Sera had been around for a long, long while. Seen civilizations rise and fall. Witnessed many things as she upheld many virtues … and the virtue of patience was being tested right now. "Please please please please please." Emily, her little sister, begged her over and over. "Please, please, please, I can do it, I can do it, I can REALLY, REALLY DO IT!"
"Emily, you already HAVE a job." Sera stated. "You're to bring happiness to the winners of heaven." To stay inside where it was safe, and she could live in blissful ignorance of the disasters that went on in hell. "It's an important job, and one you perform spectacularly."
"I know, I know… I just… I feel like I can be doing more." Emily said with a pout.
"More than fifty billion souls that grow exponentially, not even including heavenborn angels you also feel the need to attend to in your off time?" Sera asked.
"Exactly!" Well, never let it be said that her little sister wasn't a hard working go getter…. Perhaps too much so. Overambition was never a healthy sign of anything good. "The winners are too easy to please. Most of them nowadays are already happy just being in heaven in general. There's no challenge, and I want to do something that really matters!"
"You do matter, Emily, never doubt that." She reminded her. "And what you're asking is a very hefty request." Sera noted.
"But the Cherubs do jobs like this all the time!"
"The Cherubs are small and inconspicuous creatures that have much free time because they have no job besides helping certain individuals." Sera reminded her. "Not everyone in heaven is as hardworking as us Seraphim." Not that they were lazy or slothful, just … numerous enough to allocate resources better. "They give blessings to those the winners deem worthy.." And anyone heaven felt was necessary to keep alive on earth. ".. and they DON'T do more than what's required."
"Come on, I can be inconspicuous. I can turn invisible at will, see?" Emily smiled as she did so, reappearing in front of her face. "No one would even notice. I'll be like a ninja, but instead of assassinations, I'll be throwing blessings everywhere!"
"You can't just THROW blessing everywhere either Emily. Earth is the middle ground of Heaven and Hell, capable of good and bad. Some people aren't asked to be blessed because they could be killers."
"I think I'll recognize a killer when I see one." The seraphim chuckled. Although they wouldn't … not with the number of souls Sera condemned for the safety of heaven. "Come on Sera, pleeeaaaassseeeeeee?" Emily pleaded with big beady eyes. "Just one job, one job please! I won't ask for anything more, oh please oh please oh please I'll keep this up for the rest of eternity if you don't say yes please oh please oh please…"
Resist the eyes. Resist the eyes. Resist the innocent, adorable … she was weak willed when it came to her. "Fine …"
"YES!"
"Ground rules." She stated. "Number one, humans must not know about the existence of heaven and hell. Never let yourself be seen by a mortal soul."
"You got it! I'll be as quiet as a church mouse!"
"Number two, protect only those you are chosen to bless, no one else. We don't need a repeat of World War II." The mistaken protection of one man led to too much carnage.
"Absolutely!"
"And Number three.. Don't get too attached." Sera warned. "It's dangerous for angels to have too much interaction with a mortal soul, and vice versa. You don't need to be reminded about Lucifer and Lilith I believe." Too many dangerous ideas could be formed from two people alone.
"Oh come on." She chuckled. "If we're blessing good people, then obviously they'll go to heaven and we can get attached there." … That didn't alleviate her concerns in the slightest. "It'll be fine Sera."
Sighing, she snapped her fingers, grabbing a list. Something out of the way, something away from politicians and businessmen, something cleared for having committed no crimes … Sera found a nice looking one. "Alright Emily… we'll start you off with blessing ONE family. A Japanese couple that just had their baby son a few days ago." No prior major sins, aside from what appeared to be a bit of a slothful streak between the man and the woman, but Sera was sure that was just the two being focused on loving each other, like any newlywed couple.
"Oooh, I get to help them raise a kid!" She shouted, fireworks going off. "This will be so swell and dandy and perfect!" It wasn't ideal… humans were capable of good, that's why they made it to heaven and became Winners in the first place… but they were capable of so much heinousness even without being sinners. She desperately didn't want to taint Emily's optimism with the harsh truth. "Oooh, what are their names?"
"Hachi and Teien Suzuki, and their son is Iruma Suzuki."
Emily saluted. "I promise Sera! Everyone in the Suzuki family will be blessed and protected!" Emily cheerfully saluted as she flew out of the room.
"Please Emily… please just… just stay close to the ground." Her sister's place in heaven wasn't worth risking over a couple of humans… for this place's sake, she hoped Emily didn't take this job too personally.
Teien gazed at her son. "Such a cute and adorable little face you have. Don't you? Don't you?" The child giggled. "That's right, super adorable … adorable enough to attract us some dinner!" She shouted, yeeting the child into the ocean. Apparently, being married and having a baby was REALLY expensive, so they needed a way to make money somehow… and neither Teien or Hachi wanted to get jobs, so that meant it was the baby's job to take care of them!
"AHHHHHHHHH!"
Both of them turned their heads to what sounded like a high pitched screaming of a woman, only to find nothing. "… Our baby has a really strange echo." Hachi noted, before turning back to the task at hand. "Wiggle harder son!" Her husband shouted as the baby cried. "Make yourself seem as lively as possible!"
"Sweet, we're eating sushi tonight!" She laughed, before pausing. "Honey, you remembered to tie the line, right?"
"Tie what now?" Haici asked.
Snap
The fishing line broke up as their baby was sent hurdling into the water. "...Well that's a shame." Teien pouted. "I don't want to wait nine months to not work again."
"Don't worry honey, I'm sure we can find someone on the streets willing to work for nothing more than a room." Her husband patted her back reassuringly. While the wedding was expensive, she didn't regret it one bit to be with the man who understood her as completely as him. Someone who knew that the best way to have the best life was to piggyback off the success of people you could control under your thumb.
"Waaaaaggggggghhhh!" The sounds of their baby Iruma crying was heard as he suddenly appeared right behind them.
"Huh… guess the wind must've carried him back." Teien scratched her head.
"Strong day I say." Her husband nodded, grabbing another line. "Alright, this time I'll tie it around him real tight."
"Tie it around his neck so that what it'll stay extra firm."
"Good thinking honey."
She smiled as she looked off the port bow (heh, ocean slang, funny), noticing some fins. "Oh my … honey! Shoot him off from this side! I see some sharks!"
"Those will last us a whole week!"
"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"
They looked around once more, finding nothing but their sniffling child. "… It's too bad we can't afford a doctor for him, that echo is annoying."
"Yeah… maybe the sharks will be able to do something about it." Haichi shrugged. "Okay son, this time, try to act more like a dead fish!" He threw him off again.
SNAP
The rope broke off before their son landed in a lifeboat that they could've sworn wasn't there before. "Are we the only one's on this boat? I can't remember if we rented or stole this one."
"Rented. Neither of us know how to drive, so I got us the one with the deaf and blind sailor."
"Oh Teien, you're the brains of this operation, and the looks." He smirked.
"Haichi, you charmer." She laughed. "You know, that lifeboat would be perfect for a nice…private moment. We can just tie Iruma to the back and get the sharks to chase us to the shore."
"Yeah! Maybe this will help him stop crying while his echo fixes itself."
"YOU PEOPLE ARE HORRIBLE!"
"See, that almost sounded like someone else was here." He nodded.
"Yeah, super weird." Teien agreed. "You know, maybe we'll have better luck if we use Iruma to trap bears. All his screaming will make him easy prey, and he'll stay in one place to be mauled while the traps set."
"Excellent idea. I'll just need to mess with the trap so I can put him on it without cutting off his head. Can't have our free labor die too early."
"AAAAHHHH!" Definitely loud enough for bear traps.
There was danger in this cave. Iruma could feel it. Every second, every pick of the pickaxe, added to that growing feeling in the back of his head. He had to make sure to work fast before the danger showed.
Iruma wanted to make mom and dad happy. When they were happy they hugged him and patted his head. He needed money to make them happy. They suggested jobs that accept miners, so he became one. They never asked questions or ID him, so that meant he got free money from doing the work no one else wanted, which was mainly climbing through the small spaces no one else could get through.
Did Iruma like this job? Definitely not. He was three years old, he'd rather have fun than work endlessly. He dreamed about what it would be like to play in the park with other kids… but until he made mom and dad happy with lots of money, that would have to stay a dream.
He hit away another one of the black rocks, coughing a bit from the dust. The dust hurt, Iruma needed to learn how to hold his breath better. It would help whenever he had to do something in the ocean anyway. Sharks never gave him the time to breathe, and whales always ate whatever was in front of them.
"Maybe I shouldn't have asked for the overtime." He quietly muttered as he kept hitting the rock. There was less supervision in the area, and he didn't have a cellphone to call for help…. Not that one would probably come, given how being underground worked.. or he at least thought that's how it worked. He spent more time working than he did in school.
Iruma's feeling of danger spiked. He needed to get out of here now. Grabbing onto the rocks he had, he loaded them onto the minecart. "Hey brat, that thing's only half full." A fellow worker spoke up.
"Ah let him, he's too short to pull a full load anyway."
"And I'm too lazy to explain to the boss why I didn't do my half of the work today." The first guy grumbled. "Get back out there and fill it out you little brar."
"Carl.
"Fine.. fill it out please, you little brat.
"Yes sir." You always do what people said if they said please, or needed help, or were begging you for it. Doing good was nice and they rewarded you with head pats, and if you did a good enough job, hugs! Iruma just had to make sure to do it fast, the danger was growing.
"Okay Iruma, it isn't anymore different than working in a steel mill without proper safety gear." He nearly got splattered by hot steel on several occasions. Luckily it always seemed to miss him by about an inch. "Or herding bulls wearing nothing but red clothes." That time he tripped into a ditch that he swore wasn't there before. "Or that time you had to deal with a hallucinogenic gas leak while searching for lost treasure." That time he swore he saw a lady with a lot of eyes drag him out of the hole. "All you need to do is put your back into it!" He slammed his pick on the wall.
Crack
Everyone stopped at the particularly large noise. "Wow, didn't know you had that much muscle." A worker muttered.
Crack. Crack. CRACK!
Multiple cracks ran along the walls, reaching the ceilings as the cave began to rumble. "Ah, the tunnel's collapsing!" Another one shouted. "Every man for himself!"
"Definitely should have trusted my instincts." Iruma muttered as he began to run. He leapt forward, avoiding a gap in the rocks, moving right as a rock nearly went into his head. Just keep the path in mind, trust your instincts, and get out of here before you're buried alive.
Crack
The rocks were coming down faster right behind him. They were coming in closer, closer. Run run run! It was what you were best at aside from eating-!
Trip
He fell.. and his foot was stuck in a crack in the ground. "No, no no no." Why instincts, why betray him now!? Iruma pulled and yanked as the rocks got closer. "Help!" Wait, no one around, it was only himself. Okay, you can't pull it out, and the cave is collapsing, there's no time to twist it … "I have to cut it out." It would hurt, and would affect his running, but it was better than death.
Crack
The rocks were coming at him… well… if this was the end, then at least death would be alright. He hated the thought of dying, but it'd be like… a really big nap, right? Naps were always fine.
Crack
Iruma's foot came loose suddenly. He didn't question it, and he didn't care to. He rolled out of the way of the rocks, running with all his might as he made his way to the exit faster and faster … and with a gush of air, probably from the collapse, he made it out. "Safe … safe …"
"Dang it, who was responsible for this!?" The foreman shouted… and everyone pointed fingers at him.
Iruma sighed. "Can I at least get severance pay before you send me to jail?"
"Kid, you're just getting fired." The foreman said. "Cause if I reported you, I'd get arrested for violating child labor laws and child endangerment."
"Oh … that's alright." He nodded. "I'm sorry for the trouble." Iruma bowed down to them. Another job he lost to circumstance. Unfortunately something that he was rather used to by this point. Maybe when he turned four he'll learn how not to get fired.
He began walking back home. "Looks like no hugs tonight … hopefully the apple tree managed to grow back its fruit, I'm getting kind of hungry." He felt his stomach grumble. "Come on, I've survived on less than three days of food, I can go for four.."
Bonk
"Ow… why instincts.. why do you fail me so.." He looked at what hit him in the head… a whole basket full of fruit. "Hello, did anyone lose this fruit basket!?" He called out as no one responded. "Hmm … good luck for me I guess." He bit into an orange. "Hmm … I'll eat a third and give the rest to mom and dad to make up for the lack of money today." They always got really sad when he couldn't bring any home.
"COME ON!"
"… Everyone's right, I have a really weird echo." Maybe it was broken. He should see how someone would get that fixed.
Lute liked to think she was pretty well aware and intelligent. As an exorcist, she was privy to many things most of hell wasn't aware of. She was the sword of the pearly gates, making sure that nothing came close to harming her home, especially noting that came out of hell and demonic kind.
"Aaahhhhh." However, it came as a bit of a surprise to see Emily, an all powerful Seraphim, and one of the most energetic ones she had ever met, dead on her feet. "Eaaarttth…. Stinks."
"Damn it, could've sworn she would've said suck at least. Or fucking sucks." Adam smirked as he sipped his drink.
"She's a seraphim Adam, she's a bit above cursing." Lute noted. "I doubt the concept even works in her mind."
"Meh, bound to happen eventually with pollution overtaking earth." He shrugged. "So what's got you so spent, Em? Did you see the election or some shit?"
"Oh don't you even dare bring up politics, that's a whole other can of worms I wish I could forget about." Emily groaned. "I took up a guardian angel position so I could do more.."
"Isn't your whole job getting the winners high on rainbows and sunshine shit?" Adam titled his head.
"Yeah, but it's super easy at this point. You guys are always grinning when you're around each other. Especially around this month." Right, cause extermination was almost upon them … oooh the fun they would have.
"Trust me, I still get my fair share of problems. Like there was this groupie following me around after our last concert, and I was think oh fuck yeah we're doing it, but she was just trying to interview the band as a whole. And I'm like, 'bitch are you for real? I'm fucking Adam, no one's going to be better than me.." Lute may have had questions about some of Adam's… behavior, but he always treated her as an equal, or as equal as one could be compared to the first winner of heaven.
"So you took up a double job and overextended yourself." Lute noted. "Did I get it right?"
"No … no it's just … the family is horrible." Emily groaned. "Like, genuinely, hellbound sinners on earth."
"Whoa. That's a pretty big statement coming from you Em." Adam smirked, and Lute couldn't blame him. The girl was the definition of too optimistic. "So what are we talking t about here? Drug possession? Orgy gone wrong? Killed the neighbors dog?"
"Well my first trip down, I thought they were taking a nice trip with their newborn child into the ocean, to celebrate life."
"That checks." Lute nodded. "The ocean is pretty calming."
"Then they used said newborn as fish bait." Well that instantly took a dark turn.
"Whoa… Pffft hahahaha-" Lute shoved a shoulder into Adam's ribs to make him stop laughing, given the glare Emily was giving them, something Lute didn't even think was possible from the girl. "Eh, sorry, tickle in my throat." It may be because Adam was the first; but the man had no sense of tact to other people, even to Sera herself.
"They threw him into the water fifteen time that day. I had to save the baby and keep giving the parents more fish so they would stop, but the more I gave them, the more they did! Eventually they stopped only because the boat ran out of gas!" Emily pounded her head on the table.
"Huh.. well maybe it was.. first day parent struggles?" Adam suggested with a shrugged. "I mean, Cain and Abel fought a lot, and trust me, being a protector over a couple of crying shitting machines isn't easy."
"The next day they then use the baby to trap bears by placing him on a metal clamp that would have taken his head off if I didn't mess with the inner spring." Emily groaned. "And when he could finally walk, they made him go through a fox home to get rid of them, or the time they placed him a cargo ship and sent him off to Brazil to collect a rare flower in the middle of carnivorous plants!"
"I …" Lute tried to speak up.
"By the time he understood language they managed to manipulate him on a subconscious level in order to do anything they ask with please, help, or begging because they rewarded him with physical affection when he did it! They conditioned him!"
"I mean ... is a lack of free will a good thing?" Adam muttered. "It's what got big L sent down to hell after all."
"Are we talking about Lucifer or Lilith?" Lute questioned. "Because technically they're both big Ls."
"Eh, losers blur in my head after a couple hundred years eventually." Adam rolled his eyes.
"Hello, I'm still ranting." Emily waved her hands to get their attention back. "And it doesn't end there. Problem after problem they cause over and over again for that boy, to the point I'm starting to get concerned if he'll have asthma or scoliosis before he's even six! And we're not even getting into the debt he piled up from loans and casinos taken out in his name!"
"Wait, are the parents barging their kid in all that or is the kid doing it himself?" Lute asked.
"I stopped noting details making the ceiling collapse so he doesn't die bleeding from bullet holes! Or the one time with the bazooka!" She shouted. "Who shoots a bazooka at a four year old!? That's the definition of overkill!"
"Wow, and here I thought global warming was the most entertaining…" Lute elbowed Adam in the ribs again. "I mean ... worse things happen."
"You could always deligate if you're feeling overworked." Lute suggested. "It's a rather small task if it's a simple guardian position, and a lot of the Cherebs are sitting around."
"Maybe…" Emily sighed, rubbing her head with her hands. "It's just… the boy.. Iruma.. I've never seen a soul so.. so innocent.."
"What kind of weirdo is called Iruma?" Adam questioned.
"It's Japanese."
"Japanese … oh, those squinty eyed oriewhat'll babies that popped outta eve. Full disclosure, I thought they were ugly as fuck and hoped they'd crawl into a ditch eventually.
Emily stared at Adam for a moment, then sent Lute a look. "He's fun when you share hobbies." She shrugged.
"Hobbies?" Emily sent her a look, before blushing. "Oh … I didn't know you were into girls."
"What, no that's not what-!"
"Pretty sure I saw you looking at a few angel asses a few days ago." Adam snickered like a jackass. "I mean, occasionally I stare at Sera's behind when she's not looking.."
"Doesn't she have eyes in her hair?" Lute countered. "You know, being the all seeing head Seraphim?
"There's nothing wrong with staring as long as you don't act on it." Adam shrugged. "But seriously Em, take a breather. It's not like one kid's gonna be in danger twenty four seven."
"I've seen Iruma grow up for four years now. It's literally in danger 24/7. He does so many things for people and he never even asks for favors." Emily shook her head. "I just don't understand. The boy does so much good, but the parents.. why are all the blessings going to the parents? They've done nothing as far as I've observed.
"Well obviously it took a lot of work to make the kid that good at his shit. They have to teach him how to be a good person, along with being skilled and strong. Just like how I trained Cain."
"Wasn't that the son that became the first murderer?"
"Still better than the first sinner. Fuckin Lilith ruin everyone's plans." Adam muttered before shaking his head. "Look. Earth is a messy place. Ever since Lucifer and Lilith fucked up Eden, it's stayed a mess. There's a process, and once the family dies, then everything will work out cause they'll go to wherever fate decides they deserve to go, so thinking more about the complicated life of humans is pointless."
"… Alright.. guess that makes sense." Emily sighed.
"And remember, don't get invested." Lute pointed out. "Getting involved with mortals is how Angels fall." Honestly she didn't know for sure like how every Angel wasn't sure, but Lucifer did it, so it had to be bad. "Do your job, and move on to the next one, like anyone else."
"Right … right." The seraphim sighed, opening a portal, and frowning. "Excuse me, I have to go."
"It's the middle of the night babe, just sleep." Adam shrugged.
"I would, but middle of the night means daytime in Japan, where said child I'm talking about is fending off wild wolves."
"Come on, I'm sure that's an exaggeration-"
"Nice doggies! Nice doggies! Please don't bite my head off!" A young voice screamed in panic from the other side. "Or if you do, at least share it with you pups!"
"... God, give me strength." Emily sighed as she walked through the portal.
"Heh. Crazy bitch is going to go crazy by this time next year." Adam laughed.
"Yes." Lute noted. "And how do you think Sera, our boss, will feel when the one Seraphim she cares about more than anyone else in heaven snaps?"
".. Your a chick, she's a chick. It's your prob to fix. Imma getting ribs. You want ribs? I'm getting ribs." Sometimes… Lute wondered what Adam really did when he got into heaven. She didn't doubt the system ... but sometimes she wondered.
Emily gazed down at the smiling child. "Alright, got me enough cover in this abandoned warehouse so I don't have to deal with frostbite, got me a pillow with a bunch of feathers I got from that bird attack, and newspapers for a blanket." So much optimism and joy from the very bare minimum.
"Next year, I'll finally have enough spare change to get me a heater." Iruma chuckled. "Then I won't have to worry about animals being attracted to smoke from a fire … although power will be an issue … meh, I'll think about it when I get to it. Future Iruma's problem." A child shouldn't have to worry about the future. Iruma should never have to worry about a good future.. he should have parents looking out for him, parents that didn't exploit his existence; parents that actually gave love and head pats unconditionally..
But nooo, they needed the storage space and rent out the room for money, and needed the child to find a place nearby enough to sleep, but not far away enough to leave them forever.
The three rules. Never be known, never give blessings to someone other than the family, and don't get invested. The first was a bit harder in the early days, but she's learned to keep her voice quiet for when it's needed, and keep a subtle enough influence around the world to help them. She would love to only bless Iruma, but to minimize his suffering, Emily had to give blessings to those awful Suzukis in order to give Iruma a break ... she felt like an enabler and it made her feel so dirty.
As for investment … sadly, that rule had been very … very broken. The boy was constantly on her mind. His safety, his smile, his joy whenever something wonderful happened to him, his suffering, every moment had stayed with Emily. The fact he never let anything get him down or disway him from living.
There were so many times she wanted to break her vow of silence. She wanted so much to speak to him, to hold him in her arms and tell him it was okay to cry, that it was okay to not focus about surviving … to tell him there was someone out there looking out for him. But Emily already broke one rule. If she broke another … who knows what would happen.
The boy yawned. "Spent so much energy today … goodnight body. Goodnight stomach. Goodnight snowy night." He muttered, resting down and wrapping himself up, his body shivering just a tad.
"Oh Iruma.." She sadly shook her head as she lay down beside him. Moments like this were the only time she could say she could be in his life… the moments where she wasn't just a voice in the wind or an invisible force that prevented major disaster. "I'm sorry I can't do more… ." She petted his head as she gently rested her feathers on his body, which made him move unconsciously towards her. "Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't mean.."
"I never thought newspapers could feel so warm." The boy smiled, his eyes still closed as he laid down, unknowingly snuggling further within the grasp of her wings. "I need to stock up on more when I rummage through trash."
… This was fine. He didn't know she existed, no rules have been broken … and for tonight, he would be warm, and safe … this innocent child … would finally feel the love she would give to him… unconditionally forever.
"So many times out there …" She sung quietly. "I've watched a happy pair … Of parents walking in the night." So many happy families within heaven, so many on the streets the boy walked.
"They had a kind of glow around them…" An aura, a warmth that could only come from the pure goodness of souls. "And you know they've felt Heaven's light …" Kindness and protection from every guardian out there …
"I knew I'd never know …" Never met someone to share love with. She hadn't even met her parents, if she had any. "That warm and loving glow." That fluffy feeling within her chest as she listened to his gentle breathing.
"Though I might wish with all my might …. That no matter how much I want it… " Even angels as high as her had their limits. They couldn't just do whatever they wanted… they'd be no different from the hellbound and born that roamed hell.
"I would never bring a child into heaven's light …" She wouldn't let him die so young. They already went through enough suffering. And what right did she have to have a kid of her own when there were so many like Iruma out there suffering… she wouldn't be selfish… she couldn't.
She watched his unconscious head turn to her… and saw that smile…. A smile she could believe was for her.. even if he didn't know it. "But suddenly, the fates have smiled on me…And brought this boy into my sights…" Emily gently rubbed her hand across his face.
"I dare to dream that he … Might someday get to know me." To be assured that someone did care about his happiness, his dreams, his innocence. That one day.. all this suffering would be worth it when fate rewarded his goodness. "And call me mom in times like tonight …" More so then the wrench who did nothing but hurt him. "My soul has never felt so bright …for one blessed with Heaven's Light."
He let out tiny snores, a peaceful smile on his face as his body rested from the day it had. A little heavy sleeper. "I promise you … one day, once you're old enough, you will be free. And I will make sure you'll meet people who can make you happy." A little favor from a cupid or two to help matchmaking, following others home to see if they were good people and nudge Iruma to them … it would be perfect when this boy was free.
"So fluffy…" The boy let out a small yawn as he buried himself in her feathers.
"Live long and prosper Iruma." Emily gently kissed the boy's head as she rocked him back and forth. "I love you… forever and always." She wouldn't let anything happen to him… she'd stake her soul on it.
