@nuka-blackwell

Belle had an interview at InterPride. It wasn’t her first choice, obviously. She had specialized in defense law (with Magical law.) Her first choice was Clarion’s, but she had also, more or less, burned that bridge as far as she was concerned. Belle wasn’t going to let her pride take the blow of applying there and not getting accepted, just because she was a mother of three. (And, perhaps, because she’d pissed off Clarion, but that was neither here nor there.) 

There were not many options in Swynlake for being a solicitor. Either she was working at Clarion’s or InterPride. There were other firms in the Next Town Over, but they were not magic focused and Belle refused to do that. She had a goal and that goal was to better things for Magicks. Not to help Mundus. Many might say she was too early in her career to be drawing these hard lines, but Belle had always been stubborn and idealistic. 

And she believed that she could get the job at InterPride. She was qualified. They were looking for new lawyers to bring on, to continuously bring in fresh blood and a new eye. It would give her opportunities too, potentially. To travel. To make a difference in other places. If her family ever considered moving, she would be able to get a job at any of the InterPride locations.

They also had daycare right in the building which Belle could not deny had factored into her decision to send in an application. There had been plenty of back and forth the last month between herself and Hades about it. Weighing the pros and cons of her going back to work, of how they would manage with the children, and the house as it was. They talked about it as if it was a militaristic endeavor. Just as serious as any other life decision they’d made. (Well, except for getting married. That, Belle considered, to have been done on a whim.) 

So, here she was now, on the sixth floor of the building, having been lead to an empty conference room with a large oak table and told to wait. She did her best not to fiddle and thankfully, she was not kept waiting long. 

The door open and Belle stood from the seat she had taken--

And looked right into the face of the enemy. She had known, of course, that Nuka Blackwell worked in InterPride’s legal department. (It had been factored into both the pro and con sides of her list.) But, of all the people to conduct an interview! Belle blinked once in shock and then recovered, smiled her most charming smile. 

“Hullo, I’m Belle Acheron,” she said, holding her hand out. “It’s a pleasure to meet with you. Thank you for taking the time. I, erm, brought a copy of my resume, if you don’t already have one.”