[Jenny Roberts]

Location: Magic Neep Grocery • Date: 23 May 2023

The end of another long day of work say Jenny in need of something to eat that did not come out of some sort of grease covered-bag. There she was, feeling up the avocados of her local Magic Neep, when her cell phone rang.

She looked at caller ID and let out a long, protracted sigh followed by indistinguishable muttering.

"What," she snapped at the caller on the other end. Her eyes rolled as she listened to the caller on the other end. She dropped the avocado she was holding into her reusable shopping bag and reached for another.

"What do you want me to do about it? You're my assistant; what is the point of paying you to do your job if I have to do it for you? There are hundreds of non-magical girls who would love to take your job from you, Hermione. There are thousands of resources available for you to learn how to work a computer. Find one. Use it. And never, ever call me after I've left the office again."

She spoke fast and when she hung up, she hit the 'End Call' button without giving the young girl on the other end a chance to respond.

Sometimes she really missed the old days of flip phones. Ending a frustrating call by slamming the phone shut was so much more satisfying.

[Reiner Liebhart]

Reiner needed food.

There was nothing in his flat, and he was hungry. The job he'd just gotten back from had been long, and difficult. More difficult than usual. He was tired, and sore from sleeping sitting up the night before, and Reiner had never felt older. Hopefully the loan he'd applied for with the bank so that he could open up shop as a magical private eye would come through. Then he could cancel his contract with the Ministry and kiss this life goodbye. After twenty five years in this business, it would be a change. But a welcome one, with the way his body was screaming at him today.

He hadn't even taken the time to shave the bushy beard he typically grew on the job before leaving home. He usually let it grow while he was away, it took too much time to trim it while he was busy hunting lowlifes. But now he was wandering the aisles of the local grocer, getting some suspicious side eye from other shoppers as he moseyed around throwing the bare necessities in his cart. He imagined he looked like a crazy hermit. Or, if he was being less generous, a homeless man.

That's when he saw her. Or, rather, he heard her. The pretty woman at the end of the aisle currently dressing down whoever was on the other side of that phone call. Reiner smirked as he listened to her give the caller - the woman's assistant, apparently - the what for.

"It's so hard to find good help these days, isn't it." He smiled at her knowingly as he threw a box of crackers into his cart.

[Jenny Roberts]

Jenny shifted her gaze from the organized home screen of her cell phone to Reiner and raised an eyebrow.

"Is this your way of offering your services?"

Her tone was not obviously playful nor clearly fiery. She was a master of neutral expression. It had taken her years to learn how to hide her feelings, but the skill had come in handy during her rise to Editor in Chief.

[Reiner Liebhart]

Reiner's cheek twitched as his smile curled into something closer to a smirk. Yeah, he'd happily offer his services to her any day of the week. Her expression was neutral - not playful, but not irritated with his eavesdropping. Reiner bit back the cheeky response on the tip of his tongue, but couldn't quite help himself.

"Could be. Is this your way of telling me you're interested in my services?"

[Random Event]

A black-clad man barged past the two in a haste, a bright red purse in his hand. Not far behind, an elderly woman scuttled after him in matching bright red shoes. Her shopping basket had been thrown behind her in an attempt to lighten herself.

"Stop! Thief! Stoooop!" She wailed, skirting between the two conversing, her cloak whipping behind her as she desperately tried to catch up to the hooligan, who was now a few yards from the doorway.