Project: Socialize

After we finished with the meal, I told the others that I could get home by myself so therefore, I parted ways with the Edel sisters at the nearest train station and got on the elevated railway train that would take me back to Lumina. Outside, the world was dark due to the rain clouds up above but was illuminated by the artificial lighting of the city in the form of the streetlights, lights coming from the windows of the tall office and residential buildings in the not too far distance, and store signs and billboards. On the road that was wet by the pouring rain, the reflective surface reflected the city scene onto it as cars drove by, creating splashes in the puddles and causing disturbances. Pedestrians walked on the sidewalk, umbrellas in hand, as they walked towards their destinations of wherever it was to do whatever they were doing.

"City looks kinda grim, doesn't it?" Emilia said to me as she gazed out the window at the city below. "And it's so much quieter than before..."

"Yeah."

I looked back at the interior of the train car that we rode in. It wasn't packed due to the fact that it was past rush hour, meaning that we had more privacy and leisure to speak.

"The rain drowns out all noises," I whispered as I fold my hands and used them to support my face as I leaned forward, allowing my lips to touch the side of my index finger that was facing me. "It'll wash away all the sweat, all the blood, and all the sin the city has collected."

"You think the city is filthy?" She asked, turning her head to observe me with a mysterious smile on her face.

"Of course," I turned my head slightly so that I could see out the window. "This city is built from blood; each and every building is erected with a foundation of sin supporting it. You may not see it because it is hidden quite cleverly by the prosperity, by the energy, and by the comfortable lives that almost every Palisian seems to live, but it is there. It lurks beneath the surface, pulsing through the subway and railway systems, pulsing through every one of us."

"You're saying your lives are only so due to the forced sacrifices of others," Emilia summarized the main ideas of my speech, smiled, and gazed out the window. "You're right. Society is built on the foundation of sacrifice. Some have to sacrifice to guarantee the lives of others. The problem is that...not everybody is willing to voluntarily sacrifice. Therefore...some people are forced to sacrifice."

"Yeah..."

I complained quietly in my mind, wondering why is it that the city chose to sacrifice my father and I instead of anyone else. If it wasn't for this twisted society everything would've been fine...We were innocent. We never did anything wrong. But why us?

The rain droplets pounded on umbrella as I walked as well as the paved city streets around me. It was a short distance from my house to the station, so it wasn't long before I was in the dry world of the lobby of the building that I lived in and was waiting for the elevator.

"So..." I turned my head to look over at Emilia. "You're really going to be living here?"

"Didn't I say that in the morning?" she smiled.

I sighed, accepting the situation as is. Things will work out in the end, no matter good or bad. That is the motto that I live my life by.

Once Emilia and I rode the elevator up to the floor that my residence was located at, I walked over to the front door and unlocked it. I opened the door, revealing the dark and lonely place called my home and entered. Once inside, I took off my shoes and placed them down by the shoe cabinet in the area before the slightly elevated housing area.

"Not the most welcoming scene, is it?"

Emilia observed the place as I turned on the lights in the house with my phone. With the illumination, she was able to see the how vast the house was, yet this amplified the lifelessness of the place. This house is occupied by Loriana and I, two people so it was quite large for just two people. Since Loriana was busy with her work, it leaves me being the sole resident of the house for the majority of the time.

"Have a seat," I said as I walked over to my room to change and set my stuff down.

I opened the door to my bedroom and allowed it to remain slightly open when I entered since I would have to leave soon after for the bathroom. I took off my socks and tossed them into my laundry basket before I started walking towards my wardrobe to fetch me my indoor clothing and a pair of briefs to change into after I shower and bathe.

"Is this common for you?" I heard Emilia ask from the living room.

"So so," I responded as I exited my bedroom and reentered the living room. Like I expected, Emilia seemed quite ambivalent to the clothing I held in hand. "Every year...she'll have a period of time where she'll be home quite late, sometimes even not returning for weeks at a time, to focus on her research or projects that she has to complete."

"Do you feel lonely?"

"Maybe initially," I said. "But I got used to it."

I then walked over to the coffee table and picked up the television remote. I turned the large screen television that was mounted on the wall on and then handed the remote to her. Emilia appeared quite confused at my actions as she observed my every move with a mysterious curiosity in her eyes.

"You know how to work this right?" I demonstrated in a quick manner how the remote works. "Change channels and watch whatever you would like. If you're hungry, there should be some food in the refrigerator, but I would say wait because I'll be making something simple after I shower and bathe."

"Thank you then," Emilia accepted the remote from my hands and then turned attentively to the large television screen before her.

"And no need to worry about volume," I said. "The exterior walls are noise cancelling. And no need to worry about Loriana coming home. She won't be home tonight."

"Did she message you that?" Emilia asked, looking over to watch me as I walked towards the bathroom.

"No," I said without turning to look at her or stopping. "It's just experience."

She returned her focus back onto the television programs that was being played at the moment, and since that settles the situation with Emilia, I proceeded to enter the washroom, placed the clothing that I were to change into on the counter of the washroom, and then proceeded to enter the bathroom with dark grey tile walls.

I walked over to the smart-screen panel that was embedded into the wall and with a gentle tap of the touchscreen, the dark screen turned on and illuminated. It displayed the controls for the water flows, which I could manipulate so that water comes out of the shower head or the bath faucet in addition to the temperature of the water. A great advantage of this system is that I could see the exact water temperature and even save the temperature that I prefer. This way, I would never have to deal with adjusting the water temperature again.

I navigated through the system and allowed the water to start flowing in the bathtub to gradually fill it up. While the tub was filling up, I also turned on the water flow in the shower head and proceeded to clean my body throughly. For me, a bath is for relaxing, and combine that with my personal character of preferring to finish all the hassle business before full relaxation, it resulted in me finish cleaning my body while outside of the bath prior to me entering the bath and soaking my body within it.

I first allowed my toes to enter the water, and after confirming that the temperature was right, I allowed my leg to submerge into the water before I gradually allowed my entire body to enter the bathtub which was of a descent size that allowed for my legs to stretch out as I leaned my back on the angled backrest. I let out a sigh of relaxation as the warm water allowed my tense muscles to loosen up.

I tapped on the smart-screen by the bathtub, awakening the system. I then navigated through the system and proceeded to the menu which controlled the window blinds. I pressed my fingers on the screen so that the blinds automatically opened to the sides, revealing the night sky and tall buildings outside. I allowed my body to slowly slide down into the bathtub, watching the lights spilling out of the windows of the concrete building in the distance.

Life sure is peaceful...

After showering, I dried myself, changed into my comfortable indoor clothing, and proceeded to exit the bathroom. I first entered my bedroom and hung up my school uniform that I changed out of, and I then exited my bedroom to return to the living room. There, Emilia seemed to be enjoying what was playing on the television.

"You want to take a shower or something?" I asked as I sat down on the couch adjacent to the one occupied by Emilia.

"Sure," she responded as she rubbed her neck with one arm.

"Do you have a towel?" I asked. "Or anything to change into?"

"That you do not need to worry about," Emilia smiled. "I can take care of that."

"..." I stared at her, attempting to decipher what she meant by that. However, with my inability to see through that mysterious smile of hers, I sighed and accept it for what it was. "Well...you know how to use the shower? Like is it the same as it is in Heaven?"

"I would believe so," she responded. "But worst case scenario you will have to help me."

My eyes followed her as she walked towards the bathroom, and then with a gentle sigh, I relaxed my body and laid down on the couch as I watched the afternoon news that was playing on television.

I could soon hear the sound of flowing water coming from the bathroom, thus allowing me to know that she was able to operate the system.

"Alevian," I heard her call out to me. "It would appear that the body wash had ran out."

"What?!" I exclaimed. "I-I'll get you one then..."

"Thank you."

I forced myself up from the couch and walked over to the storage room. There, I found the extra bottle of body wash and held it in my hands that were somewhat trembling.

Just get in and get out. Don't look where you shouldn't be looking at...

I slowly walked over to the washroom, entered it due to it not being locked, and approached the bathroom door which was just a frosted glass door.

"Can I just leave it by the door?" I asked.

"You want to come in?" She asked in a teasing manner. "and give it to me directly?"

"I think I'll pass on that," I responded, feeling that this might be a trap.

"It's fine," she said. I could then hear a giggle. "That's why younger boys are so cute."

"Yeah," I bitterly laughed in a self-deprecating manner. "Young boys are too innocent."

"Just leave it by the door then," she finally said.

With a sigh of relief, I placed the bottle of body wash down on the floor before the sliding frosted glass door, and just when I was about to rise to my full height and exit, I discovered something bad...The clothes that she had just changed out of...they were neatly folded and placed on the small basket on the floor for clothing that was changed out of. In that pile...well...we're her lingerie.

I could not prompt myself to look away as I was fascinated by her choice of lingerie. Black lace...somewhat devilish for an angel isn't it?