i. arduous assignment
Noe Castello -- Male (Ve/VerVers; He/Him/His) -- Morning

There was a note on the staff rooms’ coffee table, written in the messy scrawl of the head of security. It said:

Noe didn’t come into work today :)

Underneath the words, someone else had written, with loopy curves and flourishes.

Loser. Guess I win this time.

Finally, a single sticky note in bright blue had been stuck onto the original note, nearly obscuring the second response. Its script was light and sharp, each character placed with care.

Yes, I did.

A tall, well-muscled man with short-cut black hair and rich, dark brown skin padded into the room, a rather voluminous packet of papers pressed into his hands. A pair of shockingly green-blue eyes danced over the words, mouth pressed into a considering line. He continued forward, not taking his eyes off of the document as he went about making a cup of coffee and taking it to the staff table. He paused, noticing the note for the first time. An amused smile flashed across his face but quickly gave way to a look of concern.

He turned, surveying the office, and called, “Noe?” He left the papers on the table.

“Here,” came the muffled response from one of the rooms on the far right of the nearby branching hallway. There was the hurried shuffling of papers and a trio of office chair wheels rolled squeakily over smooth, vinyl flooring. Several moments later, and the sound of quick, sharp taps clicked through the hallway.

Noe stepped out into the main staff room, a manilla folder in one hand. Ve pushed a pair of thin, silver wire-frames up his nose and blinked owlishly.

“You’re wearing the same outfit as you did yesterday,” the taller man said, a note of concern coloring his tone. He took a half-step forward, surveying Noe with a quick flick of his eyes.

Noe pulled into verself, mouth pressing into a defensive line. Ve was wearing a smart, white button-up and high-waisted black pants. A long, black trench coat with round, pretentious buttons lining its front. A pair of short, black boots with sleek, half-heels decorated ver feet, their surfaces glossy black as if bought only the day before.

“Is there anything you need from me, Tao?” ve asked, expression guarded. “I’m busy.”

Tao sighed. “You’re always busy,” he agreed tiredly. “You could take a break, you know. You’re one of the hardest workers in our division.”

Noe turned away. “I’m fine.”

“Sure,” Tao said, somewhat snappily. “Noe, you can’t just- you need sleep.”

Noe clicked ver heel against the ground, staring at the ground as if it had personally offended ver. “I’m fine,” he said again, mouth set into a rebellious scowl. Ve didn’t dare turn and walk away- Tao was the leader of their unit, as appointed by the small, silver pin affixed to his shirt. Noe had a similar one in a shade of tarnished bronze. It blinked dully against the darkness of ver coat lapels.

Noe stewed in silent rebellion, refusing to meet Tao’s gaze. Tao watched him with a jaded sort-of worry, one that seemed long-lived due to the familiarity of the expression. It leaked into his form, drooping his shoulders and slouching his form. He considered the man in front of him with an almost brotherly expression, as if he was silently taking the blame for Noe’s actions.

“How have you been lately?” Tao asked gently. “You haven’t been by the house recently.”

Noe lifted one shoulder in an awkward shrug. “I’ve just- it’s been busy.”

Tao let out a sharp, irritated sound. “I’ve heard,” he grumbled. “Don’t you have enough to do without being at Daiyu’s beck and call as well?”

Noe bristled. “I can handle myself,” ve snapped, before seeming to catch verself, and adding a quick, “Sir.”

Tao sighed. “You know I don’t care for formalities,” he sighed. “I worry about you, Noe. You know that.”

Noe shrugged uncomfortably. Ve wasn’t good at things like this. “I know. I’ve been good, Tao. Really. I like feeling like I’m helping.”

“You are one of the most helpful and capable people I have ever met,” Tao promised, and Noe turned away to hide a flush. “You don’t need to overcompensate for anything. Just take a break- come by for dinner tonight. Taliha’s missed you- you’ve barely spoken in the last two weeks.”

Noe pursed ver lips into a line and looked down. Ve had work that he had to finish. But Tao’s warm eyes and gentle, concerned tone seemed to finally override the line of thought.

“Alright,” ve finally conceded. Ve wouldn’t mind spending some time at Tao and Taliha’s shared apartment- ve still missed the little apartment, in a wistful kind-of-way.

Tao smiled warmly. “Good,” he said. “Now, if you don’t mind, I have some paperwork to go through. Something about a fallen angel raising several alerts in the human world. I was thinking of sending someone-”

“I’ll do it,” Noe volunteered immediately. Ve had been itching for some fieldwork for the past week. While working in the office was fine, ve couldn’t help but prefer the busy outsides streets with their artful corner cafés and nook hideaways and libraries brimming with books.

Tao gave ver a look. “Didn’t we just talk about this?” he asked, exasperated. “I know you have a shitload of paperwork that Daiyu assigned you. Shouldn’t you do that instead?”

“I’ll finish on time,” ve promised.

“I know,” said Tao. “That’s why I don’t want you doing more work. You need to sleep.” He gave Noe a long, knowing look. Ve had the sense to act abashed. “No more working through the entire night. You have your own apartment now.”

Noe knew that. Ve aso knew how depressingly empty ver new apartment felt, compared to ver memories of Tao’s warm and lively apartment. It felt more like home than any other place ve had ever lived- including ver new, hard-earned one.

“Alright,” ve agreed hurriedly. “I won’t. Please, Tao? I’ve been itching for fieldwork all week.”

Tao sighed deeply, and Noe knew ve’d won. “Alright,” he acquiesced. “I’m not sure it’s the type of field assignment you’ll like.”

Noe frowned. “It can’t be that bad,” ve snorted. “It’s just gathering information, right?”

--

It was not, in fact, just gathering information.

Tao had tried to sugarcoat it, probably realizing how much Noe needed to get out of the office, but after checking through the file, Noe was quite unhappy to learn that, while ve was gathering information, it was not in the way he was used to. For this mission, ve was supposed to interact with the subject- ask them questions, escort them to some safe place, etc etc. Ve didn’t understand why ve was supposed to be treating the subject with such… care. Usually, when a rogue angel or fallen angel acted out enough to be noticed by the general populace, most higher-ups would just have them “removed-” whatever that meant.

Pale light filtered through the early morning city smog, casting grey light across the ground in dull streaks. A car splashed carelessly through one of the oil-slicked puddles left over from last nights’ rainstorm. Noe’s heels clicked sharply against the damp concrete, eyes oscillating back and forth, left and right- a trick that Tao had explained would help widen ver peripherals.

The smell of wet city streets and other, less sanitary scents was a confusing one. It stuck to ver skin, clinging onto ver clothes like a disease. Ve fought the urge to shake verself, keeping ver hands in tight fists that swung idly at ver sides. Ve stepped carefully over a dropped chip bag, rustling softly in the not-quite-breeze. Ve disliked the human world with a passion- ve had spent enough time down here to know that those glorious cities so many marveled at were only cramped, dangerous labyrinths full of thieves and users.

Sometimes, ve could almost forget how it felt to wait, shivering and cold, in the rain of a bus stop, desperately counting through spare change with numb, shaking fingers. Sometimes, ve could smell the scent of fresh bread and not think of all of the nights ve had spent, standing uselessly outside of a bakery window, fighting the urge to press ver face against the windowpane so as to avoid annoying the owners with fingerprints. Sometimes.

But every time ve came back here- here, this particular city- the memories returned, like ripping bandages from a healing wound and tearing out the stitches one by one. Ve shuddered and quickened ver pace. It was different, now, ve reminded verself- everything was different now. But, every once in a while, something would catch ver gaze, and ve would whip around, expecting to see some ghost of the past that had somehow stayed the same after all of these years, an anachronism in time standing starkly against the modern amenities and loud, shouty billboards.

Ve took in a deep breath, grounding verself. This was fine. Ve was fine. There weren’t many people out, except for those unfortunate enough to be lost to the vice grips of debt and despair. Noe was well-acquainted with those eyes; ve had seen them looking back at ver in the mirror enough times to stop feeling the pity of sympathy that so many “do-goods” would have when they passed ver on the street.

Some of them were watching now. Ve ignored their stares with a single, blank look of ver own, and felt their eyes drift away. Ve had no time or sympathy for these people. Usually, fieldwork entailed spending some time researching in local libraries, stalking people on social media, watching them run past through the park as they made their daily circuits to and from work. These things ve was equipped to deal with. Even being in the city was easy enough, as long as ve had a goal to focus on.

Now, though, ver stomach squirmed in discomfort at the thought of confrontation. Tao had warned ver that there was a good chance ve would have to de-escalate a situation, and, as far as Tao-speak went, Noe recognized it as a ‘soft’ way to tell ver ve would have to deal with other people.

Noe pulled out ver phone and checked the map Tao had sent ver with weary eyes. It contained all of the places where this rogue angel had been sighted. Noe’s lips thinned into a line; ve wished the file hadn’t been so vague about the culprits’ appearance and personal information. That might make things harder when it came time to identify the perpetrator.

It really was strange, ve couldn’t help but think. How few details had been included in the file, even though it seemed like this certain rogue- or, fallen angel, it had said- had played this game before and lost.

Ve finally made it to the last spot the perp had been spotted. Of course, they weren’t there, but it wasn’t like ve had expected anything like that. He had hoped to find some witnesses, maybe some of the local homeless population he could bribe. But the streets were depressingly empty. This area was much more open- and less human friendly, ve noted, taking in the one-seat benches with their anti-homeless covers still on them. Sharp dislike at the site bled into ver brain, and ver mouth tasted bitter. Ve turned away. Stupid, selfish humans.

Ve checked around, only to see most of the businesses were closed up, waiting for their owners to arrive and set up for opening. Noe sighed deeply and turned. Ve would just have to make ver way to another spot, then.

Ve began to make ver way down the street, turning down an alley to shorten the duration of walking time. It was empty, but his hand still jumped to his leg, where one of ver diamond and coral daggers waited, hidden beneath the folds of ver coat. Ve tapped ver fingers across the surface, taking comfort in the familiar feel of the knife against ver palm.

Ve exited safely on the other side, eyes still scanning left to right. Ve turned onto the street and headed towards ver next destination, taking in the scenery. Several bars flickered tiredly in the buildings around ver. They were lower-class things, for the outskirters and traditionalists who had gone to them so many times they couldn’t imagine going anywhere else. Ve could imagine the sticky floors, lines of barstools set in front of single counters, adjacent rooms with old, rocky music that wasn’t quite so popular anymore. Ve didn’t know, of course- ve wasn’t familiar with this area. But humans were usually slow to change- not that ve had any place to judge, angels were even slower. Ve supposed it had to do with age. Lifetimes.

Ver eyes caught on a few stragglers up ahead. They seemed to be part of the last crowd, shuffling their ways out of the bars with splitting headaches and dark, dark circles under their eyes. Ve watched them warily as ve approached. Ve would rather not deal with any drunkards tonight. People like this never had anything to lose.

Maybe that was why ve missed the low groan, missed the person who stumbled into ver back. Ve immediately tried to pull away, but deft fingers with black chipped nail polish found their way into the pockets of his overcoat in record time, rooting around without, seemingly, any movement. If not for the way the stranger had stumbled into ver, they might have gotten away with it. Noe made to turn in a single, sharp moment, ready to size up his opponent, when a low whine rose from their throat.

“Your pockets are empty?” they asked, sullen- almost pouty. Noe recognized a higher, though definitely masculine pitch. Ve turned, indigo-and-silver eyes narrowing into a single, sharp flash of movement. Ve was prepared for a dumb-struck, foolish human with too much confidence to know what to do with. Ve wasn’t expecting-

Their hair was semi-long, and pale pink, surrounding his face in a halo of sunrise. Their complexion was pale and icy, but a red flush decorated their nose and cheeks, rising up their neck and highlighting the tips of their ears. Their face was a sketch of dark, sharp lines, coming together to create something angular, yet soft. They had obviously Asian features, with matching pink irises, eyelids lowered into an almost-sleeping look. There was no chance the hair was dyed, or that they wore contacts- Noe was familiar with that. No, these features were real. Meaning-

“God, don’t tell me,” ve growled in a low, yet musical voice, shoving away from the too-angelic face. Of course. Of course. Ve had never been particularly lucky, but still, ve couldn’t have stopped verself from hoping that ve might have been able to solve this issue with a distance. That obviously wasn’t an option. Fighting back another growl of annoyance, ve stepped back, looking for the familiar sign that all fallen angels bore- the sharp lack of devotion- a substance that humans often referred to as “holiness” that was nearly invisible to the eyes of any creature except for angels themselves. Noe focused ver eyes, trying to find the telltale shimmer. When there was none to be found, ve let out another growl, and then sighed.

It seemed ve had found ver target.

Ve turned back around. “You are much more pitiful than I assumed you would be,” he snapped, ignoring the part of ver that urged him to step forward, to-

Oh, joy. It just had to get worse, didn’t it? Ve suddenly wished ve had just listened to Tao in the first place. Ten more piles of paperwork would have been preferable to this.

-- Word Count: 2637 Words --