#street magic
“I hope you understand that we have the interests of the public to consider with regards to how Ainsville is run, your Highness.”
I should have known it would come to this, that he would make this move. More attempts at convincing me that what he is doing is just. I felt the smile I had been wearing waver, looking down at the glass on my knees, my free hand clutching at the fabric of my dress.
“It’s a little difficult to see it from a public standpoint when I was there, Commander. It’s easy to convince a crowd when they can’t see everything you can.” I turned to face him, “I’m still certain that there has to be another way than this.”
“We’re at war, your Highness. And we don’t want the wars at our borders to grow into a civil war. Sacrifices need to be made.” He said simply, leaning forward on his seat, closer to me.
“I can understand your approach is based on necessity, Commander Reynolds. However, my country is not at war.” I return, raising my glass and taking a tiny sip from the flute.
“One of those people - even Rivera, the girl you met - could kill everyone in this room within the blink of an eye.“ He raised his own glass and gestured around the room, pointing at the various guests stood around mingling and conversing, oblivious to the conversation we were sharing here. “They need to be taught to act in their country’s best interest.”
“I don’t doubt it, but create a system that forces the minority to hate those in power, and you will have a revolution, Commander. I do not want to create a reason for such a revolution”
Here is an amazing piece of art I commissioned from @arrhythmiacomic of a scene me and @cirianne worked together on! A scene from a crossover where Anjelika visits the country Street Magic is set in, and has a conversation with the charasmatic Commander Reynolds XD
Thank you for drawing this for us, and I really hope you like it Sara!
Post link
Oscar
I wrote this a while ago, for @kosmosian-quills - I forgot why, but somehow I keep thinking about it.
So have little snippet on Alicia, the farthest in her timeline we’ve ever been, after the war is over, Jimmy is prime minister, and Alicia is living a reclusive life with her nephew Oscar, who is around 15 or 16 here.
The Council is history, and their fighters are imprisoned. Including Eve, whose existence is canon here.
-
It’s late at night, when Jimmy’s phone rings. He thinks about not answering. After a long day of cabinet meetings, all he wants to do is fall asleep while watching soccer. But it’s his private phone, the very private one, and it’s not like he hears of his old friends often.
The caller ID is hidden, and he sighs. Alicia, then. Somehow, she never got used to the new world they’re living in now.
“Hey”, he says.
“It’s me”, she replies. “Is… Is Oscar with you?”
Jimmy frowns. They’re living several states apart. Kind of an odd question. “No?”, he says carefully. “Why?”
“He’s not home. Left a message on his bed to call you.”
A pang of grief flashes through Jimmy’s guts. He had somewhat hoped she’d call him without any reason, eventually. But somehow, this has never been her.
“He…” Jimmy pinches the bridge of his nose, trying to remember the details of his last call with the boy. “Didn’t you want to go the East Coast this weekend? I prepared everything for your visit at East Point.”
“East Point?”, Alicia repeats. “The… the prison? For the… Council people?”
They technically call them war criminals, now. Just like Jimmy and Alicia had been called themselves, a few years ago. He understands, how she still can’t say it.
“He hasn’t told you? Fuck.” Jimmy hits the wall with his flat hand. “Do you think he went alone then?”
“Jimmy.” Her voice is cold and dangerous, as she emphasizes every single word. “What does he want there?”
With a groan, Jimmy sinks into a chair and covers his face with a hand. “I’m sorry, Ali, I didn’t know, I -”
“Is it her?”
He swallows. “Yes. Eve Reynolds.”
“Fuckers should have given her a different last name at least.”
He hears her breathe, controlled, steady, one of the techniques she must’ve learned in therapy.
“I don’t want him there”, she says then. “She’s…” Her voice drifts off.
Too much, Jimmy thinks. She’s just too much. Fuck. He should have known Alicia would never approve of this.
“I’ll try and reach someone there. Ask them if he showed up, okay? Don’t worry about him. He’s a big boy. He’ll manage.”
He won a war with us, he thinks.
“Yeah”, Alicia says. He thinks he hears her sob, but it might have been the phone line. “Yeah, okay, please do that. And then get him home, okay?”
“I will”, Jimmy promises. “I will.”
She has already hung up.
