Azara had tried to get Alto out of his office. It was his day off and he was spending it doing what he usually did: working.
You need to get a life, said Azara. No wonder you act like a robot. Alto found an excuse to return to his office.
To bully Nero.
Nero stood at the door, inspecting the room, expecting the office to be much more exciting. Gold nameplates, rare paintings, maybe even a statue. It was surprisingly boring, considering the beauty of the house. It had a simple desk, two bookcases, a file cabinet, a lamp, and a mess of papers all over the desk.
“Where’re all your decorations," asked Nero.
“ I don’t care about that stuff," said Alto. “Azara takes care of that stuff, she did the whole house.”
Alto sat behind his desk and squeezed his brow as Nero stood uncomfortably near the door.
“Sit down," commanded Alto.
Nero nervously sat down in the chair on the other side of the desk and squeezed his thermos tight, trying to focus on the dull heat to help him relax.
“I… am… sorry," said Alto.
“What," Nero asked. “What did you say?"
Nero legitimately didn’t hear what he said. Alto said it so quietly that one would think he had coughed.
“Why are you being like this," yelled Alto. “I SAID I WAS SORRY!”
He slammed the desk and the papers fell off the floor. Nero jumped up from his chair and tried to ease back into it.
“Sorry. Sorry for that too," said Alto. “Someone explained to me why you were angry. I’m sorry."
Nero crossed his legs and leered at Alto, trying his best attempt at bravery, but it wasn’t working, his thermos shaking in his hands.
“You’re just saying this because you changed your mind about fucking me," said Nero.
“No. No way. I’ve made it clear that I am not interested!”
“Then why are you getting angry whenever I’m with Rosaline? Why did you make me leave my break just for an apology?”
“Relationships at work are not allowed," Alto stated.
“ Whatever .”
“Do you want a job or not,” Alto asked.
“Depends,” Nero replied, acting coy, tapping his nails against the thermos. “I don’t think you’re really sorry.”
Alto sighed and played with the pen on his desk and uttered more words he didn’t like. He wanted to sell it. Just another transaction and he would make sure it was in his favor.
“I was wrong," said Alto. “You…. have what it takes to work for me. If you become refined of course."
“Really!?”
“ Yes. I was wrong, I should have listened to you earlier,” the snake said.
Alto never believed he was wrong, about anything ever, and was sure that Nero would soon understand it.
“I’ll make it up to you," said Alto.
He smiled the perfect grin he made whenever he wanted to seal a deal. His fangs popped out, a signal of danger to most, but of no concern to the oblivious Nero.
“What do I have to do?”
Alto was ready to shame Nero, so he would no longer do strange things, or make him feel strange either.
“Well, I realized that you have a skill that can be used for our group. Blackmail, some light murder," said Alto.
“How is murder light?”
Alto got up from his chair, twirling his pen between two fingers.
“You’re young. We can use that.”
The wheels began to spin in Nero’s head as he realized what Alto was insinuating.
“You want me to sleep with people?”
“It's what people like me want, isn’t it? We can find someone else.”
Alto stood up and began to pace the room again, enjoying the vacant look of defeat on Nero’s face. He had won. He was in charge.
Alto was just another Luoh.
“I’ll do it," said Nero. “I can handle it."
Alto paced the room in a few large strides and turned Nero’s chair so he was facing him. He got up in his face and snarled, spit getting on his face, and Nero flinched in surprise and disgust.
“Liar. You’re lying."
“No I’m not," said Nero. He sat in the chair stone-faced, eyes vacant. “I know what you’re doing. You think if it's something like this I won’t do it but you’re wrong. I’m stronger than you.”
The words flew out of Nero’s mouth and Nero held his hand to his mouth once they came out, as if to try and catch them.
Alto sat down on his desk and a small pfft escaped his lips.
“You’re stronger than me," repeated Alto. “You rarely look anyone in the eyes.”
In defiance, Nero stood up and looked him straight in the eyes.
His intense gaze never faltered, even though his knees were shaking, and Alto refused to look away as well.
“I’m going to do it," declared Nero. “And when I finish it you’re going to pay me for my own plans, and I will become stronger than ever before. ”
“A lot of big talk for a little boy that draped himself over me the other day," said Alto.
He dug his pointer finger straight into Nero’s chest, and Nero winced in pain. Nevertheless, his gaze never strayed.
“I will never give up," said Nero. “I will prove to you that I am strong .”
Alto rolled his eyes and got up from the top of his desk. He ignored Nero and started to pick up the papers that fell on the floor.
“Don’t ignore me," yelled Nero. “I am of higher standing than you! ”
Alto placed the papers on the desk and leaned on it. He laughed at Nero, but quickly stopped once he saw the look on his face. Tears fell as he cried silently, a skill he had long mastered.
“I will be more than you ever dreamed of, and one day you will want me more than anything else. ”
Alto looked at him in amazement, convinced that Nero was just a very ill and traumatized young man. He told himself that he would never do a favor for anyone else again, and not be swayed by another pretty face or sad story.
“You’re crazy,” Alto replied. “Absolutely nuts.”
Nero wiped his tears away and he said he would take the job whatever it may be.
“Stop putting on a brave face just to impress me,” Alto said. “I know you want me and -”
“I need money for my plans… that’s all it is. You could be anyone,” Nero replied.
Alto gripped the side of the desk, breaking off another piece, angry that he was being challenged by a crazy person that wanted to kill imaginary people, in an imaginary plot for revenge.
“Get out before I change my mind. You’ll get the details by the end of the week."
Nero left quickly, eager to end the conversation.
Alto leaned his head on the cold wooden desk and realized that he had put himself into another problem that he could not shoot.
Yet.
Nero dressed up as instructed by Alto.
Alto thought that it would be funny to humiliate him, but it didn’t work. He told Nero to go to the event dressed as a woman. Without even blinking, Nero looked him in the eyes and asked what else?
Alto was furious the day he gave Nero his instructions for the gala, but Nero listened intensely, memorizing them all, making sure he would execute his target.
Nero wore a small red dress that matched his hair and wore simple black pantyhose with red heels. He wore bright red lipstick and tiny pearl earrings. He made sure to put plenty of makeup on the back of his neck so no one would notice the tattoo. He clasped a simple pearl necklace and smiled.
He was sure that it would be easy.
Nero had pretended many, many times to be whatever people wanted, for about an hour and as much money as he could convince them was the lowest going rate for the area. However, there was an issue.
Nero shifted uncomfortably. He ordered special underpants online to make sure he wouldn’t have anything discerning happen while at the gala, and it was hard to get used to. He checked the gun one last time and put it inside the new black purse that Alto assured him he could keep once the task was over.
I won’t have to worry after this. I can have whatever I want after this.
After taking one last look in the mirror, he exited the women’s restroom of the Sunshine Hotel to find his target, Ahana Hori. A common name in Paradis, named after their god Ahana.
He stood in the elevator, and on the short trip up, Nero did what he always did whenever he had a job with a client. Just pretend to be someone else, who everyone wants you to be.
My name is Ava. I work for Triangle Corp as their head of merchandising. I like red and think everything that these rich fucks say is wonderful.
He closed his eyes and opened them again, reborn as someone new.
Someone with confidence.
Ava found it weird how there were walking and talking people that looked like fish throughout all of Paradis and no one batted an eye.
The fish people, regular people, and kind-of-but-not-really fish people at the gala held a fundraising event for the ocean or whatever, on the 5th floor. It didn’t matter. What mattered was reaching the target and getting him alone.
All the people walked up and down the open expanse, the walls with long streaking lights, glittering, and on the stage was a man telling jokes for a benefit or something, she didn’t care for it. The tables were a dark blue, the chairs a pure white, and Ava was confused as the gift-bag table gave away bags of only shiny rocks.
She opened her purse and gazed at the picture of her target, Ahana Hori, one of those fish people. He didn’t look like most of them, however, with his mixed ancestry. The only indication he had any ancestry from the ocean was his blue skin and strange iris’.
Ava made her way to the buffet table and picked up some food. She nibbled at it as she wandered through the party, trying to find her target. After some time she finally found him. Ahana was talking in a crowd of men, all of them much older than him. He wore a very standard black suit, and tie for the event, nothing about him that was too different from the other guests at the event.
Ava observed them and listened to as much of their conversation as far away as she could without looking like she was listening to them. She stood next to the sushi table and heard the words, prodigy, and torts.
Ahana looked clearly irritated by the conversation. Ava remembered that not all the parties her parents held were fun. Most were insufferable, her family members making terrible conversation while trying to avoid saying anything offensive.
Even as a kid, she knew better than her cousins wanted connections.
Ahana pulled himself away from the drab conversation and walked up to the sushi table. Ava got flustered and realized that now was her chance but had no clue what to do.
As Ahana tried to choose what to eat, Ava decided to make her move.
