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moosestories2025-07-04 07:46 am
nyc_merlin) wrote in moosestories2025-07-04 07:46 am
Entry tags:
Angel AU: The Moon
18. The Moon - a character is deceiving another character; a character is deceiving themselves; a character's mind is clouded; a character is going slowly mad
—
Harrow Industries is one of the most secure buildings in central Manhattan. The old brick building is deceptive from the outside. It looks like any other old fashioned skyscraper built in the early 1900’s. Inside the charming old brick gives away to gleaming steel, pale peach walls, and hundreds of security cameras, scanners, and armed guards.
Every morning when Steven arrives for work he has to present his ID, his thumb print, and retina for a scan before he’s allowed to enter and he’s not even important. He’s a mail clerk. Those who work in R&D, Marketing, and Sales have it much worse.
It’s why Steven is a mail clerk. No one really notices him. It also gives him access to every single floor of Harrow Industries. A mail clerk has to deliver the mail, after all. He can’t very well do that from his little office on the shipping dock.
“Morning Jake,” he says to the security guard at the employee entrance with a little wave.
The man, like he has for the past eight years, tips his head towards Steven but says nothing else. He’s a stoney faced fellow with hard eyes. The only time Steven’s seen any sort of personality from him is with the female employees. He flirts like a devil.
Steven envy’s him a little for that.
He passes through security without an issue and makes his way through back corridors and down a half-flight of stairs to the shipping dock. His coworker isn’t in yet but that’s fine. Steven likes being early. It gives him time to do what he needs to with only the cameras watching.
In his office he hangs up his bag and jacket then sits down at his desk. He reaches into a drawer, presses a button, and pulls out a slim black camera barely over an inch wide. Now that the cameras are playing a recording of him from three years into his employment of his morning routine Steven is free to start looking over what’s arrived.
He starts with the packages, photographing each address and shipping invoice. Then he moves on to the letters and large envelopes. Everything, even the junk mail he photographs. He never knows what the underground will find useful.
See, Steven has this job because Harrow Industries is the leading tech company in angel restraint and ring binding and has been for centuries. Other upstart companies like Oscorp have a fraction of market share that Harrow Industries has.
His work here is… difficult. It tests his faith regularly because the Jewish people have never believed in angelic binding. They have spoken out against it for millenia. What he sees working for Harrow Industries, what he knows these people develop and why they develop it deeply troubles him.
Steven hasn’t gotten a good night of sleep in eight years but what he does from the inside is so important. What he learns helps the underground free angels on the outside. He reminds himself of that each time he takes a risk like this, when his heart starts to beat too fast and his hands start to shake.
He is doing the right thing and damn the consequences.
After he photographs everything, Steven goes back to his office, turns the cameras back to normal and goes about his actual job: sorting and organizing the mail. His coworker shows up an hour after he’s finished spying. They exchange some small talk while Steven loads up his mailcart.
Then he’s off into the building proper to make the rounds. The camera is a heavy weight in the pocket of his slacks. But none of the guards he walks by notice. Steven’s perfected the art of babbling friendly conversation at them so they don’t look too closely. He’s annoying on purpose so they let him through without a thorough inspection.
The underground is deeply impressed with his skills even though they were reluctant to take him on at first. It did take a few years for him to get comfortable with what he does. But again, he reminds himself this helps. He helps.
His last stop is the CEO’s office. The hallway leading up to it is lined with family portraits going back to the original Arthur Harrow who founded the company.
Outside the office stands the current Arthur Harrow’s bodyguard. Marc Spector looks even less friendly than Jake downstairs. His eyes narrow as Steven approaches and he shifts his automatic rifle around to the back so his hands are free to pat Steven down before he enters the office.
Steven does the same babbling routine with Marc as he does everyone else, idle chatter about his goldfish, the aquascaping convention he went to last month and how crowded the train was this morning.
Marc says nothing but his fingers slip into Steven’s pocket and he takes the camera.
When Steven first learned his underground handler would be the head of Harrow Industry’s security team he was stunned. Marc was practically the second in command. Everyone listened to him and not just because he was armed.
Their relationship was rocky to start. Marc is a deeply serious man and takes what he does as life or death. They didn’t really get on until a few years of working together when Marc and Steven figured out how best to use each other for what they did.
Marc opens the door to Harrow’s office for him and calls inside. “Mail, sir.”
“Steven!” Arthur Harrow’s face lights up when Steven walks in. “How are you today? How’s Gus?”
Steven thinks if Arthur Harrow did anything else but design things that enabled the buying and selling of angels he’d like the guy. He’s very down to earth and clearly cares about his employees, including a simple mail clerk like him.
“He’s good, sir.” He pulls out the stack of letters from his cart and almost fumbles them.
“Hello Steven.” Another voice. She’s in his office today.
Arthur’s prized possession. Layla is a beautiful angel. She’s sitting on the couch in the office, looking out over the city with a contemplative look on her face. She’s gorgeous in the midmorning sun. Her wings look practically gold in the light which is why Arthur values her so much. Her wing color is rare. She’s a status symbol and has been in his family for generations, since the founding of the company.
Steven longs to free her. Others might think she looks bored but he reads sadness and longing in her expression.
“Uh, and I’m doing well. I took out all the junk for you already,” he says, clearing his throat. He hands Arthur his mail with a smile.
“You’ve made this so much more efficient.” Arthur still tosses the mail on the desk without looking at any of it. “I think your mid-year review is going to go well. Just a feeling.”
Steven chuckles a little awkwardly. He’s trying very hard not to look at the flashy platinum ring on Arthur’s finger. What if he just… slid it off during their customary goodbye handshake? He could slide it on his finger and Layla and he could escape together.
In his head it’s like a movie scene. Everything is perfect. He doesn’t fumble with nerves. He simply does it. He saves the day and gives Layla freedom.
But the risk is too high. He knows Marc wants to free Layla too. He’s seen the looks the angel and the Head of Security exchange behind Arthur’s back. There’s no chance Steven’s the hero in this story.
He shakes Arthur’s hand and thanks him for the kind words before he leaves the office. He’s just the mail clerk, after all.
—
Harrow Industries is one of the most secure buildings in central Manhattan. The old brick building is deceptive from the outside. It looks like any other old fashioned skyscraper built in the early 1900’s. Inside the charming old brick gives away to gleaming steel, pale peach walls, and hundreds of security cameras, scanners, and armed guards.
Every morning when Steven arrives for work he has to present his ID, his thumb print, and retina for a scan before he’s allowed to enter and he’s not even important. He’s a mail clerk. Those who work in R&D, Marketing, and Sales have it much worse.
It’s why Steven is a mail clerk. No one really notices him. It also gives him access to every single floor of Harrow Industries. A mail clerk has to deliver the mail, after all. He can’t very well do that from his little office on the shipping dock.
“Morning Jake,” he says to the security guard at the employee entrance with a little wave.
The man, like he has for the past eight years, tips his head towards Steven but says nothing else. He’s a stoney faced fellow with hard eyes. The only time Steven’s seen any sort of personality from him is with the female employees. He flirts like a devil.
Steven envy’s him a little for that.
He passes through security without an issue and makes his way through back corridors and down a half-flight of stairs to the shipping dock. His coworker isn’t in yet but that’s fine. Steven likes being early. It gives him time to do what he needs to with only the cameras watching.
In his office he hangs up his bag and jacket then sits down at his desk. He reaches into a drawer, presses a button, and pulls out a slim black camera barely over an inch wide. Now that the cameras are playing a recording of him from three years into his employment of his morning routine Steven is free to start looking over what’s arrived.
He starts with the packages, photographing each address and shipping invoice. Then he moves on to the letters and large envelopes. Everything, even the junk mail he photographs. He never knows what the underground will find useful.
See, Steven has this job because Harrow Industries is the leading tech company in angel restraint and ring binding and has been for centuries. Other upstart companies like Oscorp have a fraction of market share that Harrow Industries has.
His work here is… difficult. It tests his faith regularly because the Jewish people have never believed in angelic binding. They have spoken out against it for millenia. What he sees working for Harrow Industries, what he knows these people develop and why they develop it deeply troubles him.
Steven hasn’t gotten a good night of sleep in eight years but what he does from the inside is so important. What he learns helps the underground free angels on the outside. He reminds himself of that each time he takes a risk like this, when his heart starts to beat too fast and his hands start to shake.
He is doing the right thing and damn the consequences.
After he photographs everything, Steven goes back to his office, turns the cameras back to normal and goes about his actual job: sorting and organizing the mail. His coworker shows up an hour after he’s finished spying. They exchange some small talk while Steven loads up his mailcart.
Then he’s off into the building proper to make the rounds. The camera is a heavy weight in the pocket of his slacks. But none of the guards he walks by notice. Steven’s perfected the art of babbling friendly conversation at them so they don’t look too closely. He’s annoying on purpose so they let him through without a thorough inspection.
The underground is deeply impressed with his skills even though they were reluctant to take him on at first. It did take a few years for him to get comfortable with what he does. But again, he reminds himself this helps. He helps.
His last stop is the CEO’s office. The hallway leading up to it is lined with family portraits going back to the original Arthur Harrow who founded the company.
Outside the office stands the current Arthur Harrow’s bodyguard. Marc Spector looks even less friendly than Jake downstairs. His eyes narrow as Steven approaches and he shifts his automatic rifle around to the back so his hands are free to pat Steven down before he enters the office.
Steven does the same babbling routine with Marc as he does everyone else, idle chatter about his goldfish, the aquascaping convention he went to last month and how crowded the train was this morning.
Marc says nothing but his fingers slip into Steven’s pocket and he takes the camera.
When Steven first learned his underground handler would be the head of Harrow Industry’s security team he was stunned. Marc was practically the second in command. Everyone listened to him and not just because he was armed.
Their relationship was rocky to start. Marc is a deeply serious man and takes what he does as life or death. They didn’t really get on until a few years of working together when Marc and Steven figured out how best to use each other for what they did.
Marc opens the door to Harrow’s office for him and calls inside. “Mail, sir.”
“Steven!” Arthur Harrow’s face lights up when Steven walks in. “How are you today? How’s Gus?”
Steven thinks if Arthur Harrow did anything else but design things that enabled the buying and selling of angels he’d like the guy. He’s very down to earth and clearly cares about his employees, including a simple mail clerk like him.
“He’s good, sir.” He pulls out the stack of letters from his cart and almost fumbles them.
“Hello Steven.” Another voice. She’s in his office today.
Arthur’s prized possession. Layla is a beautiful angel. She’s sitting on the couch in the office, looking out over the city with a contemplative look on her face. She’s gorgeous in the midmorning sun. Her wings look practically gold in the light which is why Arthur values her so much. Her wing color is rare. She’s a status symbol and has been in his family for generations, since the founding of the company.
Steven longs to free her. Others might think she looks bored but he reads sadness and longing in her expression.
“Uh, and I’m doing well. I took out all the junk for you already,” he says, clearing his throat. He hands Arthur his mail with a smile.
“You’ve made this so much more efficient.” Arthur still tosses the mail on the desk without looking at any of it. “I think your mid-year review is going to go well. Just a feeling.”
Steven chuckles a little awkwardly. He’s trying very hard not to look at the flashy platinum ring on Arthur’s finger. What if he just… slid it off during their customary goodbye handshake? He could slide it on his finger and Layla and he could escape together.
In his head it’s like a movie scene. Everything is perfect. He doesn’t fumble with nerves. He simply does it. He saves the day and gives Layla freedom.
But the risk is too high. He knows Marc wants to free Layla too. He’s seen the looks the angel and the Head of Security exchange behind Arthur’s back. There’s no chance Steven’s the hero in this story.
He shakes Arthur’s hand and thanks him for the kind words before he leaves the office. He’s just the mail clerk, after all.