glacial_queen | Office #9, Thursday Afternoon

Karla's trip to the preserve during class had left her even more weary than before. She'd done what any Queen in her position would do--she'd sat down and poured her power into the land, trying to coax the life back into it. But it didn't matter how much power she sank into it--there'd be a moment of change, a ripple of green, and then nothing.

The entire trip had been stressful and fruitless, which was a winning combination all the way around.

With Kayla finally napping in her playpen--Jono was a lifesaver--Karla decided that she could afford a nap herself and curled up on the couch she'd had ~~handwavily~~ brought in back when she was pregnant. Just a short nap, no more than twenty minutes. Then a late lunch and then she and Kayla would go home. Whatever else was going on with the island could be handled by other people. People who didn't have teething four month olds who could feel the damage done to the island, for example.

But first, a nap. Definitely a nap...

[For one please and then open! Drac's thread NFB, please!]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

From:

glacial_queen

Karla woke with a yawn, feeling roughly a thousand times better than she had when she'd fallen asleep. She sat up, yawning and stretching, immediately looking to Kayla, who was geebling happily to herself in her playpen. "Mommy slept a long time, didn't she, little girl? Longer than she meant to, in fact."

She blinked a few times, trying to clear the cobwebs from her brain. "Too long, I think. Made Mommy's thoughts slow." She pushed herself up off the couch, intending to go pick Kayla up and check to see if she needed changing or a feeding.

Only to see a familiar gold chain fall to the ground. Her hand rose up to her neck only to discover that her Ebon-gray was gone.

And then she screamed.

From:

nuclear_snide

What the -?

Bob had been in his office working on something new for Harry, but that scream startled him enough to ruin his work. After a wistful sigh, he ran through the walls toward the source of it.

He frowned as he looked around, seeing only a teacher and a - safe, thank goodness - baby. "Are you all right? What happened?"

From:

glacial_queen

Karla flung herself at him, this stranger. "You!" she snarled, hand crooked into a claw. She had so very little Craft left without her Jewel, but plenty of rage to give her a boost.

She reached forward and clenched her fist in the air, meaning him to drag him forward by Craft alone. "What did you do with my Jewel?!"

From:

nuclear_snide

Bob blinked at the feel of her magic as it went through him.

"If you don't mind! I couldn't do anything to anybody's jewels if I wanted to. Now, would you like any help I can give, or would you rather overreact at me some more?"

From:

glacial_queen

Karla really, really wanted to overreact a little more. This male had no idea what it meant for her to have lost her Jewel. She was more than naked, she was vulnerable in a way she hadn't been in months and even then, her males her closed ranks around her to keep her safe.

And then, she'd known why and where and for how long. Now? Now she had no idea. Someone had stolen her Jewel. She was lost.

"Did you see anyone? Hear anyone? Are there any squirrels around!" Karla bent over to lift Kayla up and hold her close. "My Jewel was stolen! A...a reservoir for my Craft. Someone came into my office while I was sleeping, where my daughter was, and stole the Jewel! I need to find out who it was before they get too far!"

And then she was going to eat their heart.

From:

nuclear_snide

"I was in my office until I heard your scream," Bob answered apologetically. "Are you both all right otherwise?"

From:

glacial_queen

"We're fine, we're both okay," Karla said, visibly willing herself to calm down. Kayla just opened a single, sleepy eye to view the proceedings and then fell back asleep. "I just checked her over with Craft, she's fine. Whoever it was didn't hurt her."

From:

nuclear_snide

"That's something, anyway." Bob thought quickly. "A reservoir for your craft - your magic?" he checked. "If it's yours, can you trace it?"

From:

glacial_queen

"I should be able to, yes," Karla said. "Which means that it's either shielded, someone's using magic that I don't recognize, or it's outside of my range." Karla raked her hand through her hair, resting Kayla on her hip. "Truth be told, without my Ebon-gray, I'm...limited. It doesn't leave a trail that I can follow like a bloodhound. It's more like playing a game of hot or cold, which only starts if I'm in the general vicinity of my Jewel in the first place."

From:

nuclear_snide

"A tracking spell," Bob said, more thinking out loud than anything. "But in reverse. We have the person," he gestured at Karla, "we want the thing belonging to them." He started sketching in the air. "If you were to substitute some of the ingredients, invert the proportions of others..."

From:

glacial_queen

"You know how to do that?" Karla asked, eagerly. "Craft doesn't really work that way."

From:

nuclear_snide

"You have another different type of magic?" Bob asked, then nodded as he noted it. "Mine works mainly in spells, potions, rituals. If I were to talk you through it, would you be able to do it, do you think? Focus your craft on the process and ingredients, infuse them with the magic they'd need?"

From:

From:

wwiii

Sometimes, Warren liked to think that he had a sixth sense for things like 'When Karla was in danger.' He didn't, of course. But it was nice to think that. So, when he looked back on this particular phone call, he'd probably imagine that the sound of Karla's ringtone as she called him was a bit more urgent than usual.

Again, it wasn't. But Karla didn't often call him from the island, either, so he was already frowning in confusion by the time he answered the call.

"Yes, my love?"

From:

glacial_queen

"It's gone. It's gone, someone came in and took it, came in with Kayla in the room and took it from me! Warren, it's gone!"

Whatever, coherence. Karla didn't need you.

From:

wwiii

Warren blinked. Ah. That... That didn't sound great, right there. And then he replayed that whole statement through his mind a second time, and there was a low growl following that blink.

"Is Kayla safe?"

Sorry, Karla. The concern about your Jewel was going to have to wait a moment. Warren was already plotting murder.

From:

glacial_queen

"Of course she's safe!" Karla spat. "I would have led with that if she weren't!"

And probably not over a phone call. Someone would have been sent to fetch him if their daughter had been harmed. Him and possibly a small army.

"But the Ebon-gray is gone!"

From:

wwiii

Warren took a few deep breaths to calm himself. Right. Okay. Good. Kayla was safe. He'd forgive Karla snarling back at him, all things considered. He couldn't not ask. Not since Karla had mentioned that Kayla had been in the room at the time.

Another deep breath.

"Where were you when this happened? Is there any indication at all as to who might have taken it?" A beat. "Are you okay?"

From:

glacial_queen

"I was on the couch, in my office. I was taking a nap--the island is dying, Warren, and I'd been trying to fix it and I was tired--you know how troubled my sleep has been..."

Yeah, now she was apologizing to Warren for taking a nap with Kayla in her own office.

"So I don't know who took it, I just know that it's gone!"

No, she kinda wasn't okay.

From:

wwiii

"Sssh, ssh, deep breaths, my love," Warren murmured, dropping his voice to a low, soothing rumble. "We'll find it. I'll book a portal, I'll bring..."

He paused for a moment, picturing how long Fandom would last if Morton or Julian set foot on it knowing that somebody had slighted their Queen.

"... A Sceltie, one of the best trackers Khary can find, and we'll sniff it out and we'll find it. We'll make this alright."

From:

glacial_queen

Karla nodded, forgetting for a moment that he couldn't see her over the phone. "I--I have my Sapphire, still," she sniffled. "So I'm not completely defenseless."

She might have only just realized that, yes.

"I just...I feel so stupid. So...so lost."

From:

wwiii

"It's not something you ever expect will happen," Warren murmured, soothingly. "You don't go to sleep in your own office, in a safe place, expecting that you'll wake up to find that somebody has made off with... with a part of you."

Because for the Blood, that was what it came down to.

"I'll contact Khary, I'll do whatever I can do to make this right, my love. I promise."

From:

glacial_queen

"...You're not mad?" God, she sounded how broken and vulnerable she sounded. "Because I took a nap? With Kayla?"

Who hadn't been hurt but could have been?

From:

wwiii

"I'm furious," Warren replied, "at whatever bastard son of a gutter whore decided to take advantage of my wife and Queen while she was asleep in her office, which should have been a safe, private space, with our daughter in the room."

... Sometimes, Warren was very Kaeleeran.

"And when I find out who did this to you, believe me, they'll regret it. They'll regret it very much."

From:

glacial_queen

That was exactly what she needed to hear, though.

"Come to the island," Karla said. "I need you. If Khary can't get you a Sceltie within a few hours, just forget about it and come, okay?"

Beat.

"And bring me the blue box in my jewelry stand. I need that."