Room 218, Sunday Afternoon

[glacial_queen]

Just a few months ago, Karla would have fired off a text to a bunch of people, saying something useful like Hobart's killing all the B Widows. Going to stop him. Hugs & kisses, K and run off into the wilds of Glacia with no plan but a burning desire to stop the bastard in his tracks. But that was a few months ago--she'd learned a few lessons since then.

And one of those lessons was 'you do not simply text you friends when running into danger.'

So rather than making Ender and Emma sigh defaulting back to old habits, Karla had returned to the island, placing a number of handwavey calls to people letting them know she was back and needed to talk to them before she left the island again. See? That was like a step in the responsible direction.

Besides, she had to pack up most of her clothes. She wasn't sure how long she'd be gone for, but she she doubted it would be measured in days--probably closer to weeks or even months.

What a sobering thought.

[Door and post open! Also, if you thought you got a call, you did! Note to squirrels: Karla and Tony's conversation about Peter is all NFB, please!]

Comments

[wwiii]

Leaving again. Warren didn't much like the sound of that, and that showed on his face when he came to Karla's door. There was the slight taste of blood on his tongue- he'd been chewing the inside of his cheek to keep his anxiety from being too obvious as he headed down the hall to her room. Not like it mattered. His cheek was already healed by the time he opened his mouth to talk.

"... Hey."

And so very much talking he did.

[glacial_queen]

There was no 'hey' back.

Instead, Karla set down the box she'd been putting clothes in and walked over to Warren to wrap her arms around him and bury her face in his shoulder.

Greetings could wait. This could not.

[wwiii]

Without a word, Warren nodded, pulling her into his arms and folding his wings around her. They could stay like this for as long as she needed to. As long as he needed to. He wasn't in any hurry to let go or to speak.

[lockestheway]

"Going somewhere, sis?"

Sure, call all your friends, get a bored Peter Wiggin instead. You're welcome, Karla.

[glacial_queen]

It was like Fandom hated her.

...On the other hand, she was getting a little frustrated with the desire to do something, to lash out against Hobart, and not being able to do nicely. Maybe sparring with Peter would help her feel better.

"You'll miss me terribly, won't you, little brother?" Karla asked sweetly, emphasizing little just a touch. "Do behave while I'm gone."

[lockestheway]

"Oh, I'm always on my best behavior for you," Peter said, blinking innocently. Yep. Innocent. "So what's the deal? Parents calling you home?"

Not that he cared. He was just frustrated himself, and looking for an outlet that wouldn't be too destructive or self-defeating.

[icecoldfrost]

<<ARE YOU TOTALLY AND COMPLETELY OUT OF YOUR LITTLE BLONDE MIND???>> The yelling had probably started about the time Karla had placed the first call, and now Emma was storming down the hall, radiating anger and violence. <<Did Morton drop you on your head one too many times as a child? Or did you drop him?>>

[glacial_queen]

Karla winced, bringing her hand up to rub her ear. Futilely.

*Indoor voice, Ems,* Karla sent back. *Giving me a nosebleed isn't going to stop me from going, you know.*

[icecoldfrost]

<<THIS IS MY INDOOR VOICE.>> No it wasn't. <<Since your bloody Darkness knows you aren't going to listen to reason, I have to resort to volume.>>

[wesleynotponcy.livejournal.com]

The call had come as a surprise, mainly because Wesley hadn't even noticed Karla had been gone this weekend. This summer was not exactly proving to be the most eventful time of his life.

"Hello," he said quietly as he arrived at her door. "Er -- is everything all right?"

[glacial_queen]

Karla glanced up from packing to give Wesley a kind of wobbly smile. "Not really," she said. "My home Territory is kind of awful at the best of times, right now. And the news I got when I visited this weekend suggests that this is hardly the best of times. So..." she gestured to the box of stuff. "I've got to run home and fix what I can."

[wesleynotponcy.livejournal.com]

Ah. So she was leaving. It occured to Wesley how little he knew about Karla or where she came from. He didn't want to pry, but she seemed so upset, and his go-to reaction was to try to help.

"Do you, ah, want to... talk about it at all, before you leave?" he offered. "Sometimes in the middle of something it's difficult to, er, pause and reflect, so perhaps it might be helpful...?"

[hoorayimrich.livejournal.com]

That was why Tony didn't let people know when he ran off to do something dumb. See, Karla? That was what you did!

...somewhere, Mr. Rogers hated him so much now.

"Hey!" Tony said, peering into the room warily. Because he had questions about Peter still, darn it.

[glacial_queen]

Except when she did, she got yelled at and everybody pouted at her and made meanieface comments! They did!

"Kiss kiss," Karla said, giving Tony a tired smile that didn't quite meet her eyes and gestured to her boxes of stuff. "So, I decided our duet was so moving, we have to run away together. Are you packed?"

All of Tony's questions about Peter could be summed up with the answer, He's kind of scum, but brilliant scum. Don't trust him.

[hoorayimrich.livejournal.com]

"I hope you like New York," Tony replied seriously. "Because I couldn't possibly live anywhere else."

[trigons_child]

Raven abandoned her own thoughts and the library (her shift was almost over anyway) when she got Karla's message and hurried to the second floor of the dorms.

"Karla, what is going on?" she said anxiously.

[glacial_queen]

"I've got to go home," Karla said, standing up to give Raven a hug as well. "Hobart's playing games again. He's murdering Black Widows."

[trigons_child]

Raven wrapped her arms tightly around Karla, sending her a gentle pulse of comfort. "Not alone," she said.

That wasn't a question.

[bitten_notshy]

Jack got Karla's message, sighed, and punched in her digits to return the call.

"What is it this time?" he asked as soon as she picked up.

He was joking. Well, he was doing that thing where he sounded like he was joking but he was actually at least half serious. "And hello."

[glacial_queen]

"Kiss kiss, Jack," Karla said, answering her phone. "Don't worry. I'm not looking for reinforcements on this one."

Not yet, anyway.

[bitten_notshy]

"Well, but now you have me curious," Jack said. "What's bad enough that you need to let people know you're leaving, but not so bad you'd at least take Warren and Raven along?"

[blondecanary.livejournal.com]

*riiiiiiiing*

Yeah, you are so lucky that wasn't a text message, Karla.

[glacial_queen]

See? She was learning!

"I'm still in Fandom and not running like an idiot anywhere," Karla said immediately upon answering.

It was best to get these things out of the way.

"Kiss kiss."

[longislandiceme]

Unfortunately, Bobby had already taken off on an emergency of his own, so he couldn't stop by for a more detailed explanation.

But that he was at a place regarding his feelings towards Karla where he felt worried enough to try and get one through text was at least a step in the right direction, right?

whats going on?

[glacial_queen]

Not calling the cavalry, Karla shot back quickly. She wanted Bobby to know that she wasn't trying to summon everyone together to throw themselves in danger on her behalf.

Just letting people i'm going to be gone for awhile. Everyone gets mad when i send a text halfway thru.