The Hall, Dhemlan, Kaeleer, Monday Evening (Fandom Time)

[glacial_queen]

The Coach arrived on the landing web with a slight thump. Lucivar frowned a moment and then sighed. "So, I'm not a professional Coachman."

Karla looked up innocently. "I didn't say anything."

"But you were thinking it, witchling. I could tell." He hopped out of the Coach and opened the door for them, helping Karla out first. "Ready for your first view of SaDiablo Hall?" he rumbled at Warren.

From the landing web, only a side of the Hall could be seen, towering over acres of thick, lush lawns, gardens in a riot of colors, and even the hint of some not-so-distant woods.

"Show-off," Karla muttered, though she couldn't deny a bit of pride, either. "Let's go inside. They're probably waiting on us, I'm sure."

[Up late, but for SP goodness! Still for one, and nfb. Karla and Warren will be back on the island tonight.]

Comments

[wwiii]

"Waiting on us," Warren echoed, catching himself looking a little more impressed at the sight of the Hall than he'd care to let come across. Sure, there were impressive buildings in New York and in San Francisco, both being cities he'd spent a fair bit of time in, but nothing quite so...

Was regal the word he was looking for? Probably. Regal, then.

"Well, I wouldn't want to keep them waiting, then." He ran his hands over his coat, smoothing it down, and he took a deep breath. Nervous? Him? Absolutely. "Lead on?"

[glacial_queen]

Karla reached out for Warren's hand, giving it a quick, reassuring squeeze. "Not everyone is like Lucivar," she murmured in an undertone. "Uncle Saetan is sweet and Jaenelle is--well, my best friend in the world. You'll love her. Everyone does."

There might have been a brief flash of concern that Warren would love Jaenelle a bit too much, but she shoved that away. "And Lucivar is a complete prick but he...means well. In a heard-headed kind of way."

[offers-choices.livejournal.com]

"I heard that, witchling," Lucivar rumbled over his shoulder. "You two head in. I need to make sure that the Coach is in decent shape before handing it back."

He leaned gave them both a stern look. "No getting lost on your way, here me?"

[wwiii]

It was amazing, the good that a little squeeze of the hand could do to relax a slightly ruffled guy like Warren, and he was quite content to let his fingers linger against hers for a moment more.

"I kind of like him," Warren admitted, speaking low and hoping that he wouldn't be overheard by the prick in question. "He's hard-headed, sure, but he's confident, too."

[glacial_queen]

"That's Lucivar all the way around," Karla said with a sigh. "Eyrien males are great warriors, for the most part, and Lucivar's better than most. The problem is, he knows it, too." She winked at Warren and started heading for the door.

"So, Lucivar has probably communicated with the Hall that I'm safe, and, more importantly, you're cool, but just in case they're standing on formality, it's Prince SaDiablo and Lady Angelline, at least, until they give you leave otherwise. Though, formal or not, you call me Lady Karla and I'll kick you."

She so would, too.

"And don't hide your wings, okay? They respect balls and sass. And there's nothing about you to be ashamed of." They were standing in front of the huge double doors of the Hall. Karla turned to him, giving Warren her best unsure-but-game smile. "Ready to meet my family?"

[wwiii]

"Prince SaDiablo, Lady Angeline, Karla is still Karla, balls and sass," Warren murmured. These were important, darn it. For all the social engagements he'd been forced to stand in a corner and smile and nod and be bored through, this seemed, somehow, like one of the more important ones.

And so it was with a deep breath and a moment taken to spread his wings just slightly that he nodded.

"As ready as I'll ever be," he decided.

[glacial_queen]

"They'll like you," Karla whispered. "I promise."

"...Though they might give you a hard time, first."

[sadiablo-staff.livejournal.com]

As they climbed the front steps, the massive front doors opened inwards. An older male, a Red Jewel prominently displayed on his chest, stood before them. His face was schooled in the traditional servant's mask of impassivity, but his eyes sparkled. "Lady Karla, welcome home. Lord Worthington, welcome to SaDiablo Hall. The family awaits to greet you within."

[wwiii]

Warren smiled and bowed his head a little toward the butler. He was the butler, right? Warren's family had never really bothered with one, but there were reasons for that, even once his father's business started hitting major breakthroughs in the pharmaceutical industry. Reasons like, namely, himself.

He found himself liking this one, if only because of those eyes of his. This man had character, he could tell.

"Thank you," he said, first and foremost, and then he turned and smiled at Karla again. "I think I'm ready to be given a hard time, now."

[sadiablo-staff.livejournal.com]

"You've survived a Coach ride with Prince Yaslana," Beale murmured, stepping aside to allow them through. "You'll be fine."

[glacial_queen]

"Thank you, Beale," Karla said, grinning up at him. "I'm mostly looking forward to introducing Warren to whatever culinary delight Mrs. Beale has whipped up for the occasion."

The inside of SaDiablo Hall was as grand and well appointed as the grounds would have led one to expect. It was saved from being intimidating by the obvious fact that, though scrupulously clean, it was a home not a showcase; well loved and lived in.

[kindrednotkind.livejournal.com]

After all the warnings, it was very likely that Warren was not expecting the next welcome he would receive.

A small brown and white dog came barreling down the hall for them, having leaped through a closed door off to one side. His tail wagged furiously as he charged, his barking high-pitched. Though he was barking, it soon proved that this was not his sole form of occumincation, as in their heads they could hear a voice, sounding very much like an excited little boy. *Karla's hom! Karla's home!* he cried. *And her male is with her!*

He skidded to a stop in front of them, nearly colliding with their legs. It took a moment for him to get situated on paws far too large for his current half-grown state, and his tail tick-tocked as he looked up. *Hi, Karla's male! You are a good male, yes? Yas said I am to growl if you are not. I am very brave and very fierce.*

[wwiii]

After all of the to-do in town, this was definitely a welcome change of pace, and Warren nearly laughed as he bent down and smiled at the dog. To the talking dog. The talking dog who could jump through doors. He had practically no experience with dogs before this one, but it was difficult to be intimidated by a big, floppy puppy.

The 'Karla's male' comment was something he'd file away for future reference.

"I'm a good male," he assured the puppy, and it was impossible to bite back his grin. "And so there's no need to start growling with me, I promise."

[glacial_queen]

Karla was just going to stand there and facepalm a bit, herself. Trying to explain their relationship to the puppy was more than she was willing to try right now--especially when she wasn't entirely sure herself.

They were friends, yes. More? Maybe? Did he want to be? Did she? Who knew?

"He is a good male," she settled for instead. "And a very good friend of mine. It's good to see you again, Ladvarian." She knelt down and gave the puppy a big hug. "I see you've been practicing your Craft. Where's Kaelas?"

[changeable-eyes.livejournal.com]

"Preserving his kitty dignity, of course," came a new voice. The door that Ladvarian had passed through had opened and a pretty, if painfully thin girl was walking down the hallway towards them. Pacing her was a very large Arcerian cat; clearly only half-grown, but his shoulders came even with the girl's hips and he likely outweighed the three of them combined. "And practicing his escort duties as well."

The girl paused a few feet away, tilting her head to the side as she studied Warren. The large cat by her side padded still closer, sniffing the air delicately. He yawned once, showing off an impressive set of teeth.

[glacial_queen]

"Jaenelle!" Karla beamed at her, almost leaping to her feet. She wanted to run and embrace her, but certain proprieties had to be met, especially is Kaelas was practicing his escort duties. One did not trifle with Protocol, even if--or, perhaps, especially--if the student was an Opal-Jeweled Warlord Prince with claws the size of one's hand.

"Warren, may I introduce you to Lord Ladvarian--" she nodded to the Sceltie pup still happily sniffing Warren's shoes, "Prince Kaelas, and Lady Jaenelle Angelline. Ladvarian and Kaelas are kindred; members of the non-human Blood races. And Jaenelle's been my best friend since we were six years old."

[wwiii]

"It's an honor, making your acquaintances," Warren offered, smiling as he straightened up only so that he could stoop forward again in a slight bow. All the while, he was thanking Fandom for acclimating him to the idea that not all people were necessarily people-shaped, and even thanking his own mutation for opening him up to much the same.

... Even if he wanted to cuddle the canine, inch away from the feline, and feed a pie to the girl, yes. He was going to refrain from doing all three.

[changeable-eyes.livejournal.com]

"Very pleased to meet you, Warren. I hope you don't mind I don't call you Lord Worthington? It's just--Karla's written so much about you," Jaenelle said, coming forward to greet him now that the formalities had been observed. "I admit, her letters are often the highlight of my day."

[wwiii]

Warren glanced sidelong at Karla at that, wondering what in the world there could possibly be to write about him. And what about whatever she found could have hinted that he was her male, on top of that. But he shunted those thoughts to the background too, gave his shoulders a small shrug, and turned his smile back toward Janelle.

"Whatever you're most comfortable calling me by, by all means," he decided. "It isn't what I'm used to, but it doesn't bother me at all, either."

[glacial_queen]

One of these days, Karla was going to have to sit down with everyone at the Hall and explain some of the more prevalent cultural differences between Fandom and Kaeleer. Like not referring to people as 'hers.' There were way too many ways to interpret that.

But for now, Karla was just going to draw Jaenelle into a tight hug, letting her know without words just how much she was missed. "You're too thin," she scolded lightly.

[changeable-eyes.livejournal.com]

"Now you sound like Lucivar," Jaenelle said, hugging Karla back just as tightly. "And Papa. And Andulvar. And Kaetien." She tried to sound exasperated, but she was smiling much too hard to be believable.

[glacial_queen]

"Nonsense," Karla sniffed. "I much more reasonable than any of them." And then she grinned, pulling away slightly. "Kaetien's back from Sceval? Do you think we'll have time to see him?"

Kaelas padded forward and bumped her hand, wordlessly asking for scritches. Karla was very happy to comply.

[changeable-eyes.livejournal.com]

"Not before dinner," Jaenelle said, shaking her head. "I'm half-surprised Papa and Morton aren't out here already."

Karla groaned and dropped her face into her hands. With eyes that glittered with mischief, Jaenelle turned back to Warren. "Karla didn't know, but her cousin is at the Hall as well. You're getting to meet quite a few of us at once. We can be a little overwhelming, but we mostly don't bite."

...Mostly.

[wwiii]

"Mostly," Warren echoed, looking perhaps a little overwhelmed, yes. "I have to admit, I hadn't really been planning on meeting so many people. But..."

He shrugged, at a loss for words, and smiled helplessly.

"I'm not complaining."

[glacial_queen]

"This really isn't how I'd planned the day," Karla said, turning to him and looking apologetic. "I mean, I should have realized we'd never be able to visit Halaway and not get noticed by the family, but I didn't think that far ahead." She ran a hand through her hair, trying to think. "If you'd rather, I can try to figure something out--"