Anna tilted her head slightly as the woman spoke her name. "Maddalena," she repeated softly. "I've never heard a name like that before. It's beautiful." She felt her phone buzz in her hand, and she looked down to see a call from… No, why him? She winced before silencing it and feeling immediately guilty.
The former goddess sighed at the first part of the comment. “Not many people have.” she grumbled. “But thank you for the compliment.” she nodded, raising a brow at the strange device in the woman’s hand. “What is that?”
Anna smiled kindly. "You're welcome. It's not a bad thing to have a unique name. It makes you stand out." She looked down at her phone, now lit up on her lock screen and showing a missed call from the contact labeled Harry Clayton.
"It's my phone," she answered, noting Maddalena's expression. "You've never seen a phone before?" It was less a condescending question and more attempting to understand why.
Maddalena looked away at the statement and shrugged. “I have my own way of standing out. That is part of how I ended up here.” she explained softly.
“And what is its purpose?” she asked in reply, assuming that would be enough of an answer for now on whether or not she had seen one before.
Anna listened and curiously tilted her head. "And how did you end up here?" she asked, her tone inquiring but cautious.
"You can call other people," she explained. "That's its main purpose. Or send a text." As she said "text," one appeared on her screen. Harry Clayton. Anna quickly pressed the power button to make the screen go black.
Maddalena sighed at the question she would rather not answer. “It's just a matter of my nature being “more troublesome” than they would like.” she offered vaguely.
“Interesting.” she hummed, though she did not understand what a text was other than perhaps a way to get in touch with another. “Do you need to… deal with that?” she asked as Anna hit the button.
"Who are they?" Anna pressed with more questions. "And just how troublesome is your nature?" She preferred people to be direct with her, and when they weren't, it only made the woman more curious.
However, she answered Maddalena's question shortly. "No."
Maddalena shook her head. “That is a conversation best had in private. And I doubt you would believe the truth.” she explained, looking around at all the people walking around them. But she nodded at the short answer, respecting Anna’s privacy in this matter.
"Alright. We could return to my flat if you like." Though at Maddalena voicing her doubt, Anna arched an eyebrow. "Do you have any idea what my life has been like for the past two years? And I found you in a crater. Try me."
“Very well. Lead the way then.” she nodded, waiting for her to wherever this “flat” was. But Maddalena had to chuckle when the woman challenged her. “Once we are alone, I will tell you.” she assured.
Anna nodded and did just that. She did send a quick text to her employer, Nathan, that she would be completing the rest of her work from home today. "So… you're clearly not from here," she began tentatively and quietly. "Have you ever even been to Earth before?"
“I have.” she nodded. “Though it has been a while, as I’m sure you could guess. It's almost sad really. I enjoyed my visits in the past.” Maddalena smirked. “Oh, the mischief I caused…”
"When was the last time you were here?" Anna asked, ignoring the odd stares they were getting thanks to Maddalena's height and clothes. "And you better not cause mischief now," she added, shooting the other woman a wary look.
Maddalena hummed thoughtfully as she tried to remember the time she had actually visited the mortal realm… “I believe time may pass differently. Or perhaps I perceive the passage of time differently than you when I am… where I am meant to be.” she tried to explain. Though she raised a brow at the warning and grinned. “Perhaps I will. Perhaps I will not.”
Anna pursed her lips at the explanation Maddalena gave. "That's not very helpful. You do realize that right?" she asked, turning left out of the park and starting down the street toward the residential area where she lived. "Where exactly is it that you're meant to be? Or is that something that I have to wait to hear?"
Her eyes flashed with veiled ferocity. "You'd better not," she repeated firmly.
Maddalena shrugged indifferently. “It is the best answer I can give. At least until I tell who I am… was. Am.” she sighed, rubbing her forehead. “Where I am meant to be… depends on who you ask. My home is… Someplace you've never heard of before, I’m sure. But according to the others, I’m meant to be here as punishment.” she explained.
The former goddess smirked at the challenge. “Depends on my mood.” she purred. Oh, am I going to have fun with this one…
Anna listened, and the more she did, the more her curiosity grew. She was from someplace she was sure Anna had never heard of before. And now she was here as a punishment? Anna wondered what Maddalena's story was. It seemed far more interesting than her own.
Her eyes narrowed slightly. "Then for both of our sakes, you'd better be in a good mood."
Maddalena didn't elaborate on her past further and likely wouldn't until they were at Anna’s flat. Telling her now would just cause a spectacle which would make her task even more difficult.
“So far, my mood has improved from when I first arrived.” she admitted, still grinning. “But you may find that I am just as mischievous in a good mood as I am when I am not. It is my nature.”
Anna rolled her eyes. "Oh, won't that be lovely," she muttered, crossing a barely used street and walking down a row of pretty but plain townhouses. She walked up the steps of one with the number 164 on it and slipped her key into the lock.
She pushed the door open and stepped into her flat.
"Mom?" a voice called from upstairs. "Are you home already?"
Anna's eyes widened slightly. "Daisy? What are you doing here?"
A teenage girl with brown hair and blue eyes came down the stairs, buds tucked in her ears as she listened to her music. "Who's this?" she asked, eyeing Maddalena curiously.
"Nevermind who she is," Anna said, narrowing her eyes slightly. "What are you doing home? Shouldn't you be at school?"
Daisy's eyes flitted from Maddalena to her mother's. "We got let out early," she said with a dismissive shrug.
Anna pursed her lips slightly. "Why?"
"Oh my God, Mom," Daisy muttered. "Do you have to know every little detail of my life?"
"As your mother, yes I do," Anna retorted. "Now, why was school let out early? Daisy May, don't lie to me."
"Mom!" Daisy cried, turning pink with embarrassment and irritation at her middle name being used. Especially in front of a stranger. "The power went out. There. Happy?"
Anna sighed. "Quite. Now, do you have homework?"
"Yeah."
Daisy trudged back up the stairs, and Anna turned to Maddalena as if suddenly remembering the other woman's presence. "I'm so sorry," she apologized quickly. "I didn't know Daisy would be here."
"I can still hear you!"
Maddalena chuckled at the mortal’s reaction. She was certainly going to have fun with this one… Though she pushed the thought aside as she took in her new surroundings. She did remember that the last time she had visited, the buildings were not so close together… Of course, she conceded that she may have been in a different region at the time. She was not one for geography or keeping track of the days of this world. Though she again questioned how long it had actually been since she had been here.
The former goddess barely had a chance to look around before Anna was drawn into a more important conversation. It was interesting to learn that Anna was a mother, but it wasn't really surprising. There were a fair number of family members in the Parthenon but there was a distinct difference between those families and what she was currently watching.
“It's alright.” she said, dismissing the woman’s apology. “Is your daughter well? It looked as if she had some kind of growth coming out of her ears.”
Anna frowned with confusion for a moment before she bit her lip to avoid laughing. "Oh. Yes, she's fine. That's just her earbuds. It's so she can listen to her music without anyone else hearing it. Mainly me."
The woman shook her head absently. "I really think she despises that I'm a barrister and can hold an argument with her. Most of her friends' parents likely wouldn't notice that their children were sent home early. But anyway, would you like something to drink? Or to eat?"
She slipped her coat off and hung it on a hook by the door before walking from the living room, which was through a threshold directly right of the entryway, and into the kitchen. She placed her purse and keys on the island before turning back to Maddalena.
Maddalena raised a brow as the other woman tried not to laugh but nodded at the explanation. She would get her back later. “How interesting.” she commented, following Anna’s example and taking off her cloak before hanging it on the same coat rack. “You really are inventive. Though I must admit I am at a loss by your word “barrister”. I have not heard that term before.”
She shrugged at the offer. “Only if you are. You don't need to trouble yourself over that for my sake. Besides, I said that I would tell you who I am and where I am from.” she reminded, actually feeling a little uncomfortable with the up coming explanation.
Anna arched an amused eyebrow. "I'm not that inventive," she remarked, striding over to the pantry and selecting a bottle of red wine. As she brought it back to the island, she opened a drawer and pulled out a corkscrew. "I'm a lawyer," she said, glancing up at Maddalena as she pushed the device onto the neck of the bottle. "An attorney. Solicitor. Call it what you will. Long story very short, I'm good at arguing."
She twisted forcefully until the cork came out. Once it did, she sighed and looked up at Maddalena. "Shall I grab one glass or two?" she asked, studying the woman's new body language. "I normally don't drink when Daisy is home, but I have a feeling that whatever conversation we're about to have might be easier with a bit of alcohol. Correct me if I'm wrong."
“Well, perhaps not you personally but… In general.” she clarified as she walked into the room, watching her before nodding at the explanation. “Ah, an orator then in a way.” she said in understanding.
“Please.” she agreed. “This has already been a long day and explaining all this… It would be easier with a drink.” she sighed, grateful for the brief hesitation before she had to start.
Anna pursed her lips slightly, thinking of the term. "I suppose," she admitted. "But my job is more… speaking in court to defend a client." She pivoted to open a cabinet and reached for two wine glasses on a shelf just above her head. She secured the glasses and turned around again.
"Technically, my job title is a criminal barrister. Though I try to think more of my clients than they're simply guilty. The wrongly accused are put in jail far too often. If my client is innocent, then I will do my best to make sure they have fair representation that doesn't take out any personal prejudices against them."
Right when Anna finished speaking, Daisy strode into the kitchen, rolling her eyes. "Mom, get off your soapbox," she griped, getting a water glass out of the same cabinet Anna already had open. Her daughter eyed the open wine bottle and glasses in her hands.
"Is Dad coming over?" Daisy asked. Then she spared a quick glance at Maddalena before looking back at Anna again. "Is this his new girlfriend?" Quietly, almost inaudibly, she added, "Is that why you're acting so weird?"
Anna's eyes widened slightly, and she stiffened. "No," she responded shortly. "To all three of those questions."
Daisy shrugged and filled up her water. "Just asking. You don't get wine out unless you know Dad is coming over."
"He's not," Anna retorted, almost immediately after Daisy finished speaking. "Go back upstairs. Don't you have homework?"
But Daisy, having anticipated her mother's words, was already walking toward the stairs. "Yep. Working on it now."