March 3rd, 1894 — Minister of Magics office

The air in the Ministry of Magic was always thick with a sense of purpose, bustling wizards and witches weaving through the labyrinthine corridors, each occupied with their own responsibilities. Christabel, dressed in a tasteful yet modest gown, her dark hair neatly arranged, strode purposefully through the busy atrium. She loved this - the sense and feeling of purpose. In another life she would have lived for this!

Her destination was her brother office, a place she often frequented these days - rightly or wrongly tormenting her brother with information she thought would 'help' him in his work. Today, her agenda was clear: to discuss the revolutionary developments in South Australia and the intriguing advancements in Muggle politics - both of which were fabulous news as far as she was concerned.

Pushing open the door to the anteroom to Ozy's office, she was met Mrs Ainsworth sitting at her desk, the door to Ozy's office beyond open to what was clearly an empty room. The desk, typically cluttered with parchments and quills, was neatly organized, devoid of her brother's usual presence. An involuntary sigh escaped her lips, recognizing the familiar evasion tactics of a brother well-practiced in dodging familial discussions.

Undeterred, Christabel approached the secretary. With a polite smile, Belle cleared her throat before speaking, "Good day, Mrs. Ainsworth.Might I trouble you to inquire about my dear brother? I had hoped to share some rather fascinating news with him, and I fear he may have eluded me once again." she asked, quirking a smile.

  

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I am my mother's savage daughter, The one who runs barefoot cursing sharp stones

I am my mother's savage daughter, I will not cut my hair, I will not lower my voice
MJ made glory

Juliana looked up at the sound of the door, and frowned faintly when she saw that it was one of the Minister's siblings. When he'd first been elected they'd had a few visits from his mother, mostly looking to embarrass him, she suspected. Eventually his mother had seemed to tire of the joke and moved on, but then this sister had taken her place with far more frequency. Mrs. Daphnel's important news was very rarely important, or relevant to the actual work the Minister was focused on at the time, so Juliana was inclined to view these repeated incursions with more annoyance than anything.

"You may," she said, because this woman was still the Minister's sister and she needed to at least keep a superficial politeness about their interactions. Fortunately she had a wealth of experience (via Charles Macmillan) being polite and petty at the same time. "He is still alive, and still Minister. Was there something specifically you wanted to inquire about him?"

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Prof. Marlowe Forfang

Jules

Christabel couldn't help but notice the faint frown on the secretary's face. "Thank you, Mrs. Ainsworth," Christabel replied graciously to the secretary's permission to enter. She noted the subtle hint of annoyance in the woman's tone but brushed it aside with a practiced diplomacy not often engaged when on Dempsey business. After all, she had endured her fair share of snide remarks and thinly veiled sarcasm in the past from her darling siblings - but she was significantly less likely to tell Juliana to fuck off than she was one of her siblings.

As she approached the desk, Christabel couldn't help but feel a twinge of frustration at the secretary's insinuation. It was true that Ozymandias had a multitude of responsibilities as Minister, but she couldn't shake the feeling that her cause—suffrage—was being overlooked amidst the chaos of governance. Afterall, it affected more than 50% of the populace -few other policy areas were so far reaching

"Yes, Mrs. Ainsworth, there is something specific I wanted to speak to him about," she began, her voice steady despite the undercurrent of tension. "I've brought some papers for my brother regarding the developments in Australia—regarding the extension of suffrage to property-owning women. And, well, there are some interesting developments in the Muggle world as well—single women gaining the right to vote in certain elections." rooting in her bag for the judicial papers she had procured in London while at the Hermetic order.

She paused, realizing she may have overshared, but her enthusiasm for the cause bubbled up within her, making it difficult to contain. "Ozy might not concern himself too much, but I believe these developments warrant his attention, especially given his 'committee' on the subject has been rather... quiet, as of late." Christabel couldn't help but let a hint of frustration seep into her tone as she mentioned her brother's committee, knowing full well that her feelings on the matter were far from subtle - after all Locklyn was on the committee, but he was about as useful as a chocolate teapot as far as she could see. Yet, despite her irritation, she remained composed, her determination to advocate for suffrage burning bright within her.

  

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I am my mother's savage daughter, The one who runs barefoot cursing sharp stones

I am my mother's savage daughter, I will not cut my hair, I will not lower my voice
MJ made glory

Juliana frowned again, but this time less pert and more thoughtfully. She was aware of the news, obviously — she read, and was as interested in woman's suffrage as any woman ought to be. She assumed the Minister also read; he had given her no reason to presume otherwise. In fact, she had been more often pleasantly surprised by the breadth (if not always the depth) of his knowledge on various political matters. He may not have had any Ministry experience, and she may have joked to Minister Ross that she'd had to accompany him everywhere for the first month that he was in office to ensure he didn't get lost in the hallways, but compared to the average citizen he was quite well informed, and not only on issues that directly impacted him prior to being elected. Women's suffrage had been an issue he had specifically championed during his election. It seemed odd to her that his own sister would think him ill-informed on the matter.

"The committee is less than two months old," she pointed out. Minister Dempsey had started sniffing around for appointees soon after taking office, but it had only been formally convened in mid-January. If Mrs. Daphnel expected the laws of the country to be rewritten in six weeks, she was... quite optimistic about the pace of political reform, to put things mildly. And Juliana did find that mildly offensive, if only because of what it said about Minister Ross by comparison: he had failed to bring about significant voting reform during his five years in office, and Juliana had the utmost respect for his efforts. "Did you try directing these papers to them?"

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Prof. Marlowe Forfang

Jules

Christabel couldn't help but raise an eyebrow at Juliana's response, her lips curling into a wry smile. It seemed the secretary was well-versed in the art of passive-aggressive commentary that even the Dempsey's would have appreciated.

She listened to Juliana's, her sarcasm lurking just beneath the surface. Of course, she was aware of the timeline of her brother's committee on suffrage—she wasn't entirely oblivious to the inner workings of the Ministry. But that didn't mean she was willing to accept excuses for their lack of progress.

"Oh, well, thank you ever so much for enlightening me on the committee, Mrs. Ainsworth," Christabel replied with a saccharine sweetness, politness that was socially accepted, even if it came through her teeth. "I must confess, I was simply overcome with concern that my dear brother might have forgotten about the little matter of women's suffrage amidst all his other pressing duties."

She paused, her gaze narrowing slightly as she met Juliana's eyes. "As for directing the papers to the committee, well, I suppose I could have done that," she mused, her tone dripping with sarcasm. "But one would think that a matter as crucial as suffrage for half the population might warrant a bit more urgency, wouldn't you agree?"

Christabel's words were laced with a sardonic edge, her frustration with the slow pace of progress evident in every syllable. She knew full well the capabilities of the individuals on her brother's committee, and she couldn't shake the feeling that they were dragging their feet when they should be taking bold strides forward.

  

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I am my mother's savage daughter, The one who runs barefoot cursing sharp stones

I am my mother's savage daughter, I will not cut my hair, I will not lower my voice
MJ made glory

Juliana recognized that she had annoyed Mrs. Daphnel, but unlike her previous day job at the House of Lytton, appeasing the vanities of socialites was not in her job description. That was one thing she missed about Ross' administration, certainly; his family was far less inclined to make themselves a nuisance in her office.

"I would think," she replied dryly, "That if urgency is your aim, sending matters directly to those tasked with doing the work in question would be more expedient than funneling them through a series of intermediaries." Dempsey had created the committee for a reason, and even if she'd come in with something truly groundbreaking the most he would have done was forward it to the committee. But even that was fraught, because he had taken great pains to ensure the committee felt independent from him. The committee existed at all because their findings would necessarily have more weight than that of any single man when presented to the Wizengamot. If the Minister was seen to be too heavy-handed in offering them direction, it would negate the purpose of forming a committee if the first place. So he might instead ask Juliana to find someone to submit these things to the committee through traditional means, so that his name wasn't attached — it would be the same as Mrs. Daphnel taking Juliana's advice, but likely weeks slower.

(And she was a little annoyed by the implication that she didn't care about woman's suffrage, though too professional to show it beyond a slight tightening in her mouth. She had been handing out pamphlets and attending rallies for months, while Mrs. Daphnel had been busy getting into arguments with her ghost husband. Did she even really care about the cause, or was it just a convenient thing to catch her interest while she was bored alone at home?)

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Prof. Marlowe Forfang

Jules

Christabel's irritation simmered beneath the surface as she listened to the secretary dry retort. The secretary's suggestion, while not without merit, failed to acknowledge the frustration Christabel felt with the committee's apparent inertia. Her lips curved into a forced smile, mirroring Juliana's strained expression, her eyes narrowed slightly.

"Indeed, Mrs. Ainsworth," she began, her tone deceptively polite. "One might think that bypassing intermediaries would be more efficient. However, given the committee's intransigence thus far, I find myself skeptical about the effectiveness of that approach. What use is there in sending it directly to those who have shown little progress? They will write a report, and send it to Ozymandias - why not cut out the middle man hmm?"

She allowed her words to hang in the air for a moment, letting the weight of her frustration be felt. "I believe my brother's committee could benefit from a little nudge, wouldn't you agree? Sometimes, a direct reminder by bringing matters more directly to the ministers attention, can serve to highlight the urgency of a matter that might otherwise get lost in the bureaucratic shuffle."

Christabel took a step closer, her eyes locking with Juliana's. "And as for urgency, I assure you, Mrs. Ainsworth, it is my aim. Suffrage is not a matter to be taken lightly, and while I appreciate the need for proper channels, I also recognize the need for action. Our sisters in Australia are making strides, and even the Muggles are progressing. Shouldn't we, with all our magical advantages, be leading the way?"

Her voice softened slightly, the passion for her cause evident despite her irritation. "So when will my darling brother be back?"

  

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I am my mother's savage daughter, The one who runs barefoot cursing sharp stones

I am my mother's savage daughter, I will not cut my hair, I will not lower my voice
MJ made glory