Today was a big day. Isyndor had a big meeting. Well, he told himself that every day so he felt important, but today it was actually true. But instead of filling him with a sense of purpose, he felt anxious. Immigration laws were the worst because the Saints always had to maintain their unanimous voting record. Isyndor was supposed to always be honest…

“Isyndor! Isi Isi Isi!”

He looked up from the meeting notice he was pretending to read. His friend Charr was leaning on the dividers between their desks, waving a paper over her head like it was a bad picture she hoped would get better if she shook it.

“Do you see this!?”

He tried to focus on the words, but it was just a blur of scribbles from how quickly she was shaking it. “No, I can’t.”

She froze, her arm still over her head. “Oh, sorry.”

He scanned the paper. From what he could discern from a moment, the Union was looking to make a new level of Saints a pay raise above where they were now. It would have… a lot of benefits. Advertising deals, apartments in the official Capital Hall…

“Wow. And you want to get promoted?”

“No, I just wanted to show you for no reason,” Charr deadpanned.

Isyndor shook his head. “So, what do we have to do to get it?”

Charr’s eyes lit up again. “They’re doing a raid on Delynan’s capital! Of course, we aren’t fighting, but making plans and doing meetings!”

She looked… overly enthusiastic over the thought of Terrisa giving them more work.

His alarm went off, piercing the air with its harsh beeping.

“Oh, is that for the meeting?”

Isyndor nodded, picking up his papers, trying to stuff them in his folder while juggling his computer and bag. By the time he got the papers in neatly enough, he was holding pens in his mouth and his laptop was between two fingers.

“Do you… need help?”

He looked up at Charr. Then down at his things. Then up at Charr.

“...Maybe?”

By the time they get to the meeting room, about half of the attendees are already there, talking quietly among themselves. The Presidents’ chairs are empty.

“Okay, everyone! Pynon messaged me that he and Terrisa will be late. They’re doing an interview on our Stray Cat Project.”

Hilla sat down in her chair. It wasn’t spoken, but there was an atmosphere of confusion as to why Hilla was the leader over the Vices, who were second only to the presidents… but it wasn’t spoken.

“Aurora, please proceed with the swearing in.”

Aurora gave Hilla a look of mild disdain, but did so anyway.

“I, Aurora, swear to uphold law and order, even at the expense of myself or colleagues.”

She stared at Rellis. Everyone stared at Rellis. Sometimes Isyndor wondered how they fit their roles so well.

“Oh- sorry. I, Rellis, swear to… promote ease of living?”

It was close enough.

“I, Bella, swear to uphold balance among the Union, even at the expense of wealth or support.”

It went on like that until it eventually got around to Isyndor.

He breathed in.

He breathed out.

“I, Isyndor, swear to be honest. Even at the expense of myself or the unity of the nation.”

Aurora stared. Everyone else avoided his gaze. It was common knowledge among the Council that Isyndor often had a hard time with swearing in… but Vices were not part of the Council.

Hilla cleared her throat.

Aurora returned to glaring at her instead.

“Today’s meeting is on the topic of immigration laws. It is common knowledge that Delynites have been sneaking into the Union and committing crimes, from vandalism to heresy against Saints. We are here to decide on new laws to mitigate this.”

Hilla clicked around on her computer before projecting her hologram presentation.

“Yes, Head of Council Hilla. We spread the papers on our upcoming raid, but that may actually encourage illegal immigration to the Union.” Aurora was still glaring at Hilla while she pulled up her own hologram presentation.

“That being said, we must make sure immigrants from other nations are still able to get here safely,” Ree, another member of the Council, pointed out.

Isyndor looked down at his papers. He didn’t really have any great ideas, but he knew what wouldn’t work. And that was nearly everything.

“Terrisa! Pynon!”

Isyndor’s head swiveled to the door. The presidents were standing in the doorway, holding onto folders exploding out papers. It made him glance down at his papers, making sure they weren’t all of the shared table.

“So, what have we gone over so far?” Terrisa asked.

Rellis sighed. “Not much.”

They showed Terrisa the flow charts they’d drawn up, a convenient time for Isyndor to figure out what he’d missed as well. Increased security in airports, intense border patrols, more need for paperwork proving legal immigration in government buildings… pretty much the same thing they already had.

“And what about those already harmed? How will we make the Delynites already here pay?”

A shiver crawled down Isyndor’s back. Something about how Terrisa said that felt… wrong.

“With the paperwork requirements, they’d have to live without government support, which is nearly impossible,” Aurora replied.

“Nearly,” Isyndor retorted, “is not completely. We already have paperwork requirements, and they’re still here.”

Terrisa looked at him curiously. It reminded him of when she first came to him with the suggestion of Sainthood… it was a bit unnerving.

“So then, what do you suppose we do?”

He looked over his papers. There was no clear solution.

“Well… we have no real way to do anything. But… we could pretend we do.”

Aurora’s eyes widened.

Terrisa smirked. “Like in 3576 when we got them to surrender in battle over the threat of being allied with Onnean scientists.”

Aurora shot up, throwing her fists onto the table. “Like an illusion!?”

Rellis tugged on her arms, pulling Aurora back into her seat.

“I can assure you I am not suggesting we use tactics of the Delynites," Terrisa stated calmly, "but it would be beneficial to use tactics of the Saints before us to win our battles now. After all, what is law but following moral codes of those before us?"

Aurora inhaled sharply before sitting back down stiffly. She kept one eye on Isyndor until the end of the meeting.

"God, what was all that about? Aurora really doesn't know when to quit, huh?"

Charr was by his desk again, speaking in hushed tones. Isyndor wasn't one for stirring up drama, but even he agreed.

"I get where she's coming from, but she seems a little rude about it." He paused, looking at the coffee he was making in the mini coffe machine he'd bought for his desk. "I can't image what she's like in Vice meetings."

Charr peeked over at the coffee he was making, silently requesting some. He nodded.

"And what about Bella? Isn't it her job to make sure they aren't at each others' throats all the time?"

Isyndor looked over at her, pouring two paper cups of coffee. "Technically, her job is to regulate between Aurora and Rellis. On that front, she's doing pretty well."

Charr huffed, taking her coffee and sitting back down. "It's about time for people to be heading home. Let's talk tomorrow about a plan for the promotion, okay?"

Isyndor breathed in the smell of his coffee. "Alright. Get home safely."

She laughed under her breath. "We live in the Union, Isi."

"There might be Delynites," he pointed out.

"And I live two streets away."

Charr was already about out the door.

He sipped the rest of his coffee, slowly walking upstairs. The buildings were connected, and since he only lived one over, it was more convenient to get to the upstairs bridges than to go back to the street. And they had food up there, and he desperately needed dinner...

By the time he got back to his apartment, it was dark outside. He had take-out in his arms, carefully balancing the styrofoam boxes on thop of each other.

He opened up a box, examining the contents in each. Rice, soup, sushi, sauces... Dammit, no chopsticks. He might have some washable ones in his silverware drawer, but he couldn't care less about that at the moment. The soup had a spoon, and he could probably eat the rest with his hands.

He went over to the balcony, looking out over the hub of lights and voices, the cool night air contrasting to warm soup on his tongue. There weren't many people out, but those who were looked happy. They walked with friends or sat on benches eating food, some played music out on the bridges. He smiled to himself, glad that his efforts made a difference...

Until he spotted a silhouette crouched in an alleyway smirking to themselves.

Was it his responsibility? Did he really need to be chasing after shady people in the dark when he could be enjoying his food? It was obviously not his job, he was the one in charge of making the laws, it was nonsensical-

He was already heading there. It took him a second to realize how he'd gotten to the bridge, before immediately panicking as he realized he'd jumped from his balcony. Aurora was definitely going to say something next time they had a meeting together...

"Hi!"

Full thumbnail! This is when he's on the balcony, only I drew it as a window because I'm too lasy to figure out what railings would look like from that angle.