The Queen's Chambers, Sidra, Glacia, Sunday Afternoon (Fandom Time)

[glacial_queen]

It had been a long and miserable two weeks. Just ask anyone who had had the misfortune of dealing with their Queen. Karla was a terrible patient; somehow managing to be a tyrant even when she was coughing so hard she could barely speak. It was a good thing her nasty chest cold had also kept her asleep a great deal, or it was possible she would have been overthrown by her own Court.

Now, however, she was on the mend. Which, on the positive side, meant she was feeling almost human again--and behaving that way. On the negative side, it also meant she was bored out of her mind. Morton and Julian had finally made good their escape after their third straight hour of playing cradle, her lunch lay untouched because she was tired of soup and toast, and the next person who came in to make her take another foul-tasting brew was going to get kicked in the face.

There was clearly only one thing to do. Call people and whine about how bored she was. Also, check up on anyone who had gotten tangled up in the latest bout of Fandom crazy, but mostly the whining and bored thing

Let's see. Who to call first?

[Open for phone calls, visitors, and them what live here. If you think Karla would have called you, she did!]

Comments

[glacial_queen]

"Well, the quick and dirty explanation was that Warren went evil, and turned Raven evil in turn, and they fought over who got to possess me. There wasn't much I could do about it either, being nine months pregnant and all."

She worked very hard on sounding flippant there. "Everyone's forgotten most of it, but I think a few things linger in their unconsciousness. Like the sudden panic that I was preggers when I said I wasn't feeling well."

Sometimes Fandom whimsy interacted oddly with the innate Blood psyche.

[furnaceface]

//Well... that would be... awkward?// Jono really had no idea what to say, there. It sounded like a big, horrible mess. //I'm sorry I wasn't here. Not that it would've gone any better for my presence, I'm sure.//

Not with Raven here and demonic, and Warren as... Archangel, he'd guess. Jono had never gotten along with Warren even when he wasn't evil.

//Too little too late, I know. Still, if there's anything I can do...//

[glacial_queen]

That was because Jono was a jerk. Warren was a great guy!

"Well, it might have been nice to have someone who could stand up to either of them around," Karla said, before starting a nasty coughing fit. She shoved the plate to Jono to hold to make sure she didn't spill any on the blankets.

Augh, fuck this cold.

"But it's not like anyone could have known what was going to happen." Though them all swearing they lived in Balmia might have been a clue. "It's the equivalent of July here in Glacia now. Maybe I'll punish you by declaring your birthday a national holiday, complete with children's choirs and stuffy aristo speeches."

Take that, Jono.

[furnaceface]

//...But the stuffy aristos don't even like me.//

At least he was pretty sure they didn't.

//Your spite runs deep, Karla.//

[glacial_queen]

She gestured to the plate again. She was done coughing, now it was time for steak again.

"I was knocked up, which meant no Craft and no alcohol," she declared. "Also, you're just impressed that I can spite you and the aristos at the same time. Admit it."

[furnaceface]

//It takes a special sort of talent,// Jono pointed out, handing the plate back to her. //I would like to point out that unless this was a very different scenario than I'm imagining, I had nothing to do with the 'knocked up' bit.//

Why spite him for that, Karla? Why?

[glacial_queen]

"But I was all alone and miserable," Karla pointed out. "I have to spite someone and Warren and Raven both feel too horrible for me to spite."

See? Logic!

[furnaceface]

Jono just raised an eyebrow at her, and then crossed his arms over his chest and leaned back in his chair.

//Spite Julian, then. He's always fun to spite.//

Always.

[glacial_queen]

"Julian and Morton were dead in that reality," Karla said softly. "I'd prefer not to."

[furnaceface]

//Oh...// Jono winced a little, brow furrowing as he looked down at the floor. //I'm sorry. I didn't know...//

Because this was literally the first he'd heard of any of it. And now he was hating himself a little for not being here.

[glacial_queen]

"Of course you didn't know," Karla said briskly. "We were in no position to call you once things went crazy, and it sounds like you were dealing with a lot on your own anyway."

She'd heard about the headless thing.

"How are you doing?"

[furnaceface]

Jonothon hitched a shoulder up a little. First sign that he wasn't doing okay, right there. The dismissive shrug.

//I'm getting by,// he replied. //I've had a lot to think about since it all got undone. But it's no worse than some of the things I've worked through in the past.//

And lo, choirs of angels sang 'bullshit' through that dark night...

[glacial_queen]

And proof that Karla herself had fallen from the heavens unto this sweet earth:

"Bullshit," she said. "Callin' it now."

[furnaceface]

Fallen angel, indeed.

//I was a headless monster who took an extra half-decade to break free of Weapon X,// Jono replied flatly, managing by some miracle to not wince when she called 'bull.' //None of it happened to me, but it happened to a me, so while it's not as bad as it could be, it's still a lot to pick through. And it comes with its fair share of complications.//

More honest, that.

[glacial_queen]

"What kind of complications?" she asked a little more gently, while enjoying another bite of steak.

[furnaceface]

//... Plenty of... different ones. First one that leaps to mind is the classic, 'can I even die?'//

It was a terrifying thought, the idea that no matter what happened to his body, he'd still be locked there, alive.

//What happens if I get hurt that way? Can't really ask Raven to grow me a new head... There's one injury she can't really banish, I'm sure. Was bad enough when she tried to heal my chest...//

[glacial_queen]

"Well, if memory serves me right, when you exploded fighting the Sorceress, you were able to will your body back to the way it was," Karla said thoughtfully. "So, even if you can't die, you might not have to worry about being trapped with debilitating injuries."

[furnaceface]

//He seemed to be,// Jono replied, hitching his shoulders up a little. //I've put my body together twice, now.//

Yes, twice. He maybe neglected to mention that one time with D'Spayre years and years ago. Oops.

//I don't remember what I did, though. Both times, it just sort of happened. And I'm really not in any hurry to vaporize myself again just to see if this is something I can count on having happen again in the future.//

[glacial_queen]

"...Twice?"

Just be glad she couldn't see how to spell D'Spayre or she'd be punching you already.

"Explain to me twice."

[furnaceface]

... Oops.

//Did I never mention the second time...?//

Well, shite.

[glacial_queen]

"Why no, Jon," Karla said, voice frosty. "You didn't. Do tell."

[furnaceface]

//It was years ago,// Jono replied, //after graduation here, but before I took off to join the X-Men. A demon sort of systematically swept through the Massachusetts Academy campus and broke everybody down past the point of apathy, though I guess I was immune...//

He shrugged.

//It mostly boils down to... I took care of the demon.//

Very thoroughly.

[glacial_queen]

Karla was just going to groan and rub her temples. Repeatedly.

"There are times when I just want to sock you in your big, beaky nose," she informed him. "Like when you're talking. And when you don't, which is the real miracle."

[furnaceface]

//I'm still working on splitting the difference,// Jono replied, shrugging his shoulders, wishing he had pockets to stuff his hands into. //It was a desperate move, and it wasn't a situation I could've called for help in the middle of. Once he lost interest in them and turned his attention to me...//

Jono had rolled around on the ground for a bit, with no clear idea just what the difference was between himself and the people whose nightmare memories D'Spayre was forcing into his brain. He had been all of them at once, splintered and suffering and he'd just surrendered himself to the one chance he'd have to make it stop.

He shuddered a little. Even before his mind had been re-written by Weapon X, he'd had moments where he couldn't pick himself out inside of his own head.

//Didn't much feel like talking, after that.//

[glacial_queen]

"Dammit, Jono," Karla groused, headbutting him in the shoulder, before wrapping an arm around his waist. "What the Hell am I going to do with you?"

If anyone ever needed proof that Karla loved him, the lack of beatings she administered in a vain hope to start his brain would surely serve as proof.