Vasile = Moldova
You leaned back on the wall and sighed, remaining unseen by the sidewalk's pedestrians. Your job was a tiring one and the effects it inflicted upon you were rarely positive. Had you a mortal body and soul, you might have already deteriorated, wasting away in some pit. But you weren't.

Lifting up your right hand you stared at its contents: a small white ball of light. It was Hope. The only thing that would shine in any darkness as long as a human would not lose it. Hope without a vessel to cling to was nothing. This essence was what your entire job revolved around. Running around the world and instilling hope into people's hearts.

Quite thankfully, you weren't the only one with the occupation. There were hundreds, thousands, of others who shared the same hardships as you, constantly traveling everywhere, looking for someone at their lowest point, and, in their time of need, give them hope. It was a job that lives and one that could not be renounced. On that day, centuries ago, you had given up your mortality in exchange for the power to give and to spread hope.

It was a thankless job, but, throughout the day, there were things that gave you strength. People's smiles. Their determination. Their willingness to go on. To try to succeed. And all because they had that Hope. Your job had tired you and eternity seemed like forever, but what you did was worth it, and, usually, that was more than enough.

But there were times when you felt like you could use some hope yourself. After all, you were once human, and your old, negative emotions were sometimes all but forgotten.

Your back rubbed against the wall harshly as you sat down on the dirty ground. The grime didn't touch you, nor did it stir. Instead, it remained as it was. You could not change the physical world, yet it still brought back memories. Your former life flashed before your eyes. All the happy moments and all the sad. Everything you wanted to remember and everything you wanted to forget was now at the forefront of your mind. Emotions swelled up in your heart and you felt a tear run down your cheek.

Before it could drip off your chin it was wiped off by another hand, one that was not your own.

Vasile, another one of 'the lights of the world', kneeled down and sat beside you. He had worked with you on more than occasion, so you were quite familiar with him. He had a bright, shining spirit and just seemed to send off waves of hope wherever he went. He hailed from Moldova and had joined more recently than you had. There were others like him, but they had lost their youth and vigor a century or two after joining. Vasile was on this third and still going strong

He placed his hand over yours. It was warm and friendly, and, if you didn't know any better, you'd say that he was giving some if his Hope to you. But that was impossible, being what you were. You could not receive it, only give it.

You looked up from the ground into his smiling face.

"You can't give up hope," Vasile whispered, "I mean, aside from that being impossible and all."

A small laugh came from your mouth, whether it was wry or because you found what he had said funny, you couldn't decide. Instead, you leaned forwards and embraced him.

"Thank you," you whispered back. "For always being there for me."

"I care about you," he replied, lifting you to your feet. "And I don't like seeing anyone downcast. Especially you."

That last bit was new.

"Especially me?" you asked. "What do you mean?"

"You're special to me." Those four words were his answer, but they left you all the more bewildered. When he saw your confused expression, he tried to explain. "Back three centuries ago...when I was still normal...you came to me. I thought it was a dream at first, because I didn't think anything could be that bright or beautiful,"—your cheeks colored red—"but you touched my heart and I was filled with this...this feeling. This euphoric feeling. It made life worth living. So I wanted to follow you. And here I am."

You were silent...then: "That was you!" You laughed: loud, joyful, and unrestrained. "You look so different now!" Happy tears flowed from your eyes. "I mean, I'd never seen a more desolate person in my life—and look at you now! So alive and everything!"

He grinned sheepishly. "I can't believe you remembered that."

You shrugged. "Some people are more prominent in my memories than others. Still, how did you see me?"

"I don't know...but you did remind me of my mom," he said, quietly. "Did remind. You don't remind me of her anymore."

You laughed. "Yeah, I'm sure I look a lot worse now, since you're seeing me on equal terms."

"Well, no, actually now that I've gotten the chance to stare at you just about everyday, I'm quite certain that you're as beautiful as an angel, if not more."