[PRP] the color of magic (america & jeremiah)

[lizbot]

"But how are you gonna find time to feed me if you're busy being the Chief?" America gave him a pathetic look. "The other me started school at Rider-Waite in the fall. I have no ********' clue why, but I don't know...just quitting 'cause I'm not her seems..."

There was a downright sulky look. "Like saying I'm not as smart or something, giving up before I try. So I'm trying."

azuredreams

 

[azuredreams]

America got a warm, happy laugh from Jeremiah. "I think I can still manage to keep you fed, don't worry about that." There would always be snacks brought for her. Always.

He nodded at her explantation, understanding far too well. "I can understand. The Jeremiah I replaced? Far better and pushing and striving for more." His lips twitched a little in wry amusement. "I let myself get comfortable and stagnant and he had none of that." The silver-haired man had not expected to come back to a world where he had been Chief of Police for months.

"It's taking some getting used to this new reality and the shoes we have to fill." Then he paused a moment, a look of concern flashing over his face. "Your boyfriend, Taym-" Who was Obadiah to his face and Taym any other time. "Does he remember? Or ... ?" So far as he knew Taym was not someone who dreamed of other ashdown and was, for all intents and purposes, not magical.

Yet the difficulties of America remembering a world and not knowing this one and a boyfriend who was not the same ... Jeremiah and Taym did not get along (an understatement) but he adored American and would never wish it upon her. At least Jeremiah knew he was still in town because they had worked together on the occasion for a city program (he had seen a picture or two where they were very obviously trying to not punch each other).

lizbot

 

[lizbot]

The name was enough to have her brightening, practically beaming as she answered, "Yeah! He's still trying to get used to it, same as all of us. But I don't know how I could have handled all this if he hadn't been...him. Just thinking about it..." she shook her head. "He keeps me from getting lost n'losing touch with all the everything else that's important in the world."

azuredreams

 

[azuredreams]

Jeremiah smiled and nodded. "I'm glad then because we all need that." For him it was Algie that kept him grounded, kept him from losing himself within everything that was going on - including himself.

"Especially now with all of these changes, even if they're slight. They all add up to something of a world that doesn't quite feel like ours but it will be." ... because they made it, hadn't they? It was theirs now.

lizbot

 

[lizbot]

He didn't have to say it out loud, because she'd been thinking it every day since. "Heliodora said we're responsible for it now. For the shapes we've shifted."

azuredreams

 

[azuredreams]

"Then we've got to take care of things, don't we?" Jeremiah smiled at her. "Not just you but all of us. Make sure that we don't waste this world we've both changed and made." Which was one way to put that she was not shouldering this alone.

"If you saw Heliodora," he said slowly, a moment later, "then you've taken her place?" Or so he assumed.

lizbot

 

[lizbot]

America nodded, "Yeah, she said I was...a pillar, being supported by everyone that gave power to it. I'm taking care of the trinity knot." And it's not a subject to smile over, but she can't help a small one as she ducks her head. "It was nice, trusting folks and being trusted back. All of us were holding each other up and forward in a way, though I guess Mr. Renard did a lot of the heavy lifting."

azuredreams

 

[azuredreams]

"I did hear he was there, helping the process." Jeremiah reached forward and squeezed her hand lightly. While he lacked the natural warmth that his husband had, as well as the ability to calm, there was a faint feeling of reassurance and affection that came with his touch that faded.

She wouldn't be alone in this.

"... but that's really what magic should be about. Trusting and being trusted back." He lets out a breath, too many thoughts there.

lizbot

 

[lizbot]

"The good parts, I think maybe a lotta bad woulda been avoided if they had tried more of it...oh! Speaking of having each other's back, though..." America got up and grabbed a couple of wrapped boxes for both Jer and Algernon. There was both a shirt and a tie with her face on it, not a picture she remembered taking but it was a good one. They even had flag in the background and an eagle gazing on with stern approval. When she'd first gotten them in the mail, her own reaction was pretty much holy s**t.

There were tags tied on to each package with what looked like a friendship bracelet of all things, the fancy sort with the patterns, Jer's all greys and blues, Algie's green and brown. America had come to this world a whole lot poorer than she'd been, and the gifts already bought were a boon of sorts, but she'd still felt the need to add a personal touch, one from the really-real her.

azuredreams

 

[azuredreams]

Jeremiah, of course, peeked inside the gift when it was handed over and chortled a bit at the shirt and tie. "I will absolutely wear this tie to work. I'll post it on instagram too." The bracelet, of course, he paid more attention too bad fingered it a moment before he slid it onto his wrist a moment later.

"Since we're exchanging ..." His satchel was pulled up beside him and what looked like a scrapbook was pulled out. He slid it across the table towards her. "It isn't full but any pictures Alg and I found that had you, we put in here. Since we don't really know all the details of our lives that happened before we took over."

At least a handful were them in other ashdown, though only those who knew of it would recognize the pictures, and others were of them at Darlene's and yet others were obviously gatherings at the Mercer home. There were smatterings of others, different people that they knew in some, and at least one where Mister Bitterberry had apparently perched himself on a sleeping Hellbine.

Another smaller package was set out, one that clearly was jewelry, and when it was opened it was revealed to be a shard of clear quartz that had been delicately wire-wrapped with small beads of amethyst and smokey quartz. There were blue feathers attached that could have matched her companion (but were not from him).

"... there's a couple different kind of chains in there for you to put that on and apparently something that would let you put your hair up with it." Jeremiah wasn't quite sure what had inspired them to get it for her other than it likely would work well with her glyph magic.

lizbot