ANGELIC KISS (ENG)

— Dear students, — a hoarse voice of the lecturer came from the back rows of the lecture hall. — Let me remind you once again that the presentations of your projects for designing a small townhouse model will begin soon. 

Emi was sitting and sketching in her notebook, her drawings made of geometric shapes, when she suddenly grew tense. “Is November already ending? So that means there are only two weeks left? And I still have almost nothing ready…” She looked at her half-empty canvas. “I guess I’ll have to take it home,” she concluded. 

The “International Architecture Academy” was located at Gotsiridze station, on the northern edge of Tbilisi. A private university with English-language instruction occupied a large, dull white building — a former industrial warehouse converted for educational purposes. Emi was in her second year, and usually had three classes per day. “Art history was, architectural design was…,” Emi listed in her mind. “So that leaves mechanics, and I’m free.” 

Mariam spent her evenings at the shop. “Marfi” — such a simple, slightly silly name formed from combining our names — Mariam and Sophie — she remembered. “We opened this shop in 2022, the same year I moved to the city. Back then I had a boyfriend and my best friend Sophie, but Sophie felt closer to me. Now I probably have a new boyfriend and a new friend Emi… and Emi, I think, feels closer.” Oh, and there comes Elvin! 

— Hi, my love! — Mariam greeted him. 

— Hi, sweetheart, — Elvin replied and kissed her on the cheek. 

— Hey-hey, careful! — Mariam exclaimed. — Customers are here, you know… 

— Let them come, we won’t disturb them! 

— We won’t disturb them, but I’m afraid we won’t be able to serve them either, — Mariam smiled playfully, — if we’re busy with something else. 

In the late evening, Mariam and Emi went out for a walk and sat on a stone path. They had this small tradition — coming here in the evenings, to the path that opened a panoramic view down the mountain. 

— That Elvin keeps coming to me over and over again! — Mariam complained playfully. — He won’t let me work at all! 

— Do you… really love him, though? — Emi hesitated, noticing her palms starting to sweat and her cheeks growing warm. 

Winter was approaching. A light frost had already cracked the air, and the girls were sitting there, holding hands, trying to keep warm. 

— I think I want to live with him, Emi… — Mariam replied, trying to soften the statement, but apparently failing. 

Emi pulled her hand away. 

— So I’m supposed to find a new place to live now? Great, thank you for dumping me? How did you expect me to react to that? — Emi shouted loudly and aggressively. 

Tears appeared on Mariam’s face. For the first time, she saw Emi in anger… 

“Why did I betray her again and hurt her!..” — she thought. — “But maybe this isn’t my fault! Right, I promised her I wouldn’t leave! She even confessed her love to me! I’m such an idiot! I completely forgot…” 

— You can stay at Vakhtang’s house if you want… — Mariam said, not knowing what else to say. — Honestly, I really don’t want to lose you either. How would you feel if we maybe lived together… the three of us? 

— Well, I’m against it in general, and you know why. But if that’s the only possible option… I’ll think about it. 

— But when you find a girlfriend, you can invite her too. And this house will be full of supportive friends and partners, — Mariam smirked. — That would be wonderful! 

— Be serious, Mariam! — Emi shouted again. — With our landlord? Don’t joke about this, please! 

— I’m not joking. And honestly, I think it would be better for you if you weren’t afraid to meet other girls. Oh, I’ve got an idea! Sophie, my friend — she’s really pretty and she’s a lesbian too, you know her — I can arrange a meeting tomorrow at a cafe, we’ll hang out a bit, and maybe we’ll go to her place afterwards. Agreed? 

— Do you want to introduce me as someone’s potential girlfriend or what? She’s nice and I’d like to meet her, maybe. But I don’t think I need a relationship! 

— You do need a relationship! Don’t lie to yourself, you’d be the happiest person if we were together. But I want to remind you — there are eight billion people in the world, and I’m definitely not the only one! Just like you’re not the only one, Elvin isn’t either. You want love — go find it somewhere else! If the person you’re romantically attached to doesn’t return your feelings — just move on to the next one! 

The evening of the next day began at “Subway” on Marjanishvili. Tired employees were finishing their shifts; laughter, lively conversations, and soft 2010s pop music could be heard coming from the speakers. Mariam and Emi sat down at a table, waiting for someone. 

— Want some coffee? — Mariam offered. 

— Yes, and a cookie, — Emi added. 

A girl walked in — unbelievably beautiful, tall, thin and slightly athletic, with straight white hair and a tattoo on her neck. 

— Hi, Sophie! — Mariam greeted her. — Aren’t you cold in just a top and a light leather jacket? Don’t get sick, okay! 

— Hi! No, I’m fine, — Sophie replied casually. — Look what chain I got today, from Nepal. Hi, Emi. 

— Ah… Nepal, — Mariam thought for a moment. — Is that in Africa? 

— It’s where the Himalayas are, — Emi corrected. 

— See, Emi knows everything. She’s our geography geek. I recently asked her: “God, how do you know all the English monarchs since the 12th century?” She said: “No idea, it just somehow stuck.” 

Sophie smiled. 

— Always nice to be around intelligent people. 

— Yeah… — Mariam replied. — It almost feels sad that I’m country bumpkin. Though that’s not an excuse for me being stupid. 

They talked and decided to go for a sleepover, since Sophie lived nearby. 

— Oh, are you a fan of Sophie? — Emi guessed, noticing a big Sophie poster on the wall. — So that’s why your name is like that. 

— Kind of, — Sophie replied. — I like electronic music in general. And my real name is Sofiko. 

— Cool, I kind of like it too. But I’m just a music lover in general. Lately, Mariam and I have been listening to almost the same things. 

— Well… good friends always end up being somewhat similar, even though you two are quite different. Want to go out on the balcony and smoke? 

— Let’s go, — Mariam agreed. 

Sophie took a cigarette and brought it to her lips, then put it out against the railing of the delicate balcony. 

— Ah, I’ve been so lonely lately… 

Below the floor, there was a market where an old man in a sailor shirt with a round belly was selling watermelons, calling out to customers: “The juiciest, the ripest, I swear, brother, I’m selling it for the cheapest price!” 

— Come on… — Mariam took Sophie’s hand. — You have me, we’re together often enough. 

— I just want love and affection, that’s all, — Sophie admitted. — And the thing is, besides you, I don’t really have anyone close… 

— But I could be close to you too? — Emi asked shyly. — I feel like we’re quite similar in some ways. 

— Yes, Emi exists for love and affection, — Mariam cut in. — She’s very affectionate. 

Sophie turned to Emi, laughed, and looked her in the eyes. 

— You’re right. 

— Sometimes love is closer than we think… — Mariam said thoughtfully. 

— Well, for you, Mariam, of course, — Sophie replied. — In that sense, Emi and I really are somewhat similar. People like us are maybe ten percent, if that. 

— Especially for you, — Mariam tapped the tip of her nose with her finger. — Hey you! I don’t understand how anyone could not love you. 

— My nose is actually ugly, too thin. I want a nose job. 

— A nose job? Or maybe you want to… finally learn to love your own beauty? 

In the morning, Mariam went to sleep, and Emi went to university. 

 
“Victorian architecture originates from…” — Emi diligently wrote in her notebook and got distracted by a message on her phone. It was from Sophie: 
“Thanks for the night, nice to meet you 🖤” 

 
Emi smiled and continued writing: “…from the revival of Gothic style. It combines the grandeur of classical architecture with new advanced technologies…” 

Mariam woke up and was bored at home. 
“Damn, there’s nothing to do… It’s like only one thing can brighten my evening — his arrival. Maybe I should invite him over while Emi is studying? No, I want… I want to be with him all the time, he has occupied my heart. But what about Emi? So now what, will Elvin live with us, and then what? Should I make a schedule and divide my time between them separately? And where will the third one be, and God forbid this, knowing her jealousy — Emi? No, it means we’ll all be together everywhere and all the time, and that’s a bit strange too. And how will we have sex? A double-edged sword. Neither option leads to anything good. So what now, just wait until everything resolves itself? It seems so…” 

When Mariam went to work, Elvin came again right before closing. 

— Oh, hi! — Mariam smiled. — I was just waiting for you! 

 
— Me too, — Elvin replied, — imagine, I spent the whole evening waiting to see you. 

 
— Listen, Elvin… We were discussing yesterday on the phone… Ah, wait a second. 

Mariam stopped and turned toward a customer who was already bringing her purchases. 

— Fifty for the shoes and fifteen for the bracelet, so sixty-five in total. Thank you, have a nice day, come again! 

— So, — Mariam continued. — We were discussing yesterday that we want to move in together… I asked Emi whether it would be better if I moved in with you or if we all lived together in our place. She said together. But Emi looked so upset… Anyway, come over, stay the night, stay a couple of days, and then we’ll decide, okay? I just honestly don’t know whether I want this or not. I mean, yes, of course I want to be your girlfriend, but living together? 

Mariam and Elvin left and walked along the dark road toward Mtatsminda. Mariam quietly opened the front door and went in, Elvin followed her stealthily. They were trying to slip into the room so the landlord wouldn’t notice, but at that moment he was either eating dinner or choking on chacha straight from the bottle — and most often, both at the same time. And so it was: the man immediately noticed them. He jumped up, ran over, trembling, and shouted: “No boy in house!” Then he turned to Mariam, switched to Georgian, and declared: “Don’t bring men. I don’t need a new family in this house. I don’t want you fucking in the room and then bringing a child here. For the first time I forgive you, but next time you’ll know — I will either throw you out or raise the rent so much you won’t be able to pay.” 

“What is he even talking about?” — Mariam snapped in her thoughts. — “Is this even profitable for him? He raises the rent — we simply won’t be able to pay and leave; he throws us out — same thing. And who else, besides us, would move into this hundred-year-old half-rotten house? Then he’ll have to work more. And does he even like working? I think he only likes drinking and lying on the couch. He’s definitely bluffing.” 

Mariam nodded, said something like, — “Everything will be fine, we won’t bother you,” — and went upstairs, and Elvin, without saying a word, followed her. 

In the room, Emi was strangely absent. “Strange, she should have been back,” Mariam thought, and took out her phone to call her, but saw a message: “I went out for a walk alone. I don’t know when I’ll be back.” 

— Damn, what are we supposed to do?.. — Mariam panicked. — I wanted to meet her. I feel like she’s so sad! 

— Yeah, that’s a pity. Do you know if she’ll be gone long? 

Mariam shook her head. 

Elvin looked at her for a long time, embarrassed, and at one moment took his wallet, pulled a condom out of its pocket, and casually placed it on the table. 

— Maybe, while we still have time… shall we? 

— Of course… — Mariam melted. 

They ended up naked on the same mattress. Mariam wrapped her hands around his erect penis and began to caress it, while Elvin passionately kissed her neck. 

— Ah… you can go in, I’m already turned on, — Mariam said. 

Elvin entered her and felt warmth enveloping his whole body. Mariam bounced on him, moaned loudly and shouted: — “Elvin… Elvin… Do you like it when someone dominates you?” 

They changed positions several times, and after fifteen minutes Elvin came, kissing her deeply. 

— Ah… this is the best thing that ever happened to me, — he admitted. 

They lay on top of each other for a while longer, embracing, naked, when suddenly Emi came in with a strange expression on her face, showing either confusion or shock, her eyes darting around as if screaming: “I’m about to tell you something…”, but seeing what was happening, she decided to step back out and knock a bit later. 

In the same evening, Emi returned from university with a heavy sadness in her heart and decided not to go home. She walked up the mountain for a long time, higher and higher, until she ended up in a quiet, pitch-dark thicket. She wandered through the darkness between narrow trees completely alone, and by then she no longer cared whether it was safe, whether a maniac would run out and grab her, or whether a wild animal would come and tear her apart to death. 

In this way, without understanding at all where she was going or why, Emi reached a clearing that ended in a cliff. She sat on the edge, turned on the playlist she and Mariam usually listened to in the mornings when they were together, and stared into the distance, into total darkness. 

Despair took hold of her. She didn’t want to leave, and she didn’t want to stay. There was nowhere to go, and nowhere to stay. 

Emi remembered their recent conversation: “I am not the only one,” was that how it went? She found herself thinking about Sophie again — she is pretty and kind, so maybe she should become friends with her? But she is still Mariam’s friend — everything would remind her of her… I would like to leave on my own and pretend like none of this ever existed, but coming back every evening to an empty place where you don’t exist… that feels like death. 

Suddenly something made her turn her head to the right, probably boredom from sitting in the same place, looking at the same view where almost nothing could be seen. 

She saw a small tiled chapel, half-burned, of a deep burnt-burgundy color. From the openings that served as windows, an intensely bright light was pouring out, although the church itself looked abandoned. She was both amazed and slightly frightened, but decided to come closer. 

Gradually warmth began to approach her. She stopped understanding anything at all and kept walking forward, then unlocked an old creaking door and went inside. 

Emi closed her eyes for a moment and began to look around: magnificent icons, stucco, reliefs — everything that had been left there by no one knew whom or for what reason. 

Suddenly Emi felt a strong heat behind her, as if someone had poured boiling water over her. She flinched and saw behind her a huge creature, shaped like a human, but with massive wings on its back. 

It was a woman. Her skin was neon pink — and not only her skin, but her entire body was that same color: hair, face, everything. She floated about thirty centimeters above the ground, slightly bent, yet still looked gigantic, about four meters tall. She wore no clothes; she was completely naked and graceful. 

Emi startled and ran as fast as she could, but felt herself being restrained. The burning being, slowly cooling above her skin, tightly gripped her arm. She lifted her head, trying to see what her face looked like, and where she even ended. 

The woman looked at her briefly and simply said, “Hi.” 

Her voice was gentle, melodic, and at the same time deep — it could easily pass for a human girl’s voice. 

— Who are you? — Emi answered her timidly and fearfully. 

 
— I’m Fleya. And you? Do you want to get to know each other? 

She, thinking she was losing her mind, didn’t say anything, just quietly waited for something, frozen in her arms. 

— Don’t be afraid of me, I won’t hurt you. I’m just a girl like you. 

Emi stayed silent for a little longer and finally decided to respond: 

— My name is Emilia, — she suddenly chose to introduce herself with her full name, which she almost never used, considering it too formal and pretentious. 

— How did you get here? 

— I… was just walking and… I saw this church. But where did you come from? 

— You accidentally leaned on me. We, gods, as humans call us, can easily pass from one space to another across all dimensions, bypassing barriers. Our bodies are invisible to humans, but when we touch human skin, the one we touched begins to see and hear us. Now you can notice not only me, but others too, although there isn’t much to catch right now. There are very few of us Mtatsminda ones, whose base is this temple — only about ten — and right now everyone except me is either wandering around the city, or in the air, or somewhere on the other side of the Earth, or even… flying in the galaxy, so I’m a bit lonely here. 

— Gods?.. So you’re a goddess? Why don’t you travel yourself? 

— I rest, I recharge. When we get tired, we can sit in one place for weeks and do nothing, and it doesn’t lead to sadness or apathy. Although it’s not recommended to stay like that for too long — they say you can become amorphous. And “gods” is just a conventional name. It doesn’t mean we’re omnipotent, or even above you, although of course we have more abilities. — By the way, how do you know Russian? Don’t you have your own language, some kind of non-verbal one? 

— We often learn languages just out of boredom, and it also helps us communicate with other gods and humans, although we usually don’t interact with humans. 

— Why? Are you afraid of scaring them? 

— Not at all, but we don’t want too many people to know about us. 

— What does the world of gods even look like? What’s your architecture like? 

— The same as yours. In fact, there is only one world on Earth where both humans and gods live. We simply live among you. Some even settle in houses and live side by side with humans for years, and they don’t even realize it. We can live anywhere, even on the street, because we don’t feel cold or heat — we are always slightly warm. 

— Ah… So you can live with me? 

— Do you want that? 

— Well… let’s do it. 

Emi led her along the wide slopes of the mountain straight toward the house. 

— How old are you? 

— I’m fifty. For us, that’s still very little, almost a child. In fact, we can live forever. But there’s a nuance: we are capable of killing and committing suicide, and then our life ends just like a human one. You know, many gods are terribly jealous of humans, because the limitation of life is what gives it meaning. It’s better to live seventy years brightly, vividly, beautifully, than to wander for thousands of years without purpose. 

At the moment when Mariam and Elvin were sitting naked on top of each other, Emi entered not alone. Fleya bent slightly and looked around the room. “M… I wonder what on earth is going on in this house?” — she thought.