We Can Call it Friends

I spoke too soon about the room being plain.

I mean, it was plain in the way that there were no specific signs of daily activity but I had made a truly epic oversight when I failed to realize just how customizable the entire room was. (So it wasn’t fair for me to call it plain.)

Via exploratory discovery, I managed to change the color of my walls from the preexisting soft white to a truly obnoxious neon blue; all I had to do was concentrate and imagine it to be so. But like, with purpose; a half hearted suggestion thought didn't change anything and the larger I grew with design ideas the less things worked.

I wasn't sure if that was an Oeuvre creation limit or a personal mental skill issue, I preferred to think it was the former.

After I swapped the starchy looking settee for a plush couch with too many pillows, I tried my best at imagining the desk I -used to- work at.

I closed my eyes, envisioned to the best of my abilities, and opened to see the desk just how I imagined it; maybe the surface was a little glossier than the original but that just made it fit in with the ambient Oeuvre atmosphere. Everything here was a little shiny, over polished and edging into too perfect but somehow not eerily so. It was like the set of a movie, nothing out of place but in a natural way so your eyes didn’t question it as suspiciously sterile or unwelcoming.

Through experimentation and an indeterminable amount of time, I managed to tweak the room to my tastes although I didn't try to tackle changing the floors or light fixtures; I liked them as is and I couldn't be bothered trying to imagine what sort of flooring I wanted. (The best I could imagine was simply ‘wood flooring’ and I felt that such a broad thought would probably not reap desirable results and, thusly, went no further) I did, however, change the walls back to the previous colors since it made the room look like it belonged to an actual adult.

My mental capacity felt maxed out, a headache forming by way of pressure behind my eyes and forehead which I rubbed at gingerly, flopping down onto the bed for a much needed nap.

It had been a long day– or whatever Oeuvre days were called.

I still wasn't completely sure if I was dead or not, although that seemed to be the only logical option for how I got here and I couldn’t begin to remember how it had actually happened; maybe I’d been hit by a bus or something.

My wings had disappeared the moment I stopped needing them; it was probably correlated to my thinking patterns since I had no longer been actively focusing on flying or any of the ways my wings automatically corrected themselves to catch the best updraft or wind currents.

I hadn’t even noticed when they’d disappeared but I missed the feeling and weight of them. I hoped my ‘Cupidness’ gave me reason to use them often because I was already eager to fly again.

I fell asleep thinking of moonlit sun soaked tawny wings and the thrilling memory of wind in my hair.

–

Waking up somewhere you didn't recognize was always a trip.

There was a moment between asleep and awake that already put your mind and body in a woozy state but waking up in a different- on a different ‘planet’ or wherever is a whole different level of disorientating.

Hungry.

Jun had said that I should eat if I was hungry and I couldn’t ‘manifest’ food, at least not at my current state. (I had tried earlier and failed.) Maybe it wasn’t even possible.

I should’ve asked where I’m supposed to go…

I stared down at the bracelet on my wrist, clearing my mind and focusing very intently on Jun, I want to talk to Jun; I have a question.

The earpiece I had forgotten hummed quietly to life in my ear as a monotone, businesslike voice filtered through it.

“Yes.”

“Oh um, hi-hello, it’s me-Jin.”

I was doing great so far.

“I see.”

There was silence which I filled by picking nervously at the plush duvet I had conjured up earlier.

“Your purpose for Hailing me?”

“Ah! Yes I– I was wondering where I would go if… I wanted to… eat. Or– what should I do?”

I gestured, the motion obviously going unseen by the other as I tried to finish my incomplete sentences via interpretive gesticulation; thankfully my visual aid was not needed for my point to get across.

“I will escort you to the eating area; I’ll be there momentarily.”

“Oh– thank you!”

The humming whir in my earpiece stopped and the Auspice’s voice no longer filtered through my head, a knock at the door sounded barely a moment later.

“That was surprisingly fast.”

I opened the door and stepped out into the hall, falling into place as I had before with Jun leading the way towards the entrance so we could depart wherever we were supposed to go.

“We took an usually scenic route previously.”

There was a pause wherein they clicked their tongue and cleared their throat in what I thought to be a very suspicious manner.

“It’s… standard practice when escorting new arrivals.”

I felt a little skeptical about that last part, feeling that maybe it was only Jun who took a scenic route when flying since they seemed to enjoy it so much. I couldn’t blame them since I’d definitely do the same if I were in their place but…

“Uh huh…”

I went quiet so I could focus.

Call Jun, I want to speak to Jun.

Their wristband buzzed, a serious expression sobering the Auspice’s previously passive air that I had assumed to be their relaxed state.

“One moment, please.”

Their band was passed over their ear and the vibrating stopped.

“Yes.”

I lowered my voice and tried my best to keep the smile out of my words, turning away a little so they wouldn't immediately know it was me.

“Are you lying about the ‘scenic route’ being a standard practice for new arrivals?”

“I- tch, Jin.”

And then I laughed, shaking the overhanging thought of ‘I want to talk to Jun’ from the forefront of my mind and effectively ending our ‘call’.

Their voice was exasperated and maybe just a little bit amused, they definitely weren’t smiling though.

“Ah, okay, I’m sorry.”

I most certainly wasn’t.

“That is… not the purpose of the communication devices.”

“Well, you said if I had questions I could contact you, my Guide; I asked a question, just sarcastically.”

I was quick to fire back, still grinning with admittedly childish amusement from the look on their face.

“That… point taken.”

They tilted their head thoughtfully, sliding their attention back to me from where it had strayed after they rolled their eyes.

“Humans are a jovial species, yes? I forget this behavior is common amongst those who are… close. Am I correct?”

Well, way to suck the lighthearted teasing out of a guy and turn it into something less fun by applying blunt logic; but yes, I guess they were right in their assessment.

“Yeah, humans tease and joke with their friends all the time.”

Their mouth twitched, eyes blinking as if they didn’t understand or were surprised by my words as they paused in their inquisition to consider me more seriously.

“So you consider us… friends?”

I smiled a little softer, more embarrassed then I would have liked to admit.

“I guess… yeah, absolutely; friends.”

And then I shut up.

I thought I heard Jun echo a quiet ‘friends’ under their breath but I couldn’t be sure so I didn’t comment on it.

–

“Wow, it’s like being at school again.”

“Pardon?”

The room was what I could only describe as a cafeteria.

A high tech, futuristic, expertly decorated, upscale cafeteria filled with creatures of all kinds and automated machines churning out single servings of gourmet looking food and some other things that were served on plates but were considerably more questionable. Definitely not recognizable to me.

“Oh-school, it’s like-on Earth, it’s where young kids are sent to learn and develop social skills through their baby to young adult years. It’s a compulsory thing.”

They shook their head minutely, halting my oncoming follow-up complaints of ‘how school actually is’ and ‘why a lot of them are run on an outdated system’.

“You misunderstand, I am aware of what ‘school’ is and how it functions; I was simply surprised that anything on Earth could recognizably resemble anything near this echelon of utilitarian efficiency. I was of the understanding that the humans on Earth were destroying their planet and abusing the natural resources therein, was I misinformed?”

…ouch?

I think my planet just got burned.

I couldn’t really debate their observations so guess I’d just have to take that.

“If so, I will personally correct our information database and sincerely apologize on Oeuvre’s behalf.”

They seemed quite distressed about potentially slandering my planet with misinformation.

This time it was me who sighed.

“No, you’re right. We’re definitely all you said and… stuff.”

It still didn’t feel good to say even if I knew it was mostly true.

“...ah.”

I had a feeling they weren’t an expert at picking up on the minor minutia of social cues, but they could read my awkwardness pretty loud and clear. Of course.

Might as well keep digging that hole.

“Hey, I mean, it’s our fault we’re killing the planet, no need for you to feel bad about it, right?”

“I digress… you were interested in a meal, were you not?”

The change of subject was about as subtle as an elephant but I was eager to take the bait.

“Mhm, absolutely starving.”

The ID I was issued was used for a variety of things, the cafeteria place being one of them. All I had to do was step up to a machine and scan my card or fingerprint, then the machine presented me with the option of the daily standard -which rotated every ‘day’- or a customizable plate I could personally choose each individual component of. Jun informed me that there were also presets I could assemble and log as options if I chose to at a later date.

I went with the daily option for then, the Auspice got themselves a plate of something that I figured was a dessert consisting of a pastry shell filled with some kind of fruit.

“Sweet tooth?”

We had a seat and dug in to our respective plates, me with a bit more fervor than the other although they didn’t seem to mind my enthusiasm.

“I do have an affinity for sweet things.”

I hadn’t expected a response and only managed to hum in acknowledgement since my mouth was full, swallowing to make sure I was decently respectable before speaking.

“Good to know, me too.”

The conversation kind of died there and I let it, very content to finish stuffing myself with whatever was in the wrap I was eating.

It was decidedly meat, not too stringy with a taste reminiscent of… actually, I wasn’t sure. It was good, it paired well with the other vegetable like greens and whatever sauce I was dipping it in.

I deemed now as good a time as any to start asking questions.

“So…”

I tapped my ID, the word ‘Cupid’ being passed over with my fingertip as I tapped around the word consideringly.

“I get that this is my Designation, but what does that mean… ‘work’ wise?”

The Auspice had long since finished their little tart looking thing before I was done and had been fiddling with a couple papers they had produced from somewhere. They looked up now, seeming to mull over my words before resting their elbows on the table and steepling their fingers comfortably.

“Well, simply put, it means that you will assist in directing the human’s from your sector to form meaningful connections like love.”

Oh, well, naturally of course.