Clothing

Kia was never one to fidget. As a child, one of her punishments when disobedient was to stand against the wall with a pile of books on her head. If she moved or fidgeted and they fell, she had to start over. It taught her a great deal about patience (as well as proper posture) and she was finding it quite helpful while she stood there, waiting her turn for a job interview. But no matter how composed she was on the outside, inwardly Kia was a mess of nerves. Head held high and facing forward, she tried to ignore the other applicants chatting around her about the benefits of the job and how much they hated werewolves.

She was one of the few females in a room filled with strapping young men, most of which were right out of Hogwarts and still quite immature. She felt a few of them staring at her and she broke her perfect posture to tug at the hem of her skirt. She should have worn pants. It wasn't that she wasn't used to boys, since she grew up around her father, brother and the numerous workers on their ranch, but it was that she wasn't used to being dressed in such a way that drew so much attention. Her stage fright begin to act up and she found it harder and harder to keep her composure when she heard them chuckle and whisper behind her. Inwardly she prayed to any god that was listening that either she was called soon or they simply lost interest. Unfortunately, she was never that lucky.

"Well well well... What 'ave we 'ere?" Finally one of the more brazen men approached her, looking her over like a particularly good cut of meat. She kept her chin firm and her eyes forward, emotionless, as the rage built inside of her. His eyes made her feel dirty and his comments didn't help matters "... Ain't ye in the wrong place, luv? This is the Werewolf capture unit, not the line for welcome witches..." The titters and wolf calls from his lackeys finally spurned her to speak in her defense.

"I'm in the right line... But I am not sure you are... Magical Maintenance is on level three..." She said cooley, her narrowed eyes meeting his "...Can't you count?... Or are you stupider then you look?" Her comment was met with even louder laughter and jeers of 'oooooh' as the man flushed at the corners of his cheeks, obviously not prepared for what he had thought was some airhead snarking back at him. "Oh so the bitch has a mouth on 'er..." he sneered, rounding in front of her and standing far too close for her liking. She could see the traces of a hangover in his bloodshot eyes and smelled old beer on his breath as he leaned towards her and murmured loudly "... 'ope that bravery o' yers don't get ye in trouble..." Reaching up, he cupped her chin with a calloused hand, "...'ate ta see such a pretty face get scarred up by a were..."`

Him touching her was the last straw and Kia lost her composure. In a move her father taught her as a child, to ward off someone trying to choke her, Kia grabbed the offending hand in a surprisingly firm grip. She looked slender and weak to those who didn't know her, but after years of wrangling dangerous creatures aside her father, Kia was anything but a weakling. "You. Don't. Get. To. Touch. Me..." She hissed, pulling her surprised attacker forward so that she could twist is arm behind his back and use his momentum to slam his face into the wall. There was a crunch and yelp, and when she let him go, he stumbled back with a bloody nose.

"Ib gunna kiw oo..." he growled while clenching his broken nose before bolting towards her like a deranged pitbull.

The young man charged towards her, but he didn't get more than a few steps before a flash of red light burst over him.  It was as if he'd been frozen mid-step.  With a severity that was almost comic in its suddenness, his knees locked and his body went stiff, making a fair impression of a wooden board before toppling forward like a tree being felled in the woods.

Kurby stared at the fallen figure for a moment, his wand still in hand.  Coolly, he glanced at the loitering applicants.  The hallway had gone silent; any chatter that might have been going on before one of their number had gone after the girl had ceased.

The werewolf hunter stared at them just long enough to make them uncomfortable, waiting for gazes to start to drop before he broke his own.  Suppressing an inward sigh, he stepped forward to examine the damage, lowering his wand.  Conflict between trainees was nothing new.  The WCU hardly attracted the best and the brightest, especially this time of year; most of the applicants had either failed out of other Ministry posts or were trying to change career mid-season, probably after Mum or Daddy had gotten sick of them still sitting around at home eight months after their Hogwarts graduation.

Usually, though, applicants waited until after they were accepted to the training program before picking a fight.  His expression still completely placid,  Kurby approached the fallen youth. Edging the toe of his boot underneath the stunned body, he kicked the boy over, peering intently at his features and his bloody, now swelling nose.

It was too bad.  At least this one had obviously taken initiative, which was more than he could say for most of the damned kids in the Unit; they'd rather gossip behind their desks than run after an actual werewolf. 

But maybe the situation could still be salvaged.

Completely without emotion, Kurby looked up at the young woman who was standing nearby, his gaze flickering over her expression, her stance.  "Did you do this?" he asked dispassionately.

With a speed that would have made her mother proud, Kia's wand slid effortlessly into her hand and she raised it as he begin to charge at her, a curse on her lips. "Stu..." she begin, only to be cut off when a flash of scarlet stopped the boy in his tracks, converting him into nothing more then a hulking piece of wood. His head even sounded hollow when he tumbled to the floor, but that was probably that way before. A tiny smirk played at the corners of her mouth but she quickly squashed it down in favor of a more unreadable expression. She discretely tucked her wand back into her robe and turned to face her savior.

She knew the moment she laid eyes on him that he was a senior WCU member. He was older then all the other applicants, though not by much[1], and had the ragged air of someone who had seen and dealt with more then any man should. There was also the fact that the rest of the applicants, who had been whispering and giggling amongst themselves, became deathly quiet when they saw who was standing there. She deduced that he must be someone pretty notable.

With her previous fury waning with each consecutive moment, Kia begin to feel a hint of fear creep into its place. She didn't like the fact that everyone was glaring her down and his calculating stare was making her feel naked and vulnerable. She was more then grateful to move politely out of his way so that he could focus on her attacker instead, admiring[2] her handiwork. She felt a mix of pride and dread as he studied the bloodied nose.

"Did you do this?"

She tried not to let her nervousness show when he looked back up at her, uncertain how to reply. She didn't want to ruin her chances at getting the job by acting like she was proud of attacking another applicant. At the same time, however, she felt that her actions were justified and that she had no reason to feel like she had done anything wrong. Chin held up firmly, but not too high, she replied as calmly as she could "Yes, Sir. I did." She felt that at least some explanation was needed and added curtly "He touched me without my permission and I reacted accordingly." It was difficult to keep her expression calm when her comment sparked a new wave of murmurs through the group, especially when she heard one of the other applicants mutter to his friend '...Now the stuck-up bitch is gonna get it. Serves her right...messing with Paul like that...'

1.	This was unsurprising considering how high the death/mortal injury rate was in the WCU
2.	or perhaps criticizing, she couldn't tell. His expression was inscrutable.

Kurby took his time examining the woman, studying her with a discerning eye.  Though the Werewolf Capture Unit was far from the most popular career choice at the Ministry, the recent tougher economic times had made any job hard to come by.  It wouldn't be the first time that a hopeful applicant had decided to better his or her chances by starting a fight while waiting in the queue.

It was this sort of nonsense that usually tried his patience.  The Werewolf Capture Unit had a reputation for being rough-and-tumble, but impulsive, antagonistic youths were usually more trouble than they were worth.  The WCU needed aggression, but they needed controlled aggression.  Anyone who came into the Unit with the idea that they were going to single-handedly play hero usually didn't last long beyond their first full moon.

Somewhere behind him, Kurby heard one of the other applicants mutter a smart remark under his breath.  Without changing his expression, he turned and stared at the new speaker, keeping his gaze locked on the boy until long after he had withered under the attention and uncomfortably looked away, shuffling his feet.

The girl was bold - probably too bold - but it was worth making the point by bringing her in.  Kurby barely glanced at the unconscious boy, flicking his wand at him as he spoke a quick "Ennervate."

"Anyone else who's got a problem can run home and cry to their mammy," he informed the group in general, as he turned away from the slowly awakening man.  "You're next," he informed the young woman over his shoulder, as he started back towards the office.

"Ennervate."

The idiot begin to stir and Kia was glad when the attention was diverted towards him. Her stage fright was seriously beginning to flair up with both her potential boss and all the other applicants glaring at her. She took a moment to breath as some of the other applicants went to help up their fallen friend and as Bagnold turned to glare at the smartass behind him. Though she seemed so calm and collected outwardly, Kia was a mess inwardly. This was all a big misunderstanding and as it dawned on her that she might not get the job for being so quick tempered, she felt a wave of panic creeping up on her.

"Anyone else who's got a problem can run home and cry to their mammy, You're next,"

As they entered his office, Kia felt the familiar urge to explain herself, as most were apt to do in this situation, creep up on her. She felt that perhaps he had assumed the worst about her, that she was some overcompensating douche like many of the other applicants out there, and she wanted desperately to explain herself. However, she didn't feel she had to apologize for protecting herself and that any attempt to would sound contrived or like she was whining. Instead, she sat there with her hands resting on her crossed legs and her head held high. Though her expression was neutral and unconcerned, the way she discretely toyed with the silver ring on her left hand revealed her inner turmoil. " I appreciate you seeing me sir..."

Mainwaring had turned over his office for the interviews, so he led the young woman in there, ignoring the curious looks from the other members of the WCU as conversations stilled and they peaked over the walls of their own cubicles.  The girl took a chair without a word from him, sitting up straight and still as she held her head high.

" I appreciate you seeing me sir..."

"Don't," Kurby said shortly, dropping into the chair behind the desk.  A copy of the interview questions, written nicely in good calligraphy by some poor well-meaning scribe for Level Four, lay on the surface in front of him, but he ignored them.  Interview questions were a waste of time.  He could get what he wanted to know in other ways.

"You broke that kid's nose," he informed her, dark eyes locked on hers.  "You ruined his chance of gettin' a job.  If some idiot can't control himself when he's waitin' in queue, there's no way in hell he's goin' to do what I tell him to when there's a werewolf runnin' him down."

"So tell me."  He arched his eyebrows just enough to communicate that he wasn't about to accept some nonsense answer.  "Why should I believe that you haven't ruined your own chances, too?"

"You broke that kid's nose, You ruined his chance of gettin' a job.  If some idiot can't control himself when he's waitin' in queue, there's no way in hell he's goin' to do what I tell him to when there's a werewolf runnin' him down."

Kia was tempted to quip something about how much higher the life expectancy for WCU members would be if idiots like him didn't apply, but thought better of it. She was already on thin ice as it was, as made clearly evident by the glare he was blessing her with.

"So tell me. Why should I believe that you haven't ruined your own chances, too?"

Most people would have sunk in their seat like a wounded puppy faced with a ruined slipper under that gaze. It was almost deadly in its ferocity and Kia was sure that there had been plenty of strong men reduced to tears because of it, but it wasn't going to work on her. Her mother had taught her better then to let someone stare her down. Granted, since he was her superior, she couldn't glare back at him in fear of losing any chance to be hired, but that didn't mean she had to act defeated. Instead, she kept her gaze steady and guarded, answering his questions calmly and professionally.

"Sir, with all due respect, while my actions might have been a bit heavy-handed I didn't react in haste or in a blind rage. I was protecting myself and I believe that one of the most important aspects of a Werewolf Capture unit member is to remain calm under pressure and react with confidence." Her speech was a bit long and wordy, as it normally was when she was more nervous then she was letting on. Realizing he might label her as too cerebral to survive in such a physical line of work, Kia quickly added "... Besides, as you will see in my resume, I am experienced with both defensive wandwork and unarmed combat... and I have a good deal of experience handling dangerous creatures...." She hoped to Merlin that she didn't sound like a braggart.

Kurby listened silently, crossing his arms against his chest as he slouched back in the seat.  The young woman was cool, unflappable -- he could certainly believe that she hadn't struck anyone in a rage.  Even if he were trying to goad her now, she wasn't rising to the bait.

He listened, carefully, as she rattled off her credentials, not letting anything show in his expression until her final statement.

The werewolf hunter threw back his head, barking out a laugh.  "Dangerous creatures?" he asked with a smirk.  "Werewolves aren't dangerous, kid.  They're four hundred pounds of teeth and muscle and appetite that only cares about eatin' you for dinner."  He flashed the girl a slow smile that showed all of his teeth.  "Stayin' calm when you've got some brute runnin' at you is all well and good, but try keepin' your wits about you when something's tryin' to chew your face off."

"Why the hell are you interested in the WCU, then?" he asked bluntly, giving her a dismissive look.  He'd wager that he could answer the question himself; only two types of people ever joined the Werewolf Capture Unit, and he didn't take this young woman to be the bleeding heart, hair flipping Fauna Blake sort.  "If you're so good with defensive wandwork, the Magical Law Enforcement Squad is hirin', and there's plenty of other places on Level Four where you can go play with dangerous creatures," he finished, a mocking edge to his smirk.  "You ever even seen a werewolf, kid?"

"Dangerous creatures? Werewolves aren't dangerous, kid.  They're four hundred pounds of teeth and muscle and appetite that only cares about eatin' you for dinner. Stayin' calm when you've got some brute runnin' at you is all well and good, but try keepin' your wits about you when something's tryin' to chew your face off."

As hard as she tried, Kia couldn't help narrowing her eyes when he said this. What an ass. If he had spent more then two seconds reading her resume, he would have seen that she had dealt with dragons, among other things. His condescending grin suggested that he assumed she was over-exaggerating her qualifications, which was just insulting. If anyone else had talked to her like that, she would have smacked him one and walked out, but the idea of quitting a job because of some jerkoff who thought it was funny to mock others didn't sit well with her. She was too competitive to let him force her to walk out.

"Why the hell are you interested in the WCU, then? If you're so good with defensive wandwork, the Magical Law Enforcement Squad is hirin', and there's plenty of other places on Level Four where you can go play with dangerous creatures, You ever even seen a werewolf, kid?"

That was it, she couldn't... no, she wouldn't sit by and let him bully her out of a job. "No... I haven't. I have seen the effects of a werewolf attack... But no, I haven't seen one face to face. But have you seen one of these?" Reaching up, she pulled out the large fang hanging on a knotted silver chain around her slender neck. She held it up so he could see it clearly "You wanna talk dangerous? This is the smallest fang from a Peruvian Vipertooth... 400 pounds? Try two tons. Teeth and claws? Try a mouthful of these, some twice its size, covered in the most deadly poison in the western hemisphere. Like to eat humans? Try them being their primary diet. Oh and unlike werewolves, they don't have just one night a month that they go on the hunt, they hunt all the time."

With each word she had moved forward towards him until she was nearly out of her chair and on his desk. Sitting back, she regained her composure and continued, her voice strained with her attempt to hide her anger. "My father and I took the owner of this tooth down not more then two months ago, and it was the smallest dragon I have had to deal with. So if I am not good enough to join your little werewolf haters club, then I'd like to see who is. Because last time I checked, this department was in sore need of people who could live past their first encounter...." She tilted her head to the side, with a blank expression but a smirk in her voice "...Or am I wrong?"

The werewolf hunter's eyes narrowed at the young woman's tirade.  Apparently his judgement that she was cool-headed and even-keeled had been premature.  The needling did exactly what it shouldn't have, as the applicant seized the opportunity to show off her jewelry and deliver an impromptu lecture on dragons.

Kurby waited until she was finished, his expression unconcerned.  At the final challenge, he gave a snort.

"No," he said curtly, meeting and holding her gaze.  "This unit is in need of people who can play by the rules and follow orders, not prattle on and on about what they've done on their own.  I don't care about you livin' through your first encounter.  What I give a damn about is makin' bleedin' well sure that everyone else you're with does the same thing."

Shaking his head, he pushed himself to his feet.  "Believe it or not, kid, this 'little werewolf haters club' is a team," he said, drawing out the word for emphasis.  "If you can't even deal with me pushin' you without losin' your temper in an interview, you're not going to last long in the field.  I'll take a couple of teenagers straight out of Hogwarts who can keep their mouths shut and do what I tell 'em to over some cocky dragon handler any day."

Kia didn't hear a lot of what he was saying, the blood was pumping furiously in her ears and had left her deaf, But she had heard enough of it. Outwardly, she was stiff as a board and cold as ice, but inwardly she was fuming. How dare he suggest that she wasn't someone who could follow orders and work in a team! Kia always followed the rules and to suggest otherwise was an insult to her integrity, which now meant he had insulted her three times, the first two being her intelligence and skill. As for working as a team, well Kia would admit she was always more of a 'lone ranger' sort, but she could work with others if the need called for it. What she wasn't sure about is if she could work under such a pompous, overconfident wanker.

However, one thing he said did ring true, as much as it pained her to admit it, and that was that she had failed to remain calm. Remaining calm under pressure was something her mother had instilled in her from a young age, and the fact that she had so spectacularly failed was probably bringing her mothers spirit much shame. Forcing herself to stop seeing red, Kia tried to relax and regain her previous composure. It was difficult considering she was being harassed despite having done nothing to really deserve it.

Technically, she didn't even need this job. It wouldn't be any skin off her back to stand up, give Bagnold an indication of what he could do with himself and leave. The old clinic was still in her families name and she could easily reopen it. But that wasn't the point of joining the WCU anyways. She wasn't in it for money or honor, and sure as hell wasn't in it for her own entertainment. It was for her brother. She had sworn on her life that she would find the bastard that hurt Kale and she had dedicated years to studying so she could be ready to face a real life werewolf. She would be damned if she let an egotistical bully like Bagnold keep her from completing her promise.

Unfortunately this meant that she had to swallow her pride and show him exactly what he wanted, that she was a well-behaved little girl who could follow directions. Her fingers balled into fists, her nails digging little half-moons into her palms, as she took a deep breath and apologized, "... You're right. You need people who are calm under pressure and I have obviously shown that I need work in that department..." Her eyes bored into the wall across from her, trying hard not to show how much this hurt to say "... I apologize for the impudence and I feel that we have gotten off to a bad start. I do feel that I could be an asset to the team if you would give me a chance to prove myself... I know I can do better."

Kurby studied the younger woman's face, his own expression inscrutable.  She had a temper, but she'd reigned it in.  If she was as spectacularly out of control as he thought she might be, it wouldn't take her long to crack under the pressure.  And if she wasn't, she might be worth the chance.

"One month," he told her shortly.  "You're on probation.  We'll see how you do with trainin' and how you hold yourself at the next full moon, and then we'll talk.  But," he added, his tone deadly, "I get one bit of attitude or see any more trainees end up with questionable injuries and you're out.  No questions.  Doesn't matter if you started it or they did; any problems and you're out."

He pushed the chair in and stepped over to the door, holding it open for the woman.  There was no doubt from his body language that it was time to leave.  "Show up at 7:30 tomorrow morning.  You'll start then.  Your name?" he asked her bluntly, giving her a measuring look.

"One month, You're on probation.  We'll see how you do with trainin' and how you hold yourself at the next full moon, and then we'll talk.  But, I get one bit of attitude or see any more trainees end up with questionable injuries and you're out.  No questions.  Doesn't matter if you started it or they did; any problems and you're out."

"...Yes, sir. Thank you." She said stiffly, taking the final blow stoically. She didn't want him to know how insulting it was to be put on probation like some lowly delinquent, especially considering her credentials. It wasn't like she was just out of Hogwarts without any experience or real world application, it was because he didn't like her. She stood up to him and his response was to punish her for it. Yet she had to admit it was better then nothing, he could have just denied her and blackballed any of her other attempts to get hired. At least he was giving her a chance and she had to respect that, no matter how much the idea made her sick.

"Show up at 7:30 tomorrow morning.  You'll start then.  Your name?"

"Kia Ferris..."...learn it and remember it well, asshole, cuz I am here to stay... she added in the back of her mind. No wonder the turn over rate of employees was so high in the WCU, if they weren't killed off while on duty, they were probably chased off by their surly supervisor. But she wasn't going to be just another statistic like the rest of them. She wasn't going to die and she sure as hell wasn't going to let him bully her out of something she worked so hard for. He'd learn soon enough that she was far stronger and more determined then he ever imagined.

Standing, she straightened her skirt and robe, composing herself so no one outside the door would be any the wiser about had happened in there. "See you tomorrow." She said, more as a formality then out of any sort of excitement. Turning sharply on her heel, she nearly stomped out of the room, glaring daggers at the sheepish expressions of the people listening outside of the door. Not fifteen minutes later, she had flooed home and stomped into her room, her muttering and cursing under her breath garnering strange looks from her flatmates. Once in her room, she stripped off her interview clothes and grabbed a piece of paper off of her dresser. With a black marker she drew a crude picture of Kurby and affixed it to her punching bag. And then, for the next hour, she pummeled the bit of paper into a nothingness.