Interview

Behind the beaded curtain was a small room. The walls were bare concrete with the occasional thread of magic shining through, but the lights overhead shone brighter and a little steadier. There was a table of dark wood with a leather office chair behind it, and a couple of folding chairs facing it. 

The man from before was sprawled in the office chair, giving him a pointed look. 

"Welcome, kids," he said. "See you brought a friend, Ken-chan. Have a seat." 

Kenshin left to perch on the back of the right-hand chair, so Noa took the one on the left. 

The man leaned forward. "So. Ken-chan. You here to introduce this friend of yours, or are you back for another handout? I was hoping I wouldn't see you around here again for a while." 

Kenshin's veneer of confidence seemed to have worn away entirely by this point. He was rocking back and forth on the top of the chair, and stumbled over his words as he answered. "W-well, you know, sir, I wasn't…things were going well! I've been careful. But my uncle—he's the one who gave me the job I had, you see—he had an accident, and the job fell through, and I was just barely keeping up with payments, so…" 

"So you're back." The man sighed. "That better be the only reason. If I hear through the grapevine that you've been back on your bad habits, I'll send some guys after you to remind you why you quit. Got it?" 

"Yes, sir!"

Noa sat stiffly in his seat. He hadn't been sure how this conversation would go, but a scolding wasn't the best start. 

It also made him wonder what exactly Kenshin was getting told off for doing. If it so bad that one of the fae was scolding him for it…well, he might have made a poor choice in who to take advice from. 

"Might not even need the grapevine, depending," the man said, and leveled Noa with a look. "How'd you end up here, kid? You look like you should still be in a school uniform. Middle school?"

"High school, actually, sir," Noa said carefully. "But I dropped out." 

"And so you're here on a school day." The man sighed. "The young'uns are such a bummer to see coming through these doors, I won't lie to you. What's your damage, kid?" 

"Sorry?" Noa said. 

"Why're you here? You're young! You got your whole life ahead of you. Why are you looking for quick cash in a place like this when you could start, I dunno, a career? Whatever you bright young things are supposed to be doing?" 

Noa swallowed. "I, uh…I was also working for Kenshin-san's uncle. He really did have an accident, so when we didn't have any work to do, Kenshin-san led me—" 

"And how'd you start working for his uncle?" 

"I'm staying with his extended family," Noa said. He didn't love hinting at his location, but it was the easiest secret to reveal. "I didn't have a place to go, and they took me in." 

"Runaway, huh." He shook his head. "Runaways always got sob stories. Not gonna try to tell me yours?"

Noa squared his shoulders, hoping this was the right answer. "No, sir. I'm just looking for a way to support myself." 

The man pursed his lips. "Aren't we all. Well. No reason not to give you a couple options, since I've got 'em." He leaned forward. "Name's Kusumoto. Masa Kusumoto, but you'll stay on a last-name basis if you know what's good for you. And use that name sparingly, too. Best to think of it as gaining another distant uncle—no one worth talking about, unless you're sure who you're talking to." He shot Kenshin a swift look. 

"Now. What're you looking for, specifically? How do you think you can be of use to somebody?"

Noa thought about this. "I can do physical labor," he said. "I don't have a lot of training, and yes, I'm young. But I learn fast and I'm good with my magic." He paused. "And I can keep my mouth shut." 

Kusumoto raised an eyebrow, smirking. "Interesting strengths to claim. Any work you don't wanna do?" 

Noa considered this. "I…don't want to hurt people? I don't think I'd be very good at it." 

Kusumoto blinked, then barked out a laugh. "Oh, you're sweet, aren't you? Even sweeter than Ken-chan here—though to be fair, he came to me older. Whatever. So. You were doing construction work before?" 

"Yeah—some magic stuff, some heavy lifting. Well, heavy for me—I'm stronger than a pixie, though that's not saying much." 

"They do tend to appreciate a bit of muscle." He gave Noa a look. "But the pay's dirt. I thought you said you wanted money out of this." 

"That's why I'm here," Noa said. "I'd like to work with Daisuke-san again once he's better…but I need something in the meantime. It doesn't have to pay a lot, and it can be temporary. Just…something to bring a bit more money in." 

Kusumoto nodded. "Got a couple things that might work, but they're not all coming up right away. Let me see…" 

Kusumoto opened a file on his desk. "And yes, Ken-chan, I'm looking for you, too. You'd best keep asking that massive family of yours, though—they'll have about as much luck as I will scoring work you can handle." 

"Yes, sir," Kenshin said. "I appreciate you looking, as always." 

"Well, any money you make will find its way back to us sooner or later," Kusumoto said, grinning. It wasn't a kind smile. "So I'm really just serving myself, here, aren't I?" 

"Yes, sir," Kenshin repeated. 

It seemed like Noa wasn't the only one here about a debt. He wondered if Kenshin had also been cursed, or if he was just coming back here out of fear of what would happen if he tried to run. 

"Well," the man said, stopping on a page in his file. "Here's a thing next week—halfway to volunteer work, the way they're paying, but it's a start. Take a look at this, and if you don't hate it, I'll sign you up."

He slid a piece of paper over. Noa took it and held it so both he and Kenshin could read. 

At the top, in a neat, scrolling hand, it read Event Logistics—Duties. 

The details of the event were sparse, but it looked simple enough—setup and takedown, and patrolling while the event ran. It would be late at night, finishing just around curfew, but Noa's bespelled ID had that covered. 

"Sounds good to me," he said. 

"Bet I have to fake human for this one," Kenshin muttered, but then shrugged. "Yeah, fine. I can do this. But do you have anything for before then?" 

Kusumoto grinned. "Well, you know, Ken-chan, it's been a while since you've been here, and you've brought fresh blood in to boot, so. I'm thinking we'll be sending you back to basics for a little while." 

Kenshin groaned. "Sir, please—you know I—"

"For a day or two, kid." Kusumoto's face darkened. "Don't whine. Know your place. I'm doin' you a favor." 

Kenshin straightened. "Yes, sir. Thank you, sir." 

"Damn straight." He turned, staring Noa down. "No complaints from the new kid, huh? That's good. That's how this works: you get your marching orders, and you can decide whether you come back tomorrow. It's that simple." 

Noa nodded. "Understood, sir. I'll do my best." 

Whatever the day brought, he was going to do his best at it. That was the only thing he knew about what the day would bring, and that would just have to be enough.