August 10, 1889 - Diagon Alley; Heavenly Antiques

It had been yesterday that she had been offered a job. And still yesterday that she had told her mother about it. The job surely paid more than the factory. That was good. This was good. But her mother still had to meet the woman. Especially since Alina hadn't caught her name. Too excited and eager to get started.

So here she was, dragging her mother along down Diagon Alley, and into Heavenly Antiques. An odd name, but not one that bothered Alina one bit. Nice to accidentally find a safer job that paid better. Hopefully, no more factory. Still peddling and the odd jobs, but no factory.

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Magic by Lady!

It was late that evening after Ronan had gotten off of work at the Factory, around 6 pm. Her daughter was practically bouncing off the pavement as she dragged her along. Ronan had not let her daughter attend her first day at this new job, despite how tempting the money looked, because she wanted to see really what this was all about. No amount of whining, foot stomping, or protesting got the woman to budge on the matter.

They rounded the corner and went through a door into a little shop with a sign that read Heavenly Antiques, "Hello?" She called out, "Lass ye sure this is the place?" She pulled her shawl tighter around her shoulders. Her gaze looked around, it sure was a nice place, but why Alina? The pay was nearly what Ronan made, and that was after putting in back breaking work at the factory for years.

  

For Alina, it had felt like a insult of her intelligence that her mother could not trust this offer. Worse came to worse, she helped a few customers for a week and didn't get paid. She would make up for it, she knew. And if worse than that? Well, she always had her rock. As it were, she did listen to her mother, when it suited her.

Honestly, she felt that her argument had been very reasonable other than when she stormed out of the house and slammed the door. She hadn't meant to wake up their grouchy live-in neighbor who slept through the day, but hadn't really cared. She had taken her flowers and had gone to peddle. At least to make something for that day, after her mother had ruined the days income for her.

Now she was quite insistent that her mother get over with meeting the woman as soon as possible at least. After all, it would seem selfish of her mother to refuse that of her. "Yes ma, I'm sure." She insisted. That was when a woman stepped out from the back, with the brightest smile Alina was sure she had ever seen.

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Magic by Lady!

Mars had asked Earth to watch the store as the day slowed down a bit. While a nervous new mother, she still was a mother and had decided to check on her new child. Earth was perfectly fine with this. She had watched the shop of her husband on rare occasion, so it wasn't that different.

The bell on the door helped to tell her when a customer came in, so she may do her writing in the back. Much to write about since the Africa trip. Not even a title yet, but she was more focused on the two books. Writing two books at once proved to be far more difficult, but the good Lord helped her manage.

She heard the bell ring and finished her sentence before coming over. A bit, greeting smile on her face to the two woman who had entered. "Yes, may I help you?" She asked in a very sweet and cheerful voice.

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MJ made magic

Ronan was dressed in robes and a dress cobbled together with rags, which had a quilt like appearance, and despite looking poor she wasn't stupid, and she knew how to spot a lie a mile away. This woman had obviously never seen either of them in her life. Her grey stormy hues turned to her daughter, "Oh ye are sure hmm?" It was a rhetorical question, and following it there was a quick flick behind the ear, "Don' be liein to me lass, and don' go makin ah fool of me." She snapped. She was still mad about yesterday, slamming doors, running off. The nerve of this child! It was as though she thought she was bloody invincible!

Her face was beginning to reddin as the rage was coming back, finally though she managed to steady herself with a breath and looked to the woman, "Oh we were just browsin is all, sorry to disturb ye miss, me daughter seems to have been followin her imagination. Come on Alina, we are goin home, it's late." She knew an offer like that was too good to be true, 2 galleons a week, to an 11 year old no less!

  

Now this truly was an offense. An even bigger insult than before. To not even believe her. Truly, the woman was not the same one. That was obvious with the different hair and face. "I'm not!" She snapped, rage true as daylight on her face.

Unlike her mother, she did not calm down. Not one bit. And the fools statement from her mother of Alina going on imagination was the last straw of the insults that Alina would take. "It's not even the same woman! You don't even have faith enough in me to ask! You think I'm some great big foolish git, don't you?!"

Before her mother even had a lick of time to answer, she turned on the woman. "Where is she?! I was offered a job and I am here to prove it!"

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Magic by Lady!

Earth's eyes widened and her face fell from the first verbal blow. What was this about? The confusion went on until the girl said it wasn't the same woman. Then her eyes widened in realization. After the girl finished yelling at her, she gave a sheepish smile. "My sister did mention you, yes." She squeaked. She certainly hadn't expected this. The good Lord was testing her today.

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MJ made magic

Ronan turned to her daughter like she had lost her ever loving mind, as her daughter told her off and then went demanding answers of the shop worker, assistant? Either way she knew her child did not just yell at her. Oh, but she had. One hand snatched the girl's arm up and spin her around as the other one went to deliver a slap. Gaelic words were exchanged, "Don't you ever raise your voice at me like that in public again do you understand me!? Don't you ever demand of a stranger in that fashion!" She was beyond pissed at this moment she was infuriated. "Alina Charolette O'Malley I raised you damn better than this! I raised you to have respect! And dammit I know your not a stupid git, but right now you sure are acting like one! Now apologize to her for your manners! And then you can go stand over there, where you would do good to keep your trap shut while I talk to this woman!" It was not a request, it was a command.

She had a tight hold of her lass, it was very rare she got this mad at the girl, other people sure, but no not usually Alina. However she would wait til she got some confirmation of understanding before she released the girl.

  

The look Alina gave her mother was one of rage and hints of betrayal. She gave a very cold nod. It would be a miracle to get any other words from her now outside of a stream of curses. No one got her this mad, not really. But the utter lack of faith her mother had shown was not one to be easily forgiven.

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Magic by Lady!

Ronan let the girl go and pointed to a corner of the shop. She always tried to avoid beating her daughter, after all Ronan certainly had her fair share of beatings growing up and even afterwards, and Alina was generally a good child. Eyes closed for a moment and she took a deep breathe before looking to this shop assistant, "Sorry for me daughter's behavior, there seems to have been ah bit of ah misunderstandin. She tells me she was offered ah job here, did ye sister mention that by any chance?"

  

Mars had checked on her newborn, and had decided to head back to the shop with the child. She didn't mind letting her older sister watch her store while she spent time with Lawyer, but she had forgotten to mention that her new hire might stop by. Or the mother of the kid. Either way, she figured that Earth should be aware.

Entering the store with her baby in her arms, she was surprised to hear another language being shouted and then recognized the redheaded child from the day before. She hurried to her sister's side, wondering what she'd missed in the few hours that she'd been gone.

By the time she reached Earth's side, the mother (she assumed) and her sister were already talking.

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Now in the corner, she was far too busy giving her mother the death glare to end all death glares to notice Mars's arrival.

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Magic by Lady!

Now Earth just felt awkward. "Yes, as a matter of fact, though I'm not sure of all- Oh good, you're here!" Noticing her sister and nephew, her chipper spirit came back a little. Thank the Lord!

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MJ made magic

Ronan turned to the second woman, and paid her daughter only as much mind as was required to make sure she stayed right where she told her to, though her attitude would be addressed later. "Yes Miss, I'm Useal Maclodon, Alina O'Malley's mam, she says ye offered her ah job, ah job that pays good money mind ye, and don' get me wrong, quite appreciative, but I, well I just need to know if it's so? What ye plan on her doin? The days, the shifts? Can' have her be workin on the Lord's day she's ah good lass goes to church ye see, and well we do what we must to protect our own." Her gaze looked to the woman's own newborn and her eyes softened.

Cute little wee baby. She smiled, the anger vanishing, "Wee ones are ah blessin, must keep an eye out for 'em." She looked back to Mars and Earth, listening attentively. She just wanted to make sure that this wasn't some scam, that Alina would get home safe and sound. Surely these women understood her concern.

  

This brightened up the blonde greatly. "Oh, that is wonderful news! Mars and I are church goers as well. I assume you follow the faith, yes?" She said, grabbing her bible and holding it out with an innocent and beaming pride, all too happy to share. "I'm actually writing about that mission trip, the one of July." She chippered on like a humming bird.

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MJ made magic

Ronan blinked and looked to the blonde, a bit of red filled her cheeks, "Well, uh we're Catholic." She said simply, what else was she supposed to say? "But so long as ye believe in the good Lord and Jesus Christ as ye savior...I believe we be on the same page." She said quite simply, "Sorry, uhm, can we get back to uh, the job, for me daughter?"