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

[trigons_child]

Raven had been to Kaeleer many times since leaving Fandom, but that had only for training sessions with Lucivar. It would be nice to come and just relax and spend time with friends for a change.

Once she arrived she began to look around to see who else might be there. It had been nice to see people in Sunnydale not long ago, but with their voices gone and the demons creeping about stealing hearts, there had been little time for catching up.

Hopefully Lucivar wouldn't be waiting with sticks today.

[life_inshadow]

After the disaster that was the last weekend in Sunnydale, Tara had made halfhearted plans to go back to Weaverville and see her birth family for Christmas.

By noon Christmas Eve, she was almost wishing the Gentlemen would come back.

So when Karla's invitation came through the next day, it was quite a relief to make some hasty excuses and portal on out to Kaeleer. Anything was better than another week with her family.

[wwiii]

Of course Warren was here for Christmas. He'd come here on Christmas Eve, and had staked out a corner of the room with the tree in it, mostly because of the comfortable chair.

He'd made up with his girlfriend and he was surrounded by friends, and he was kind of immersing himself in Christmas carols on his phone for the past few days. He was ready for you, Christmas. Totally and completely.

[nothornlessrose.livejournal.com]

It hadn't taken Cassidy much preparing to decide to take Karla up on her invitation. She had spent a great deal of the break with her family and when the invitation came, Devra had pushed her to go.

So after making sure she had gifts and sweet treats for everyone, Cassidy was cheerfully exploring and greeting everyone she knew.

[glacial_queen]

There were probably no sticks today, thank the Darkness. Karla wasn't willing to bet that for certain, but odds were good he'd let Raven go without training. He'd call it her Christmas present and just make her work double next time.

"Kiss kiss," Karla said, doing just that on Raven's cheek while engulfing her in a giant hug. "Good to see you, darling."

From Karla's mood and smile, Raven could probably guess that she and Warren had reconciled.

[glacial_queen]

"Tara!" Karla said, giving her friend a giant grin. "Isn't it weird to be coming here for some peace and quiet?"

Two out of two holidays had prejudiced Karla slightly against trips to Sunnydale.

[glacial_queen]

"Cassidy!" Karla said, giving the little witch a hug. "You've been scarce recently. You're not hiding a boyfriend from me, are you?"

[nothornlessrose.livejournal.com]

Cassidy shook her head with a small blush as she hugged Karla back.

"No, I've just been studying and losing track of time outside of my room when I do that."

She wished she had a boyfriend to hide.

[trigons_child]

"You are happy," Raven said, smiling as she hugged Karla back. "Did you speak with Warren? And it went well?" There weren't many other things she could think of at the moment that would cause such a good mood in her friend.

[trigons_child]

"Cassidy!" Raven said warmly when she saw her friend. "It has been so long since I have seen you. How have you been?"

[nothornlessrose.livejournal.com]

"Raven!" Cassidy immediately went over to hug her friend. "I have missed you so much. How is school?"

[trigons_child]

Raven gave Cassidy a happy hug. "It has been all right," she said. "But I have missed my friends a great deal."

[nothornlessrose.livejournal.com]

"Your friends have missed you as well," Cassidy assured her. "What has been your favorite part of your new school?"

[trigons_child]

Raven stepped back and shrugged a little. "The learning, I suppose," she said. "I have ever enjoyed learning new things, even as a child."

[glacial_queen]

"I did and it did," she confirmed. "I mean, it wasn't great? He didn't like most of what I had to tell him, with me being in danger and all? But we managed to talk it out and we're not avoiding one another anymore."

Which was a step! A good one!

[glacial_queen]

"I hate to say it, but that's a lot of what I've been doing, too," Karla admitted. Not really studying for school, but maps of Glacia, terrain studies, censuses, reports from the underground...all stuff that would (hopefully) help her once she graduated.

"How are your parents?" she asked. "Did you give them my respects? Was it Winsol when you are?"

[life_inshadow]

Tara was healed enough to giggle. "I think come V-valentine's Day, I'm leaving Sunnydale ahead of time," she noted. "Though ... Thanksgiving was pretty normal."

For her. Not for Buffy, but she didn't know that yet.

"Anyhow, this feels a lot more Christmasy than seeing my family does."

[trigons_child]

Raven's brow furrowed with worry for a moment before she tried to cast it off. There was no sense dwelling on what danger she might have been in now while she was safe, but she might have to ask her just what had happened -- later, when it wasn't a festive occasion.

"That is very good to hear," she said. "And it brings me joy as well to see you so happy."

[heromaniac]

Momoko had of COURSE taken Karla up on the offer!

She was totally not at all staring sparkly-eyed and wondering how she managed to be so lucky as to go from one palace to another.

Obviously she had good taste in friends!

Speaking of, she looked around for one of them... any of them? Hello?

[trigons_child]

"Momoko!" Raven said when she saw her friend arrive. "It is good to see you. How are you?"

And why did you shrink Karla went unspoken. For now.

[heromaniac]

"Raven! Happy Christmas! I'm fine! All healed and everything!" She flexed an arm, then reached to offer a hug. "You?"

[trigons_child]

"Merry Christmas," Raven said, accepting the hug and giving one in return. But she frowned at Momoko's words. "You were injured? What happened?"

[blondecanary.livejournal.com]

Dinah calculated the time-change to Kaeleer and realized she could make the dinner, then begged and pleaded with Portalocity to take her there in time.

Looking around for Karla and the other Kaeleearans, swinging a bottle of wine from Helena's cellar from one hand, and a basket of Alfred's pumpkin tartlets from the other, she called out, "Hello! Anybody want some goodies?"

[blondecanary.livejournal.com]

"Warren Warren Warren," Dinah chanted, thus deep-sixing any sneakiness of approaching him from the back. "I made it!"

[blondecanary.livejournal.com]

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