Christmas Day, SaDiablo Hall, Dhemlan, Kaeleer

[glacial_queen]

After a long time talking and making up, it was a much happier Warren and Karla that had come down for a Christmas luncheon--which, at four courses, was still nothing compared to the Christmas feast that Mrs. Beale was preparing for supper. Karla had given her a bunch of Earth cookbooks for Winsol one year and Mrs. Beale had apparently decided that celebrating Christmas required her to make every meal that was even the least bit holiday-inspired.

Lunch was appropriately merry, the whole household glad that Karla and Warren had patched things up. Once the plates were cleared and the footmen were pouring coffee for everyone, Saetan pushed himself back from the table and shook his head. "I have no idea how we're going to be expected to eat more this evening," he said. "I'll still be digesting by the time the goose--and the roast--and the suckling pig are ready."

"Speak for yourself," Andulvar rumbled. "I saved room for the last piece of trifle, except for how it vanished." He glared at Prothvar, who grinned unrepentantly and burped.

"What we should do," Jaenelle suggested from her seat at Saetan's right, "is invite Karla and Warren's friends for dinner. More mouths might mean less food to intimidate the rest of us."

"It's Christmas!" Karla protested. "Everyone's probably with their family."

"Probably," Jaenelle reminded gently. "It wouldn't hurt to invite anyone, would it?"

Karla conceded the point and sent out an email from her phone:

Open invite for Christmas dinner in Kaeleer. Comp'd portal, feel free to show up whenever, if you want! Happy holidays!

[NFB for distance, but open. If you want an invite, you've got one. Super-SP for the holidays, feel free to ping in whenever over the next few days if you'd like.]

Comments

[blondecanary.livejournal.com]

"Raaaaaven," Dinah called as she arrived and saw her New Gotham buddy. "Happy holidays!"

[trigons_child]

"Merry Christmas, Dinah," Raven said, arms out for a hug.

[blondecanary.livejournal.com]

Dinah beamed and hugged her, squeezing the other girl hard before stepping back. "Haven't seen you for a while. How's your visit going so far?" She waved the basket from Alfred toward Raven. "Also, I brought dessert."

[trigons_child]

"I have only just arrived myself," Raven said. She peered at the basket. "What do you have?"

[blondecanary.livejournal.com]

"Teeny pumpkin tarts. From Alfred." She grinned. "I think he's in an ongoing rivalry with Mrs. Beale. Even if he won't admit it."

[trigons_child]

"It is a battle that we, at least, will benefit from," Raven said with a small smile. More good things to eat? No complaints here.

[blondecanary.livejournal.com]

"Exactly." Dinah was already sneaking one out in a napkin to Raven. "Sooo, did I miss anything? Lucivar showing up to growl yet? Drama? And are you going to be in New Gotham for New Year's, maybe?"

[trigons_child]

Raven took the tart, holding it up to inhale the scent of pumpkiny goodness for a moment. "I have not seen Prince Lucivar yet," she said. "I am hoping he will not seek to engage me in more training today, since it is to be a holiday. Karla and Warren were having difficulties but have reconciled. And I have no plans for New Years as of yet."

[blondecanary.livejournal.com]

"Then consider yourself invited," Dinah said promptly. "The Wayne Enterprises New Year's bash is usually pretty spectacular. And usually doesn't involve hostage-taking." She frowned, then remembered what Momoko had mentioned about Karla and her trip to Leda's. "I can guess what that was about. I still need to talk to her, we keep missing each other... but it's a holiday, so I'll leave the scolding to Lucivar. He loves it so much." She grinned. "Want me to save you if he does come over and demand you train?"

[trigons_child]

"...hostage taking?" Raven repeated. The idea of a huge party didn't really appeal much to her, but she could keep to the corners and just talk to her friends who might be there.

"And yes, I think I would be grateful for that," she said with a smile. "It would be nice to just to visit for a change."

[blondecanary.livejournal.com]

"Then I promise to distract him by begging him to practice with me." Dinah smirked. "The hostage thing happened one time but Priestly and Momoko have never let me forget it. Last New Year's was great, though. And we went clothes-shopping first." She tilted her head to study Raven's usual black attire. "We could even get you something in black. Again."

[trigons_child]

Raven wrinkled her nose at Dinah. "I have worn white or colors on special occasions," she said. "I am just most comfortable in black."

[blondecanary.livejournal.com]

"As long as it has sparkles. It's New Year's," Dinah teased. "It has to have shiiiine. Even Priestly's dress had rhinestones on it, so..."

[trigons_child]

"I have no objection to sparkling," Raven said with a laugh. Well, as long as it wasn't too much. She wouldn't want to be a goth disco ball.

[blondecanary.livejournal.com]

"Cool. Plan!" Dinah was now nibbling on her own pumpkin tartlet. "And another couple weeks off before school starts again, so that gives me time to visit Fandom or Santa Cruz or wherever sounds fun before then. Plus we still have to try to crimefight together. There should be something interesting in January, there always is."

[trigons_child]

"Must the criminals keep to some sort of schedule?" Raven asked, puzzled. Or was it like Fandom, where August meant something bad was going to happen, like clockwork.

[blondecanary.livejournal.com]

"It's more that new things to steal get rolled out in January," Dinah explained. "Also, past the holidays, some of them are more crazy than usual, so they have to compensate with crime."

Oh, New Gotham.

[trigons_child]

"Well, I will certainly help in any way I can," Raven promised. "And with all the training I have been doing, I should be better able to defend myself and not be in the way."

[blondecanary.livejournal.com]

"Excellent!" Dinah grinned. "Have another pumpkin tart. Then help me figure out which of the guys to confuse the most before we leave." Torturing Kaeleer guys was fun for everyone!

[trigons_child]

Raven needed no more urging to reach into the basket to take another tart. "I do not know," she said, nibbling on it. "It is hard to decide. They can all be so easily flustered by women who are not of Kaeleer, since we do not act as they expect."

[blondecanary.livejournal.com]

"I knoooow." Dinah took another bite, considering. "And some of them are already all committed to friends of Karla's, but I bet we can get their permission to mess with their guys' heads. Maybe? Khary or Aaron or oh ahahah yes, Julian!"

Perfect! Purple Guy!

[trigons_child]

Raven nodded. "Yes, it would probably be wise to get permission," she said. She wouldn't want the other women upset with her, but given what she knew of them, they'd probably support the idea.

"I suspect they will be agreeable, so long as they can watch."

[blondecanary.livejournal.com]

"We'll check with Warren. He'll know the right way to ask them permission and stuff." Dinah was never going to have an instinctive grasp of Protocol, but she knew who to ask for Cliff Notes. "And yes! Muahahaha." She paused. "Man, I really need to go out flirting if this is this amusing to me."

[trigons_child]

Raven had been studying Protocol in her free time, but even she still struggled with it. It was just so different from Azarath and Fandom.

"That is not a skill I possess," she said. "But it will be amusing to watch you."