Closed New Ground

[Fabian Cresswell]

There were plenty of perks when it came to relocating, even if it hadn't been Fabian's decision exactly. Aotearoa was beautiful for one, and before starting work he had taken some time to just see the country, taking a muggle helicopter through Fiordland and enjoying a memorable night in the Waitomo caves. He couldn't put off work forever, unfortunately, and eventually the time had come. Father had reassured him before moving that there wasn't all that much difference between the UK and Aotearoa branches of Gringotts, and his cousin had echoed the sentiment. He wasn't sure how much sway the Deputy Minister actually had at Gringotts, but Rupert had at least been reassuring. And of course, there had been nothing to worry about. His first day of work had been nearly identical to his last day in the UK, albeit with fewer fun distractions along the way. There would be time for that soon enough - getting to know his colleagues came first. So once he was finished his accounts for the day, Fabian gave an easy grin to the man at the desk next to his, figuring this was as good a place to start as any. "I'm Fabian, by the way. Fabian Cresswell. Just transferred from the UK."

 

[Tyler Lee]

Tyler sometimes wondered when life had gotten so monotonous. It hadn’t been this bad back in school, he was pretty sure. His job was a respectable one, it paid the bills and it made his dad happy they were working together, but Tyler loathed the eight hours a day he spent at a desk, working on things he didn’t care about for people who had more money than he probably ever would. He knew something had to change, but didn’t know what. His dream of becoming a professional duelist had died a long time ago, and he didn’t have anything else he was good at. Tyler was just moving a stack of paperwork to a different pile with his wand when a new and unfamiliar person caught his attention. Tyler had spotted him earlier but had left him alone, feeling strangely uncomfortable about the stranger. He didn’t understand why, until the other man’s attention was on him. The moment they locked eyes, Tyler realized what had been making him feel off about the new guy. He reminded him of Blake. Fighting down the pang of guilt at the thought of his former best friend, Tyler put on a slight frown. “Congratulations.” He said dryly. He wasn’t here to make friends, and it wasn’t like this job required him to really interact with his coworkers all that much.

 

[Fabian Cresswell]

Fabian gave a light laugh at the man's taciturn response, smirking at him. If he couldn't get a name that was fine, Fabian was excellent at nicknames. They were always more fun than people's real names, anyway. "Alright, Grumpy." He smirked, raising an eyebrow. "Have you been here long? I'm trying to scope out the situation." He added, figuring even if he couldn't get any pleasant conversation, hopefully he'd be able to get information out of Grumpy. "Who are the big players here?"

 

[Tyler Lee]

Tyler grit his teeth at the childish nickname the other guy immediately gave him. He could already tell he would hate working with him. “It’s Tyler.” He conceded, hoping it would be enough to make him use his name now. He knew it wouldn’t be. He knew the sort of guy Fabian was. “I’ve been here for… about four years.” He said, then grimaced. That was depressing. He had hated the job for exactly that time. He blinked at the guy’s next question, feigning innocence. “I don’t know what you mean with that.” He said blankly. He wasn’t just going to give up information like that for free, if Fabian wanted to know the hierarchy of the place he would have to figure it out on his own. Not that it really mattered.

 

[Fabian Cresswell]

Fabian laughed lightly as Grumpy introduced himself, nodding. “Tyler who?” He asked curiously. He wasn't aware of a Tyler in any of the big families, but he didn't know everyone who was anyone. Four years meant he had to be a little older than Fabian had expected, and he nodded curiously. “I was at the UK branch for seven years.” He responded with an easy smile. Fabian barked out a laugh at Tyler's next response. “Oh, I like you.” He grinned. “You're funny. Don't worry, I'll figure it out quickly.” He smirked, flashing Tyler a cheeky grin. "You've got competition, grumpy."

 

[Tyler Lee]

Tyler raised his eyebrow slightly as the guy asked for his last name. It seemed like he thought that mattered. “Tyler Lee.” He said, wondering if Fabian would make the connection with his dad who also worked at Gringott’s. It was fairly likely he had no idea about that. “Alright, good for you.” He said as Fabian said he had been at the UK branch for seven years. It wasn’t like that was impressive. Tyler kept his face blank, even as Fabian laughed at him. “I still don’t know what you mean. The UK branch must be very different.” He said mildly.