Cupid's Cove was not what I expected. Being how Angels Cove was inside of a tree with the large trunk housing the rooms with the branches being getaways from the inside. Even the Pup's Cove was just a large bush with a large interior inside. I guess Cupid's Cove fits in in some way.
The cove featured a large cherry blossom tree with a castle-like structure nestled atop it. The castle was surrounded by bright pink leaves. Some of the stairs twirled up and around the dark trunk, while large windows provided access to the interiors. The castle itself was a bright white, adorned with pink-lined accents framing the windows and doors. A few blossoming flowers hung from below, while others gently fell from above. Unlike Angel's Cove, this place was not overgrown; it felt more organized and visually appealing. It exuded elegance and completely captured my attention.
Despite the large open windows, the cupids scattered throughout the place were rarely used. They didn't seem to utilize their wings much at all; instead, they had them folded along their backs as they walked up and down the stairs through the massive doors. It wasn't until Seth and Rory jumped up and landed on the window sill to look down that the windows were finally used.
"Let's split up here; you two can look around the bottom." Rory waved at us while Seth nodded and turned to the inside, "we will meet up at the back, see you guys then!"
"Since when did we agree to split up?" I turned to Bridget, who shook her head.
"We thought it would be better if we weren't in a large group while in Cupid's Cove. That, and because we have a new member here," she looked down at Casper and gave his head a pat. She then turned to me, "let's go and explore. It's a lot bigger inside than it looks."
With her hand wrapped around mine, we walked inside.
It was indeed larger inside than it appeared from the outside. While it was obviously smaller than the Goddess palace, the interior featured spacious hallways and rooms with doors on either side of each step. The rooms were closely situated, so it wouldn't be polite to snoop, especially since Bridget mentioned these were the cupids' rooms. The large halls were beautifully decorated, lined with gold and bright pastel pink, creating a striking space.
Cherry blossoms scattered across the windowsills, while the bright sun illuminated the plain white walls, creating a much more vibrant atmosphere. Brown pots filled with green shrubs added an intriguing contrast to the halls, infusing the space with a sense of liveliness and beauty. The greenery brought a refreshing touch to the environment, making it feel more inviting.
The tiles that lined the walls and floor were reflective, and the sunlight hitting them created a bright and shiny ambiance. I observed the beings moving in the hall. The soft white color was almost blinding to the ordinary eye, and the interior had a fancy, well-maintained appearance. I was hesitant to touch anything for fear of breaking it. I folded my wings close to my back, following Bridget's instructions and subtle movements. I made sure to keep an eye on Casper, who was still behind me. I looked back at him and saw the pitbull strutting forward, his small wings tucked around his body and his tongue lolling out of his mouth.
He seemed fine.
I turned back forward, almost colliding with Bridget, who had stopped in the middle of the hall. She moved over to the side, gently holding onto me. "Careful."
"Why did you stop?" I looked down at her.
She gestured ahead, and I followed her gaze to a small group of cupids near the window. One of them perched on the edge, dangling a leg over the side, while the other two sat across from them, cuddling. They laughed and joked as other cupids walked by.
A few waved at me and Bridget, I waved back to some of the cupids. But the small angel beside me didn't seem to want to introduce me to them. She kept her eyes strained forward on the pair. Sucking in a breath, her hand held mine as we walked forward.
I didn't understand what was happening, but I was dragged to the group. Bridget stopped with her hand closed around my own. The three looked up to us, up close I could take in their appearances.
The couple spoke first, a girl and a boy. "Hey, Bridget!" The boy called, resting a hand on his partner's waist. He had a half-shaved head with a dark, murky brown color that gleamed in the sunlight. His eyes matched the shade of his hair, but his clothing was bright white and pink. The shirt, which was open across his chest to expose his shoulder, hung loosely past his waist. He wore white shorts with golden trims that reached up to his knees.
The woman wore small, yellow-tinted heels, and her hair was styled in a bun with subtle sky-blue streaks mixed in with her blonde locks. She had on a white dress that hugged her curves with a bit of fabric cinched around her waist. The dress featured pink accents along her exposed shoulders, similar to what Bridget was wearing, but it was shorter and didn't reach her knees, revealing her thighs.
"You're new, right? I'm Rue, this is Brick," she motioned to her partner, who held her tightly while smiling back at me. "What's your name?"
"I'm Vienna; it's nice to meet you two," their smile made me want to shy away; they were just so beautiful, it just felt too bright to look at. They were literally glowing.
Was it because they were cupids? It was bright and made me blush lightly at how close they held one another. After hearing about their abilities, I felt slightly awkward. That, and since Bridget was not paying attention at all.
She was focused on the third member of the pair. He was a cupid with dark black hair that fell in bangs over his face. He wore a white shirt that exposed both of his shoulders and paired it with white long pants that puffed out at his ankles. Although he wore no shoes, what made him stand out was the cape-like hood draped over his shoulders. It was a bright pastel pink with golden trims, and the cape only extended to his waist, leaving much of his appearance visible.
He looked up at me and Bridget, I could see he wore large circle glasses that made his eyes bigger. They were black as I stared up at him. His lips were a bright pink; his cheeks had a dust of rosy freckles.
My face heated up just by staring at him.
"Hey, Bridget," he said with a smile, his eyes lighting up.
I felt Bridget stiffen; I looked down at her and noticed she was bright red. Her back was straight, eyes only looking at the boy in front of us. "Hey Orwell…" She whispered, not looking away as a breath escaped her lips.
"You're Vienna, right?" Orwell looked at me, sitting up and pulling his leg out of the window.
"Yeah," I spoke casually, trying not to let my nerves get the best of me. I wanted Bridget to say something and make it less awkward, but the poor angel looked like she was about to bust a fuse. I nudged her lightly, trying to get her unwanted attention.
The space was filled with awkward silence for about 3 seconds before it was interrupted by a hand around my shoulder. "Hey! You guys are blocking the hallway." It was Rory with Seth trailing behind them. They moved me and Bridget to the side to let some cupids walk past.
They smiled slightly while Rory winked at them. I rolled my eyes and pushed away from them, bumping into Seth. The blonde-haired guy ensured I didn't collide with anyone by giving my shoulder a gentle squeeze. I turned to look up at him and asked, "what's going on with Bridget?"
I made sure to whisper it, eyeing the smaller girl who had a lost look in her eyes.
"Oh, she's looking at Orwell, right? Well, let's just say that his beauty has completely entranced her."
"So basically, she likes him?" I crossed my arms while shaking my head.
"Eh, yeah, basically," Seth laughed, moving over so he could greet the couple. "Hey Rue, Brick, you guys met our new friend Vienna?"
Rue nodded, leaning into Brick. "Yep, she seems sweet," she then turned to me where I stood next to Seth. "-and your hair, oh my stars, is that natural? It's so pretty!"
"Uh, yeah?"
"It looks adorable, so nice and bright! I wish I had a natural hair color like that; you sure are lucky." She nudged me with a playful smile on her lips.
I could only nod, seeing that she talked over and over, it wouldn't be wise to speak and then get interrupted. But the compliment was nice, I could tell that she meant it.
Brick turned and began to chat with Rory, who was leaning against the wall near them. I noticed that the redhead enjoyed teasing the couple because they were very flushed. I was concerned for Bridget, who was still silent. She looked at Orwell with awe, it was almost cute on how she drooled over him.
It seemed that Seth had finally had enough. He stepped forward and greeted the shy cupid. "Hey, Orwell, can we ask you some questions? Vienna wants to know more about cupids if you don't mind."
"Oh, of course.." He smiled shyly, sitting up while I stepped forward. "But you can also ask Rue and Brick, they can probably explain better than me."
Seth turned to the couple who had begun to ignore Rory's inappropriate gestures to stare at each other's eyes. The blonde turned back to Orwell with a raised eyebrow. The small cupid understood, laughing uncomfortably, "course..."
Seth suddenly pulled me down, having us sit on the ground in front of Orwell, who was still on the window. The cupids stayed high up on the window while we sat in front of them, our legs crossed and huddled close together so we wouldn't block the hallway. The hallway we were in wasn't small, so taking up space drew some attention our way. Rory had joined us, pulling Bridget along, who was now looking down as she sat behind us. They leaned closer, and I felt Bridget's warmth against my back and wings, but I didn't mind the company. Casper had made his way to me, resting his head in my lap while I stroked his soft white fur. I was surprised at how well the energetic pup could keep his wings under control; they hadn't moved once from their spot on his back.
"Come on, tell us a bedtime story!" Rory laughed from behind me, taking in on our position to make jokes.
Orwell giggled, sending a shiver down my spine at how angelic it sounded. "I'm guessing Rory had already given an explanation on how we have interactions with others?"
"Course they did.." Seth gave a glare at the redhead, who stuck their tongue out to him.
"Well then, it is true, to say the least. We cupids have very sensitive senses and abilities. We don't have control over it, that's why with skin contact it comes naturally. Our bare skin is where its stems, and angels or even the heaven's pup wings are also filled with everything that is light and pure." Orwell blushed, looking down to avoid eye contact. "I can't exactly say what since it's a rule between cupids, but it's only your wings that cause us to dive into your desires and wants."
"Is it only desire? Can you sense or.. feel other things?" I asked out loud, causing attention from everyone in the small group.
"Well, we can sense and feel pain, but angels cannot experience pain. We can also feel emotions, sense those emotions, and express them in a way that allows us to understand your feelings." Orwell gave an awkward smile. "This must be very confusing. Our abilities can be confusing too."
I looked down, I had tons of questions for them. Everything was new to me, I wanted to understand it so I didn't fear this world. "Do you have that connection with the goddesses?"
Orwell looked surprised at that question, still, he answered; "no, we can't feel anything with the goddess's, they are sentient and far from our reach. Our abilities are numbed, and we have control over them when the goddesses are present." He laughed out loud, "which is funny since the goddesses are the only ones where we can't use them."
"Do you.. uh.. excuse me for asking, but do you enjoy your abilities?"
The question caused the group to fall silent. Even Rory, who was teasing Seth, went quiet and looked back at me. Bridget had turned her eyes from Orwell with her eyebrows knitted together. I gulped, regretting the question immediately.
Instead of a harsh reply, Orwell, Brick, and Rue all burst into laughter. Orwell hunched over, his head shaking and his eyes turning red. I suddenly felt very confused and uncomfortable.
"Of course we do!" Orwell said out loud, finally looking back at me.
"We are gifted beings with our main goal to pair ones together. To find love for those who want it so they can be happy," Brick smiled, shaking off his laughter.
"We find love and pleasure in it. Our empathy may come out at the wrong and awkward time—yes, but it is filled with so many ups and downs!" Rue laughed, speaking up for Brick, who had to hold himself back from laughing. "It's a weird question Vienna, that is why we find it funny. Why would one not enjoy the gift we were graciously given? It's a gift for a reason! We love what we do," Rue snuggled closer to Brick before finishing. "Love is to bring the same passion for anyone to feel just as happy. Happiness for others is what makes all the awkward moments worth it."
I experienced a sense of quiet relaxation in my mind as I tried to piece everything together, reflecting on what had been said and striving to understand it all. It made sense; the goals of the cupids were clear to me now. Their abilities and purpose weren't a mystery to me anymore. However.. this realization led me to question my own purpose... What goals did I have?
I was an angel..
What's the purpose of an angel? The purpose of the Goddesses? Did the Heaven Pups even have a purpose..?
Was there even a goal?