Cupid (DNF + Karlnap)

Chapter 51: Working

Techno POV.
✨1,500 years ago✨

“Welcome. You must be our new Guardian Angel” A woman offered her hand out to me, which I cautiously shook. Her wings were spread out behind her, a soft dark grey with the occasional white feather, towering up to the ceiling. The warm smile made me feel awkward, and I couldn’t help but lower my gaze to avoid having to meet it.

She definitely had the aura of a guardian angel, the ones that we always learnt about. Her demeanour was wise and welcoming, like someone who had experienced everything that could be thrown at her and over sage advice because of it. I doubted I could ever become somebody like her, instead being destined for mediocrity in this job.

“Your name is ᛏᛖᚳᚻᚾᚩ, correct?” She asked, and I nodded a small yes, still not wanting to look over at her and instead taking the opportunity to look around the office space.
“I prefer to be called Techno.” I informed her, my gaze continuing to look around. An angel expected to work at least 2,000 years before being allowed to retire or change jobs.

“Alright then, Techno.” The woman gave a polite nod. She spun on her heel and began walking, motioning for her to follow him. “I will just let you know that the job of a Guardian Angel is not for the faint of heart. It involves being prepared to come in to work any day of the week, any time of the century. Is that alright with you?”

I grunted out a yes, it was too late to say no anyway. I was not in the position where I was able to step away from the job. The building I was in was a grand building in the centre of what was considered to be Paradise.

It was the centre of our society and most of the population worked in or around the structure. The offices of every major angelic branch including Guardian Angels, Cupids, Messengers, and many other job positions.

“Now Techno, I have to be honest, I am surprised you didn’t end up working in the Guardian offices. I figured that you would have a position on the tenth floor with your father in Cupid HQ.” Internally I groaned. Everyone assumed me and my father would be a legacy, father and son duo, but I wasn’t into all the soulmate crap like he was.

“Just wasn’t my thing.” I answered. I continued to follow her, seeing hundreds of angels in the large room. They were mingling around. Some of them were talking on different devices, some happy, others solemn.

“So as a Guardian Angel you are on call most of the time for your job.” She explained, hiding her wings behind her back. It was something that caught my gaze, the way that she hid them, since it was something that I had barely ever seen done. It was quite impressive and quickly caught my attention.

“That is fine.” I nodded. I was already aware of a lot of information about the Guardian Angels, having done research before taking this job. I wanted to make sure that this would be an easy place to work for so I could half-ass my way through the next 2,000+ years. At minimum I just have to have one human I helped at a time.

So realistically I help one person from the time of birth to death at about eighty years old, that would mean I’d at minimum only have to deal with twenty-five different humans, then I’d be able to retire. That was easy, especially if I only needed to give them insight once or twice a week.

The female angel had spun around to look at me, waiting for me to tell her something. Guilt and paranoia began building itself up, since I was beginning to worry that I hadn’t been listening, and that I was going to be fired from the job and be forced into the job of a Cupid alongside my father immediately. It’ll be so awkward having to work alongside him.

“You can take as many clients as you think that you can handle at once.” She explained, motioning over to a pair of angels who were talking happily into some small devices clutched in their hands. While talking with one hand they were playing a card game. “We usually recommend between three and ten, too many more can be overwhelming to new hires.”

Part of me considered that as a challenge, yet once again I stayed quiet and allowed myself to be led, focusing on her deep grey wings which fluttered with an air of wisdom. I didn’t take the challenge though, continuing to look around the room. “Between taking calls you can just spend time here doing whatever you want.”

I began to tune out, not being interested. This work felt beneath me, I was an archangel after all, one of the original species. We had lived as guards to gods that lived and died, messengers that provided prophecies to mankind. Being a mere Guardian Angel felt beneath me.

My brows furrowed and I just grumbled to myself, pissed about the way I was going to have to spend the next few millenniums. Already distaste was beginning to fill my mouth. My fists balled themselves up but I managed to fake a smile.

✨500 years ago✨

The noise around me was infuriating, and with a glare I leaned closer to the device in front of me. After taking a deep breath I managed a smile. "Okay Henry, you need to be careful about how you word the letter. Just say their religion is not correct and you are starting your own one so you can divorce your wife."

As I spoke I made sure my voice was low, not allowing anyone around me to hear. I wasn’t meant to do this, but what harm would it cause? My voice would echo through the king’s mind, and hopefully he would listen to it. I figured it would be a funny letter for the Pope and then back to boring old guiding the ruler of England.

Honestly I was bored. I’d given up on this job and its repetitive nature. I get a human assigned, help them make decisions, they die, I get another human assigned. The screen allowed me to see his thoughts as they passed, and it seemed as though my words were beginning to get through to him.

As I thought I leaned back in my seat, before my eyes lit up an idea flowing through my own brain. I looked around the room, spotting the head Guardian, standing there. I stood up, a thoughtful expression on my face as I approached the man.

“Um…. boss?” I spoke gruffly, catching her attention. “I had an idea, something that I wanted to try out.”
“Try out?” She asked, studying me. “Sure. We always like to see some new ideas around the office.”

“I was thinking maybe I could try going down to the human world and give some advice in person.”
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1208 words

Bit of a weird chapter, just showing some of why Techno is down on the human world.