, Renard pulled his wand out and headed towards the source of the sound.

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[zenevieva mira novell]

━ 've given up too much to stop now. ━

FEELING CONFIDENT IN HER ASSUMPTIONS about the Ministry, it never clicked in the Novell's brain why she adored and loved the place. Considering Zen's history and what she had grown up with, she too wanted to make a change for beasts and creatures all over, but that would be far from possible if the Ministry didn't even take the smallest thing seriously.

"Hmm.." Zen replied, knowing that was typical almost anywhere. "Surely they all doubt themselves for letting a situation like this for say, get too far and as a result they have to clean up the mess.." Again, it was all just speculation and assumptions, but Zen knew this sort of thing could not have been enjoyable. As the two stepped further into the shop, Zen held back, keeping her wand tight in her grasp, just as Renard called out for Ms Flint, outlining what they were here for.

Immediately turning her head in the direction to where the door had slammed open and shut, Zen looked back at Renard, waiting for his cue. It would have been stupid to have made a sudden move, if they didn't know what they were up against. Following behind Renard, Zen quietly casted Lumos, allowing the charm to illuminate their path. There was nothing out of the blue, aside from tatters and scratches on the curtains that hung from the window, but it was safe to say they were not alone.

"Ms Flint?" Zen called out this time, perhaps chancing that the woman would prefer to hear a female voice. "We're not here to hurt you or anyone..just following up with the report as Mr Goyle just said."

| renard walt goyle |

[renard walt goyle]

▲

Despite there being history between the Goyles and the Flints, Renard couldn’t really think of a time where he had communicated with Aurelia Flint outside of an official capacity. And what he meant by that was simple pleasantries at ‘pureblood’ balls and parties that both would have been forced to attend whilst younger. After the implosion of the Flint family, his parents had pulled away from it. Which was easier with both heads of that family long dead now. Maybe in a different time and place, he would have been better affiliated with the Flint girl. All he knew of her now was that she owned this florist shop, and she had a ghoul somewhere on her premises. They had to find her first though.

Novell repeated what Renard had just said, adding in that they weren’t there to hurt her. He gave his junior a look, wondering where that came from. ”That’s the best way to get someone to not show up, by the way,” he warned her with a shake of his head. There was more shuffling in the back of the shop, and he walked deeper into it to try and figure out what was causing in. To his surprise, there was a woman, who he presumed to be Aurelia Flint, struggling with what looked to be a bag of mulch, and trying to put it up onto a shelf. Renard had plenty of questions, starting with why such a heavy object wasn’t kept on the ground and ending with why she didn’t just use magic to levitate it. Regardless, it made sense now why she hadn’t heard them, her focus all on her task at hand.

”Excuse me,” Renard cleared his throat as he approached. ”We’re here from the Beast Division. About the report you made on the ghoul?” The Flint girl stopped what she was doing, and looked surprised to see both he and Novell there. ”Oh right. I forgot about that…I think it was in the back of the basement.” Merlin, this girl was awkward sounding. Renard glanced at his colleague, trying not to make a face until the shopkeeper turned around and led them towards where he assumed were the stairs that led to the basement. It was always the basement.

Motioning with his head to Novell, Renard took the plunge down the stairs and into the basement, pulling his wand out and lighting the tip as he went. ”I doubt we’ll actually find a ghoul, but be ready for anything. There may be other things down here. Half of those plants she has up there draw all sorts of things in.” He’d already said that once before they got to the shop, but felt it was worth repeating. They had to stay on their toes.

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[zenevieva mira novell]

━ 've given up too much to stop now. ━

NOTICING THE LOOK SHE HAD gotten from her superior, Zen began to wonder if stating aloud that they weren't there to hurt anyone was a bad move or not. It was her first time actually out on the field since her internship, so she was still unsure of what she should or shouldn't of been saying. But truth be told, round trip visits usually caused some concern, thoughts of whether or not someone would be left injured..so the Novell simply wanted to reassure all parties.

"Understood.." She mumbled in response, feeling a little bad given the circumstances. With the scuffle of noise that came from the back of the store, the half-vampire followed after Renard, keeping an eye on their rear and surroundings behind them.

As Renard then began to speak to the woman that stood across from them, Zen's eyes narrowed, trying to point something that was out of the blue about her and their surroundings. Why had the shop been left the way it was if the Flint was still around?

Nodding discreetly as Zen somewhat took the hint to follow behind them all, Zen still kept her guard up even as they were guided to the basement. The need for Lumos now was stronger compared to before, as their surroundings continued to get even darker.

"Her plants? In what sense?" Zen muttered back, still keeping her defense up. Despite the tense environment, they were here for the ghoul after all. And if things were to get chaotic, the Novell was prepared for anything.

| renard walt goyle |

[renard walt goyle]

▲

Merlin, were they not teaching Herbology in school anymore? Renard didn’t think he’d been out of Hogwarts for that long, but apparently, he had. Or maybe this was an instance of Ilvermorny slacking. He knew that Novell had gone there for most of her education, with Hogwarts as an interlude. He kept his thoughts to himself though. They wouldn’t give him another underling if he managed to scare this one off too. The job required another competent mind, and so far, everything this girl had done seemed to indicate that she was fully capable. But her comment made him roll his eyes. Thankfully he was both ahead and in almost complete darkness, save the lumos lit wand, so she wouldn’t have been able to see him doing so.

”Sources of magic, especially plants, tend to draw in other sources of magic. Mostly because they’re stationary. You see it all the time with pests like chizpurfles or doxies,” he explained as his feet finally found the floor of the basement. The cool humidity that seeped into him as the clean air of the shop was left behind made him shiver slightly. Renard swore that he spent more time half-blind in basements or crawling through attics than he did upright these days whilst on the job. Why couldn’t anyone have a boggart in a wardrobe, or grindylow in their pools? He supposed that would make his job too easy. ”Anyways, I would theorize that Miss Flint has an obscene amount of magical plants, potions, and other odds and ends to keep said plants growing comfortably in our horrible climate year round. Which would lead to creatures like a ghoul to become interested in her shop.” It was all hypothetical though. They still needed to investigate the basement and see if a ghoul was actually here.

The blue glow of his wand eventually stopped at a stone wall. Renard turned to look at his colleague before motioning with his head that they were going to head for the closest corner. Ghouls like tight, cramped spaces away from all light. They needed to locate the darkest part of the basement for that. Aside from the normal sounds and smells of a basement, there didn’t seem to be a ghoul present currently, so that was good for them at the very least. ”We’ll start there,” Renard said as he saw his light bend in the shadows of a corner. ”Keep your eyes on the ground. If there’s any of that ooze, we’ll need to collect the samples.”

zenevieva mira novell ● 422

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[zenevieva mira novell]

━ 've given up too much to stop now. ━

TRUTH BE TOLD, DESPITE BEING a nerd in both Ilvermorny and Hogwarts once upon a time ago, Herbology was in fact one of Zenevieva's weaker subjects. In Ilvermorny it felt more of an..optional subject to listen upon, and as long as Zen passed, then her aunt was out of her hair about it. But knowing she felt rather stupid, somewhat disappointing not only Renard but herself for not being able to prove the point about working in difficult divisions within the Ministry, Zen decided there and then to simply keep quiet. She wanted to be someone others could actually rely on, but her first impression of being out on the field alongside the Goyle simply wasn't going right...

Nodding as she followed along, Zen figured that was probably one of the reasons for the ghoul sighting. Those stupid creatures loved any drop of magic. As the two of them reached the basement, the hairs on Zen's arms rose a little, feeling the slight change in the atmosphere as well as their environment. It felt hotter down here, perhaps with more plants around, but the chilly breeze they had felt on the shop floor was gone altogether. "That would make sense...kind of like drawing bees to a flower. But in the magical sense no less.."

Still following behind Renard, she kept her guard up. Eyes wandered along with her wand, so she could illuminate their surroundings a bit easier. Of course, Zen didn't need much need for it - considering her eyes fixated pretty well in the dark. Especially her crimson coloured one...The basement was ordinary looking, with the odd vine seemingly growing on the walls and dead leaves and branches on the floor. Perhaps Miss Flint had been moving plants in and out of the shop floor?

Taking note of Renard's cue, Zen nodded also, prepared to head towards the corner and to collect samples if she saw ooze. With the two of them turning the corner, the half-vampire kept her eyes to the ground. She couldn't see any signs of a ghoul, but ooze she did find.

"There.." She pointed out quietly, using her wand to illuminate part of the area. As he had mentioned, Zen moved forward just a tad, collecting the sample they would need. "Surely we have to be close. This is a clear sign of..something"

| renard walt goyle |

[renard walt goyle]

▲

The standard basement smells, of damp, dirt, and alchemical residue weren't strong enough to normally cover the stench of a ghoul. Renard didn't take the Flint girl for a fool; she'd made her report the second she thought there might be a nasty lurking in her basement, and it had merely taken his department this long to assign someone. Of course the thing would have left by now. Magical plants, for as much as they were attractive for some creatures, weren't exactly a solid source of nutrition for a ghoul (or whatever this thing was). Regardless, Renard was almost positive that it was just the two of them down there today. He couldn't smell anything out of the ordinary and he hadn't gotten the feeling that they were being watched or followed. Ghouls liked to lurk after all, and sneaking glances from shadowy corners was sort of their modus operandi.

As they turned the corner Renard had indicated, Novell made a noise and indicated that there was something in the ground. His eyes flicked to where she was, already collecting what looked to be another sample of the same ooze he had back at the office. "Well, it definitely looks the same," he huffed as he crouched down and observed it with his lit wand. "Won't know until we run some tests on it, of course, but I'm positive this is the same creature." Or type of creature. If there was actually a ghoul infestation, that would be beyond annoying. Because Renard knew it would fall back onto him to clean up since his colleagues in the actual Ghoul Department were lazy pieces of shit.

Getting back to his feet, Renard left his junior colleague to finish collecting her sample, and crept closer to the corner he had pointed out earlier. He wasn't surprised to see more of the gunk there. This had been its 'nest' of sorts before it moved on. Everything seemed to be dried up, or as dry as a sticky, viscous ghoul goop could be. "So this at least confirms it was here. More or less what the other reports have said. I don't have the foggiest about how long ago it left though..."

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[zenevieva mira novell]

━ 've given up too much to stop now. ━

CONTINUING TO COLLECT THE SAMPLE, Zen looked up momentarily at her supervisor as he crouched nearby, inspecting the ooze the same way she had done. "Like the sample recorded on file?" She questioned, knowing that Renard was probably referring to that. Zen continued nevertheless, knowing that it was better to have more samples on file in order to cross reference, record and retrace any missing evidence that could help the case. Not that there was any missing evidence in the first place...As the more they continued, it seemed to be the same kind of creature.

"If its a similar ooze, but with slight differences...wouldn't this truly be a ghoul infestation?" That only meant more ghouls to capture and deal with, and more hassle overall for the later paperwork...Sealing the samples, Zen snapped off the glove she had used, discarding off it before heading over to the corner that Renard had pointed out earlier.

Covering her 'regular' coloured eye with her hand, the Novell tried to inspect their surroundings with her 'vampiric' eye, but just saw the same kind of traces that they had seen across the basement. "I reckon a day or two...the goop is dried across the edges and there's not much debris on the floor..but why was the case assigned so late if we've missed the target?.."

| renard walt goyle |