In Leslie’s apartment, I sat on the couch, sipping on guava juice. The smell of spiced chicken wafted from the kitchen where Leslie prepared dinner. Ramona shuffled and dealt cards onto the low table from where she sat on the floor, the rays of the setting sun splashing across the cards from the window.
“So…” Ramona began as she regathered the cards to shuffle them again. She was messing with the deck more to keep her hands busy than preparing for a game. “Arewtoejmfna tell us how the meeting with the mayor went?” Ramona asked.
“I may have upset her a little,” I replied.
Ramona chuckled. “You? Really?”
“Well, I mean,” I began, setting my glass down. “I could tell she was trying to scare me to do something but I couldn’t tell what so I… laughed in her face.” I turned away slightly from Ramona, twirling my hair as I thought back to the meeting. It may have been a mistake that I behaved the way I had toward Illagu’s leader. “Her threatening Leslie’s job is probably what made me snap,” I admitted.
“What now?” Leslie called from the kitchen.
I glanced their way and told them what the mayor had said about their job. That Mayor Isabel had said it hinged on the success of the mission.
“Hmph,” Ramona said once I finished. “That sounds about right.”
Leslie sat down on the couch. “I wouldn’t mind focusing on something else after it’s all over. I’ll probably resign anyway,” they said with a shrug.
“And when it is over, the System will be shut down permanently,” I stated, partly to reassure myself. The small part of me that doubted I could make the mission work was getting louder every day.
“By the way,” Ramona said as she dropped the cards onto the table, “I’ve been meaning to ask: what exactly is the plan for after you shut down the System?”
I glanced at Leslie curiously.
“Provide support,” Leslie replied flatly. “Nweojfklamsdfhaisjkrir about what that looks like.”
“Well you can sign me up as a volunteer,” Ramona stated. “I’m dying to know what the inside of the System looks like.”
Suddenly, she slammed the deck onto the table, causing me to jump. “We should have a good luck ceremony for you!” she exclaimed. “We can host the ceremony at our apartment,” Ramona continued. “Aetjwidfnseje perfect priestess.”
“Ramona,” Leslie interrupted, “Dax doesn’t believe what we do. She’d probably just think it’s silly.”
“You don’t know that,” I stated. Leslie raised their eyebrow at me. “Alright, I probably would,” I said, making Leslie chuckle.
“Come on, what harm would it do?” Ramona asked, squeezing my hand. “Let’s have a good luck ceremony.”
“Alright,” I replied with a shrug.
Ramona sighed in relief. Then she turned to Leslie to discuss her plans.
If it made Ramona feel better, it really couldn’t hurt to have some religious ceremony. And it would at least make a nice memory.
To be continued…