"Gather your gear, Lula. I'll take you down to Earth in my personal chariot," Cinnamus heard himself say and then groaned in frustration at his apparent lack of restraint.
Lula drew back, holding Cinnamus at arm's length. He immediately missed her soft warmth snuggled close to his body.
Wide-eyed, she gasped as she stared up at him. "Oh, Cinnamus, really? You would do that for me?"
He nodded with a sigh. "I'm making an exception to the rules. Just this one time, you understand." He wagged a chastising finger. "And you mustn't let any of the other students know, either. I don't want them thinking I'm showing favoritism. If they wonder how you arrived to join them, simply tell them one of the minor gods gave you a lift."
"Absolutely. I understand." Lula's head bobbed up and down with enthusiasm. "I promise to be careful and I'll do my very best to make you proud of me. You'll see, Cinnamus. I won't let you down."
Cinnamus winced. He didn't really want to think of what sort of mayhem she might cause on this trip. Once she found Cupid, he'd no doubt be able to guide her, to keep her from inflicting any serious disasters on the poor unsuspecting mortals. "I won't be able to stay to help you, Lula. I need to get back right away for my next class. That means you'll have to find Cupid's headquarters on your own. Do you think you can manage that?"
Hiking a shoulder in a nonchalant shrug, Lula huffed. "Well of course I can, Cinnamus. I may be a bit absentminded but I do know how to read a map."
Cinnamus gave her a patient smile as he glanced at the endless array of pouches, bags and books she'd brought along. "Yes, but did you remember to bring the map with you?"
Smiling, Lula began retrieving her gear from the floor. "Yes." She gave one suede satchel a firm pat. "Along with the forgetfulness serum, the invisibility powder, the—"
Cinnamus groaned. "It's the other way around. Forgetfulness powder and invisibility serum. The forgetfulness powder simply needs to be inhaled to work, remember?"
"Mmm-hmm." Lula nodded. "That's what I meant. And don't worry, Cinnamus, I brought along the full list of precautions you gave us in class—all the things we're supposed to avoid. I even brought my textbook, just in case." She beamed a bright smile.
Cinnamus frowned. "I'm not sure that's such a good idea, Lula. If you recall, the last time you went to Earth you left behind your class notes. Remember what happened when that unprincipled politician found your notebook?"
Lula bit her bottom lip and her cheeks flushed pink. "Yes. But at least we found it before he was able to cause too much harm, right?" She looked up at him hopefully.
"But if we hadn't, he could have gained political control over the world because the public suddenly found him to be entirely irresistible." Remembering some of Lula's other past escapades, Cinnamus ground out a monumental sigh, wondering if he might be mad for loosing the well-meaning nymph on the unsuspecting world.
"I was much younger and far more foolish back then," Lula assured him.
"It was only two years ago, Lula."
"Oh but I've learned so much since then," she guaranteed, offering a most persuasive expression of assurance. "Because you've been such a wise and wonderful teacher," she added with a smile.
"Indeed…" Cinnamus watched her juggling her various belongings. "Perhaps it would be better if you had one large satchel so you could keep everything together in one place," he suggested. "What happened to the schoolbag you were issued? It's big enough to hold all that you're carrying."
Lula's gaze dropped to her toes. "Um…I couldn't find it. That's another one of the reasons I was running late this morning." Cinnamus moaned and she raised her eyes to his again.
"And you certainly can't flit around the Earth wearing your academy uniform. You need to change your clothing into the traveling outfit you were issued."
"I didn't have time to change but I did bring the garment with me." Glancing down at her filmy tunic, Lula frowned. "I know wearing the travel outfit is part of the academy's rules because it renders us invisible but I never understood why it was necessary, Cinnamus. After all, the invisibility serum already makes us invisible to humans on the Earth plane. Besides, I'm so much more comfortable wearing my light and airy uniform."
"The change of clothes is a necessary precaution," Cinnamus stated simply.
A frown line creased the area between Lula's expressive eyebrows. "But why, exactly?"
Cinnamus' gaze flew to Lula's large succulent breasts and then to the cluster of golden curls at her pussy, clearly evident beneath the voile-like material. He cleared his throat. "In case you forget to ingest the serum."
"But I wouldn't—" Lula started again, only to be cut off by Cinnamus.
"The dual protection of the traveling garment as well as the serum doubly guarantees that your power of invisibility will not fail for any reason," Cinnamus explained, not wanting to think of the chaos Lula would cause if she were visibly prancing about Earth practically in the buff.
"Maintaining invisibility while on Earth is crucial because it allows you to carry out your matchmaking tasks without any unneeded distractions. You see…it's not your school uniform that's the problem, Lula, it's…what's underneath."
"Oh? Is there something wrong with my body?" she asked in all innocence, glancing down at her bountiful physical attributes. "I've always thought my shape was quite pleasing, Cinnamus. Are you saying that humans wouldn't find me appealing?"
"On the contrary…" Realizing the rest of that sentence was better left unsaid, Cinnamus averted his eyes from her ample curves and took in a fortifying breath. "It's all in chapter eleven, Lula. Remember? Full or partial nudity isn't the norm for Earth's inhabitants. In fact, they have laws against it for the most part."
"How peculiar," Lula mused. "Why would it be considered wrong to show off the beauty of the naked form?"
Cinnamus slanted her a dubious look. "Are you sure you read chapter eleven?" he asked, feeling just a bit prickly discussing the subject with Lula one on one.
"Yes." Lula nodded. "Well…I think so. I'll reread it in the chariot, just in case. It sounds like a fascinating topic."
"The important thing to remember, Lula, is that the people of Earth are not as advanced, sophisticated or mature as we are here on Olympus. As a rule, human females don't dress in sheer garments exposing their naked forms, unless they're…uh…unless they're engaged in a profession wherein they seek financial compensation for providing sexual favors."
"Payment?" Lula laughed. "Don't be silly, Cinnamus. I would never dream of asking for gold coins if I found a love match. I would give of myself freely. That's what sexual pleasure is all about, isn't it?"
"Well, yes, but…" Letting his words trail off, Cinnamus just looked at her for a long moment, unsure of how to answer the too-trusting nymph's question in such a short span of time. "On second thought, maybe you're not ready for this trip after all, Lula."