The days of being ignored again. She works two jobs; a main chain store for her main income and the side income for her online store. She gathered enough sigil path materials to merchandise and focus her shadow side for full time sales at locations such as in-between realms that human world eclipsed to. Her human life lives de-scynonized from her shadow. In spite having known she was meant to be a clothus part corpse - the law of reality among humans has reverted back to make her a normal enough human. She quiet honestly is used to having to exist as separated half soul. But she is always aware this attracts unwelcomed soul eaters or sometimes demons trying to suggest filling in the missing gap in her life. She had all sorts of nightmares and misfortunes cling because she half a soul. Her human life is unstable with stressful situations at every turn.
She has been asked many times if she should see a mental health nurse. But it's the bleed through of her half spirit way that makes others uncomfortable around her. She is too strange for normal people and is picked out on it. There are days that her sight of spirits is so strong, she mistakes the occasional higher angel or demon for a lost person in the store. She had the opposite too, where she couldn't quiet tell the the human was just someone looking a shop assistant like her.
For all these issues, she seems a benefit to them. They keep her on regardless. Her strange accent and bilingual talk to the unknown customers (that turn out to be mages or undertakers) has been a big help. Still, she does wonder when they will replace her or the next big event that will break her from the routine.
"Great work team! We have the door closed and cctv had confirmed that there is no customers on floor. It's straight up and clean before 6pm. I want us all clocked out before then." Double clap of the floor manager and the team takes clothing departments. She with the home decorating. This was bed sheets, curtains and candles. Most times it's the duping grounds for folks or the failed attempted to remove security tags. She had her collection cart to put these displaces items. Straighten shelving products at a time. Once she done, it's not really been 20 minutes yet. She would be able to leave early if she tried. She already seen those that had. So she does the puts back and striaghtens other departments. She had hung the damages and failed security removal attempts to the inspection racking in the back. Returning the cart she using to the staff depo. That took longer then needed but it's fine. It's 5:50pm. A good enough time to not be hassled for why she leaving so soon.
She clocked out with the staff computer time keeper system and jolted with the sudden approach of the manager. She sees the bad fortune riding their shoulder and suspected she going to be the loose end of this.
"Why were you in the children's area?" She confused in why this was asked.
"I started in my department then returned the cart of misplaced items to the other areas. I know there was a lot of children's clothes that been shoved among the bedding shelves. I have already put most of it back or on the inspection rail." The manager sighed at that not being what they meant, "If this was the start of my shift, during open hours. I know I got my eye caught on something cute and briefly stopped to look at it. Disappointed that it wasn't in adults and moved on. I was quickly asked by customer if we had children's shoes. Had to continue helping them as we were looking for size 3's." Whatever the situation she not getting in, her story has confirmation with cctv. She wasn't about to leave the customer to someone less able to reach the racking for those same shoes. Been at this job long enough to be customer service friendly.
"You're not expecting?" She frowns even more at this. Is that seriously what they all think? Do I look pregnant? Am I that fat?
"No. I am not pregnant. I have no partners. I have no interests in dating. I have medical issues to begin with. I tend to buy things for my animals as pet parent. The closest thing to having kids I will ever get." The manager now realizing that was very insensitive to asked here in the open. They get in their head that she would lie with it being such a not private place. Even so, they also believe her with the whole pet parent thing. Lass smells of dog on bad days. She carries a lint roller in her personal stuff - when they do staff back checks. They know she has undisclosed medical labels. She always as a hard candy in a pocket and has been seen shivery on longer shifts. She always been open about having sugar levels needing watching and avoidance of gluten. She has pale days, where she says she's fine but clearly she not well. Today is one them pale days, she just looked haggard.
"My question still stands." She is angry at how she was totally not listened to. If they read between the lines of, 'being a pet owner is the closest thing to having a child she will ever have'. Pregnancy wouldn't be an option.
"I was told that if I was going to, it will be my last. So thank you for asking but no. I am not expecting." She spoke lower to not let everyone around her hear, "I wish not to discuss any further concerns about this."
The manager didn't hear or understand her. Its one them times were if she to quiet, her accent jumbled up and they don't understand her.
"I will prefer if you trying to fire me because this place discriminates; pick a better reason then one that I have full medical reasons to avoid." That last part was heard by everyone else as more staff members are trying to leave. The stand off has put the manager in a light sweat as that was the bull eye. Trying to fire her. Not the first time.
"You just going to fire her and use the surplus hours to over work the rest of us." Another long time staff member taking part in this business.
"Or hire three ill experienced members that will hurt our reputation like last time." The worker union representative slipped in too, "I seen this pattern before. You asked her about other reasons to fire her. You used all these same things to fire others, discriminating them out of paid leave." Many stood around mad overhearing the event and it wasn't that they are on her side.
It's that they had this same hassle over June. By August they be under staffed. They hire cheap desperate temp workers in November through January. Claim to hire the choosen few for full time to start this again. Reasons are all angles to justify underpay. The money that should be used for keep the same staff on is overspent on unnecessary things like the new logo and legal rights to use it. The change of uniforms due to the logo change and all those leaflets that were now useless as they had the old print logo then the new one. Those not even handed to the public are now going to be thrown to recycling.
Wasted money on pointless effort. Everyone in the team can see it but they are foot ground workers. Not the office top folks looking at data numbers on a spread sheet. The manager sighed in being caught in a mob now and just lets the conversation slide for another time. Getting everyone off site before the 6:30 deadlock. The cut time for electricity - mostly the main lights and registers and when night security are expecting the locking security system to be active. Her not private conversation was swept aside as everyone was having to be dismissed this crowd off premises. It will be the talk of staff for months to come. Damage to the company as a whole. This will have to be resolved in a more better manner. The shutter clatters as the last one site finished.
The last bus of the evening packed of the starving workers. A back seat group has already exclaimed about after hour drinks.
She stands at the front among the tight pack of many, keeping to herself and watching the world pass by at the nearest window veiw. Her sixth sense waved as the whispers by those at the seats talked about the company. Not exactly keeping their opinions quiet about other staff members that aren't making the cut. Taking bets about who is going to be fired next.
They all in agreement that Laura will be fired by tonight; for being weird and too slow to service customers effectively. Not that they care that she the top of service standards in customer interactions. Nor did she seek help from other staff, thus not taking other members away from their own pace. She asked only when it matters, say if it was manager duties required or the operation of the forklifts from someone with back stock management. She was never making her the enemy of anyone but they arent sure if she team material since she doesn't socialize outside of work hours. No one knew her personal stuff and have made assumptions.
Laura pressed the stop bell and was getting off sooner then her normal stop. She had enough of the crap. She has more filling things to do. This stop is outside the end of her street, it has a small corner shop. She felt overwhelmed in so much terrible emotions, it be of use to make the damned pleased. She has enough human in her to be mistake as a human. How best to attract the dead spirits will be to take herself to a space they wonder most. But she needed a human reason to have a purpose to where she's going this late. Buying a bouquet is wordless excuse enough. It was a small queue in here and she brought four bunches, some small sized chocolates and has copper pennies of plenty. She was followed in but lost when she paid at self-serving. She walked the coming darkness of the cold paved road with a smooth soft elegance. She maybe scruffy in half uniform but she was unassuming in the dark.
Her hand brushed the rusted gate, crusting the chipped paint in her hands as she pushed it open for her. Its only loud of wildlife, a fox a isle over pelts into the hedging. Some nesting birds woke in check and nessle back down. She closed the gate behind, clicking the metal latch back in spot.
"I wonder why I feel so welcome in such a place of slumber." She eased in knowing this was quiet enough. She takes a soft stroll among the stones. Stopping to read the information, speculation of their lives and left them a flower in prayer. She takes longer if it was a gravestone of beautiful care or multiple people in one spot. This church has a rose garden of the cremated ones. She finds a bench in the tallest ones, she takes a solemn seat to enjoy the silence of night.
She leaned to staring at the stars above her, the way the moonlight shines through the rose maze. It's a place that is eclipsed, a gate to some unknown pocket realm. Even so, she growing to love this veiw and it's serenity. She couldn't help to soon pose her hand and summon forth the index.
Revealing it to be a fae world of no owner. Just a empty place of not current being as church grim. The last fallen name was long mossed over with passing decades. The church building in the eclipsed land was without love, roof collapse and overgrown. The touch of what should be holy was dissolved but at equal volume there isn't any demonic or evil cultist practiced. Maybe the few shows of a white witch that cleansed the negativity. Moonlight is all this sky is anymore.
"I should maybe keep this realm in my hold. It to beautiful to be erased just yet." She summoned up a drawing pad and began a process she did many a time. She has drawings of beautiful places her soul recalls frequently. This will be a new one in her gallery. Time slips so fast when so admired with this realms ethereal wisp. She pets the page proudly in finishing. She made nine copies to put practice for future recalls. Slips away the art when her heart was settled again. She sits feet up with seeing the sun haze and with a frown knowing she has to go back to life.
"Mistress!" The parting of roses as the Morphing ink blob pulled as a raven of jet black. She smiles warm of her visitor, standing up and posed offer of left arm. It jumps into a glide, talons grasp her forearm, "The dragonfly crest have fallen. Trapped in their domain and under enslavement." She blinks in having felt that wasn't anything new, "it's a place of body parts decorating the floors." She jolted in this, "It's as the dreamers feared. A place of where even nightmares are being ripped apart." She stares ahead with ice overbearing her soul, "We beg you. This is not." It lowered in shaken by her empty face, "The Ender has been collared among. We tried to stop it."
"I guess I will have to step in." She lowered regardless of the bird and it took flight. Landed at the floor in lowered cowardice.
"Do you invite your eaters?" It barely peeps.
"No. They be in my way. Keep them away." The ink pools as a dirty puddle and faded through the stone. She knows it will be best to tangle herself in a different approach. She can't just crash into the worlds. She has some unexpected uses of law to play.
She looked back to the bench, to where her shadow side sulks in sadness. She sees her hearts reflect in how the mask and her human side are taken deep by all these crashing emotions. The garden turning flaming hot, the plants turned of glass and that of bench churrs black wood then brown moss wet the living world held.
"I enact on my soul direction and break these threads of fate. I take these chains of sin and regret - melt them of my creation. I take no wing to raise above. My sins will be done in the act of repentance. I let go this glamorous shell of human. These spaces I have choosen shall be my land. I stake this crown as they kneel to me. I wear this mask to be a spirit. I walk the shadows as the damned. I declare my crest of God eater and mark this seal upon the tomes under my watch." The spray of tomes rumbles from thrown out the locked library of her shadow space. Kneel the enders of these books, in unique torn cloth black and veils of silk black.
"We await your command." They unison in one tone. She breaks posture and throw away the living skin. Baring free the thin stick puppet body. A shape of a starving god eater comes filled in, a glass like scales such over the bones. A feline hybrid human but rows jaws of something from a snake or eels. All not floating but stringing together by the same soul threads the skin cloth around her is weaved in.
"I am hungry and there seems some folks that caught into my attention." Echos several of her mouths, they all meaning this string of speech. The enders lowered in fear, "You will be in danger if you intend to step in. So you may just want to clean up around or watch at the shadow in a safe distance. Really, I make no commands. Your freedom is yours. Just expect if you are in my way, you will meeting a bad fate." They stand and plenty take leave. Someone stays behind.
"I hear sorrow." This Ender is able to soul read other enders, even when his in another universe. This was the nervous tick guy on her black sand beach. He was arranging one the random roses petals to size order, meticulous in making the thrones match along a hedge. Anything to keep nerves down as he spoke to her.
"I plan to save them, but who knows what that entails. This is my origin soul space. It has factors I have never faced." She posed closed hands, "His name is beautiful. I can't help but adore. I want him among us. He is however my Ender. He has power above me in such regards. But it's the only thing. I respect where I am able. I am just a helpless broken human girl with no reputation. The very way I began all so long ago." She finds herself in soft rumbled purr and sadness. The Ender tilted at this, "All good things come to the end."
"I shall be watching afar upon the black sand." He bows and crumpled into such material. She stares over this glass rose garden, a world under her own soul detail. A place where so mixtures of her versions to what their souls mean to her. It the closest thing to the the Ender nickname judgment universe used to be. She can see Sean resting at this bench, petting a fluff.
Fluff according to the crystal panels of sigils are rolling balls of meat at the centre. They are temper of a cat and dog but are just a mouth inside a ball of fur. Meerping and vibrate their hairs in communications. She can see them in her mind, using the black wood bench as shelter. The roses restlessly sway and the living world was before her. The sun baking the day away. She straighten her uniform, casting a mage cleansing spell for refreshin. The plastic wrappers are tossed to a bin on her way put. Every grave had a flower, a penny and buried under is a chocolate. Her footprint traces every spot of kneeling prayer. She neatened her hair into chopsticks. Lucky timing to bus hop it to her schedule life. Need to finish human affairs as I don't have undertakers to rely on.
"What are you even doing here?" The manager from yesterday night. Even so, she ignored with signed in by the system - proving she was ruthless compliance to following her contract. Once now she been recognized as attending her working hours, she turned to face the one that is against her.
"What did you need from me?" She asks in unwavering to keeping a work smile. Having to smile even if she hates facing this situation. Business is business. It should never be anything personal. Never mix private and work.
"You are fired."
"Am I? But I am still the computer system. I have hours to met. You have to pay me for working those hours. I am here to work like I signed to do. What is wrong?" She loud and it perked staff nearby.
"Stop. Be quiet." She crossed her arms.
"Why am I being let go? Tell me. Legally I need to know why. Do I smell bad? Did a customer complain? Have I broken something? Have I ever demonstrated any behavior often to be inappropriate? I am wearing the uniform that you provided. I am wearing the same brand, make and colour as 42 other staff. My hair is natural. I have no nail polish."
"You're not making good enough team work with your team." She looked right over and then waved a staff. The manager frowns and waved them away. But still there was a work union representative here and was fast to step up.
"I have a right to an union representative during a interview of dismissal which you have made this time and place to be." She speaks confidence oozing at her every angle.
"This isn't an appropriate setting for such discussions." The rep at least makes no sides, "You need to provide a private space."
"Fine! My office now but you need to get back to work." Pointing to the rep.
"I am sorry but that would apply to me too." She cuts in, "Your wasting the time your paying me to be here. I am signed in." The rep checks the system beside and nods to the manager with that being a valid point.
"I am a union representative as well as a worker here. It's my job to be part of dispute to find peace for both parties. You will need the company owner present for this meeting as this will be more then just Miss Fallowns case." The manager beads sweat. He makes pose for him to be followed and with his phone makes a quick message. She can see with her eyes that his soul aura. It was attracting much worse. He was pleading for his luck to change. He puts the phone on full speaker at the desk. Looking ahead hoping this was good enough. The rep nods that was acceptable enough. She stays standing, not sitting on the at his eye level. She makes a last check of the security cameras... yes, they arent even on. She sent her shadow to meddle the computer.
"Today is..." The manager speaks with nerve and has the computer working text to speech, "I am was trying to come to equal terms with staff ID 83274 - Miss Laura Fallown. She has informed that she is not expecting a child and has nor provided a good enough evidence of such thing. Last night in front of all staff, having caused disrupt across all workers around. She has agree to this interview with the union representative." He checked the computer and it was working, "on the phone is my current boss as per the advice of the union advice to this dispute." The manager stares confused on why she hasn't sat down and he gives a nervous throat clear, "Miss Fallown. Will you please sit down?"
If you can't fire me correctly, then I expect to be allowed to quit with all my information sorted. I expect my last paycheck and any pension pot information.
"I physical can't at this time. Since you haven't asked, I have a replaced knee that is bolted through the bone. It one of many injuries I had not disclosed because I had the medical approval to work. You have a scanned in this on my employment contract and filed in all the other information you have on your computer." He jolts at this being the first he hears of her medical issues, "may also add that it was insulting to assume I could even bare children. Since you rudely announced to all the people around us the falsehood that I can. My indecency of shouting back at you was out of being embarrassed. You choose to ignore my implied meanings to drip the subject in front of others. You also failed to provide a privacy so we could discuss this as adults. You also went so far as to try to fire me in front of everyone doing using that exact excuse. I may have been made and raised my voice but I didn't cause the problem. You speaking of trying to fire me in front of everyone at close down. There is cctv footage of this and my witness beside me can agree with his own personal statement. I will not pressure my union representative if he wishes not to speak." She reached right over and posed over the phone, "This phone is not on call, the screen is the contact number..." She reads it out aloud and the manager scrabbles to snatch it up, "I know this since I came forward to put several important documents to Mr Selton. Thanks to having time to think over night. I am quiting. I am filling for court if my end of contract terms are incomplete by the next 7 working days. I was unable to give a proper resignation as I don't feel safe in this place. But there is a copy of one I made among the documents, dated to day after today." Her mask has already been making the computer work for her advantage. It's automatic emails the real boss with the transcript. Several past employees whom been terminated and other scary court stuff to make it official. She just served the court paper copies to the manager. There digital sets sent to the legal team and the higher boss.
"Miss Fallown is right about last night. I stopped when I heard about someone being fired. I wasn't aware of the reasons but acted on the conversation. Even if the medical issues were being used or not. I came forward in knowing it was wrong to have someone that worked top of the store standards being spoken down to in such a place in front of everyone. I heard very clearly the fired part. She stated her reasoning for not being terminated very delicately but amounted to the same as she did just now. I had no clue she had such expensive past injuries." She stands using the provide chair to lean, letting go the computer log in this conversation further. There was no choose but to press call of the boss.
"Sorry the person you are calling in unavailable." He grumbles and tries a working number. But the line died instantly, meaning the boss declined the call. He sweats trying this several times and soon was blocked, "You are no longer able to connect to this number." He cursed and the computer picked it up. He instantly recalled the computer system and tries the legal team by video call. But it doesn't work.
"I quite." She voiced, "See you all in court."
"Stop!" The manager hiss and the rep wasn't surprised but shook that this was a poor choose on her.
"I am leaving with medical reasons. Forfilling the 4 working days I should be working. Thanks to you, I am going back to hospital. Have a great day." The computer freezer up and sent everything as her mask set it to do. Including the transcript. The rep stands up too leaving. The manager thrown his desk in just frustrated madness. She holds her stomach and is shivering a lot. She barely could sign the computer out.
"Miss Fallown... can I at least know the incident about your knee?" The rep stops in shock of her pale sickly face.
"I was in a wreck. My knee... the hole in my stomach that went all the way through. Removed my lower everything as it was mush. Replacements." She picked up her things, "I don't have the organs for child Baring." She takes leave with shuffle feet, "So how can I be pregnant?" He doesn't stop her leaving. Just watch her leave.
Washed by the sheer shock the turth made sense. Why she struggled lifting and was slow moving in spite her appearing age. He even look down on himself for assuming and guessed she legally disabled. Putting another mark of discrimination. What she lacked in physical was made to with her talent to suit a service work. She should have asked for more help and lesser hours. He looked down, she tried to cut her hours but they didn't listen. He turned in shock of past workers coming from the car park, all of them going in together to serve more papers. The manager took holiday and someone from the legal office came down into the office. Her paycheck was 8 days after. She was given extra and her pension was dissolved. They had terminated it. The money for that was months after.
Laura got herself back to the mage tower in that time, waiting for all the human attachments to dissolve orderly. By the end of the same month of the pension, there was money from bailiffs - the court without needing her appearance in part of a group appeal came to finish the last off. She knows a cut went to lawyers but there still enough behind that.
She sits at a coffee shop, phone scrolling and at the back corner out of sight. She using this spot to poach herself some undertakers and or demons. She choose this exact meet and greet that mages use for undertaker interaction. Undertakers will not ignore her, she has power of her own crown crest. Monarchs are always made attention of.
"Excuse me." She looked up in checking them, yes undertaker inside a human.
"If you have a question, please speak. I am very informal. Your welcome to take a seat." Left hand posed.
"Rather I am need to ask a favor." That's not undertaker like. She however let's the pretense go along, she did say she was informal, "I am sorry." That didn't sound right at all, the human is vacant looking too.