Office #9, Thursday Afternoon

[glacial_queen]

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!]

Comments

[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!"

[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?"

[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.

[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."

[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."

[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."

[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?

[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."

[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."

[wwiii]

"Okay," Warren agreed without hesitation. "Sceltie or not, I'll be there. And I'll have the box with me."

Her Sapphire. Of course.

[glacial_queen]

"It's shielded, but it's keyed to you. Everything is." Karla was just babbling now, exhaustion and nerves riding her hard. "Which is for the best, I guess. If I can't get through my own shields, at least you can. That's something. I guess."

[wwiii]

"It's going to have to be enough for now," Warren replied, making his way into Karla's rooms to go looking for the box. "And when we get your Ebon-Gray back, you might want to think about keying these things to yourself, too."

Because yeah, Warren being able to access things that Karla couldn't was a new and unusual experience. One that was at least fortunate for them right now.

[glacial_queen]

"I guess so," Karla said, sounding less convinced about the inevitability of them getting it back. She'd rally in a moment, but right now she just felt so damn helpless. "...I should let you go, so you can call Portalocity. And contact Khary."

Which would involve having someone else contact him on a psychic thread, so Warren'd have to be careful about how he worded things, unless he wanted an army of angry Warlord Princes on his tail.

[wwiii]

Oh, that had occurred to him, yes. Warren was already coming up with a diplomatic sort of story about how somebody they knew on the island had lost something intrinsic to their very being, and they needed the best tracker they could possibly find. It was the absolute truth, after all. It was just... slightly skewed sideways.

"I'll bully them for the fastest portal I can manage. And a separate one for the Sceltie, so we're not waiting for a coach to bring a dog here all the way from Scelt. You... can you call Jono or somebody? You shouldn't be alone right now yourself."

[glacial_queen]

"I'll call," she promised. She and Jono could bond over missing incredibly important items together. Just what everyone wanted! "I love you."

Hurry.

[wwiii]

"I love you, too," Warren replied, softly.

I'll be there.