The door creaked open again. My heart rate spiked. Here we go. First real test. Don't screw this up.
A familiar voice called out from the sitting room, warm and casual.
"Hey, Lena? You in here? Just checking up on you."
Checking up on me? My brain immediately went on high alert. This… could be part of the mission. First emotional connection. Act now, Pure One!
I swung around …or tried to — and nearly toppled over because Lena's legs weren't exactly cooperating with my instincts. I took a deep breath.
He stepped fully into the room, hands in pockets, a friendly smile plastered across his face. Innocent. Completely normal. This is my target… right?
"Hey," I said, voice cracking a little. No, that's fine. Calm, collected. Emotional influence.
He looked at me. "You… look different today. You okay?"
Different? Oh no, I misread that. My internal monologue was panicking. This is it. First step in the intimacy mission. Must connect. Must succeed.
I moved a little closer. He raised an eyebrow. I panicked internally: Was I standing far away from him? Was I too close, to him now?. Was I still not close enough to him?
[Warning: Host is misinterpreting social cues.]
"Uh… I was just… checking on you too," I said, voice shaking. My hand hovered awkwardly near his shoulder. Observe body language. Subtle touch. Subtle!
Before I could think, I leaned forward. Not fully aware of what "subtle" meant in Lena's body. One thing led to another — and somehow, our faces were way too close and my lips landed on his
And then —
Oh no. No no no.
There was a soft… smack? A second of stillness.
"Uh… Lena?" he said cautiously, stepping back. His eyes were wide, confused.
I completely froze. My soul was screaming at me. I did something that I never thought I would do. I kissed a guy. I actually kissed a guy. This happened because of Lena. It was really gross. This is my time doing something like this. My first kiss. It is with a guy. I am still trying to understand that my first intimacy was, with a dude.
[Critical Warning: Unauthorized physical contact detected. Mission parameters violated.]
A flash of golden light filled the room. Seraphine appeared, hovering, wings unfurled, looking every bit like the angelic teacher/angry celestial monitor she was.
"Pure One," she said, voice dripping with disbelief and amusement. "Would you like to explain whatever that was."
"I—I thought…" I stammered. "I mean… it's part of the mission, right? Emotional connection… getting close… observation!?"
She arched an eyebrow. "Observation does not involve sticking your face on his without his permission. Do you have any idea how much you just messed up?"
"Yes!" I cried. "No! Wait! I mean… I don't even know how this works! I didn't mean to do it —ugh, it just happened!" This body is slippery
He just stood there, blinking at both of us. Wait….could he see her? No, he was looking at me like I'd lost my mind. "Uh… Lena? Who are you talking to? Hope you're good? What's happening?"
Exactly my thought, I internally yelled. I just kissed my fellow man through a woman's body and now I was getting chewed out by an angel while he watched me go insane. Perfect. Just perfect.
Seraphine shook her head. "One warning. One. If you misinterpret signals again, Pure One, the consequences are… unpleasant. Your mission is to guide, empathize, and observe. Not to panic or act out of assumption!"
I nodded frantically, embarrassed beyond words. My mind was screaming, my face was hot, and Lena's body was apparently broadcasting every ounce of mortification.
[Warning logged: Unauthorized intimacy attempt. Emotional misread detected.]
He gave me another confused look. "Uh… okay… I guess I should probably leave now?"
"Yes. Yes, please," I said, backing away slowly. My legs wobbled like jelly. Lesson learned. Physical closeness is dangerous. Emotional guidance only. Observe, Pure One. Observe.
As the door closed behind him, I collapsed into Lena's chair. Well… that was catastrophic. My internal monologue ran wild:
Step one: don't touch anyone. Step two: don't misread cues. Step three: don't panic. Step four: try to survive this mission without becoming a legend for being a total creep.
Seraphine hovered nearby, arms crossed over her chest. She looked somewhere between wanting to laugh and wanting to smite me. "You have to understand, Pure One. Intimacy isn't an action. It's a feeling. A connection. It's not… whatever that weird face-collision was."
"I know! I know!" I groaned. "I'm never doing that again. I—I literally don't even know what I was thinking. Ewww, kissing my fellow man… through her body… how is this even possible?!"
[SYSTEM NOTE: Emotional misfire recorded. Progress reset to 10%. Adjust approach.]
I flopped back, staring at the ceiling. Ten percent?! Ten percent is basically zero!
Seraphine's wings flickered. "Take a deep breath. Learn from your mistakes. Observation first. Interaction second. Physical contact only if clearly necessary and consensual. Understood?"
"Yes, ma'am," I said, voice dripping with the kind of sincerity only someone who just kissed a guy through a woman's body can produce.
She smiled faintly. "Good. Now, go back to observing. Your second chance isn't over yet… but don't push your luck."
I groaned. "Second chance… right. Because apparently the first one included soul-level humiliation."
[SYSTEM NOTE: Lesson logged. Emotional awareness is critical. Begin new observation phase.]
I peeked at the door. No one was there. Empty room. Safe, for now.
Observation, empathy, emotional connection. That's all it takes. I don't even have to think about… anything else.
I swore silently to myself. Next time… I will NOT misread signals. I will not panic. I will not… oh gods, what if I kiss someone else by accident?
Seraphine's voice, calm but teasing, echoed in my mind. "Patience, Pure One. Mastery comes from mistakes. Yours are… memorable."
I groaned again, flopping fully into the chair and closing my eyes. Memorable. That's one word for it. Soul-crushing, career-ending, and emotionally-traumatizing are a few others
And just like that, my first mission officially became: survive my own brain, avoid physical chaos, and figure out what the heck "intimacy" actually meant—without getting any more warnings from the big bosses in Heaven.