The Perk, Monday morning

[glacial_queen]

After getting Hannibal's message about having a new child show up on the island, Karla had wasted no time chartering a portal to get to Fandom. Portalocity, however, had managed to waste plenty of her time, accidentally sending her through a portal with both a half-day layover and the wrong destination. While the dimension of blue had a very lovely Fandom, that was most definitely not the Fandom Karla had been aiming for. After yet more time arguing with customer service about whether or not this was the Fandom she'd intended all along and then a very long, personal groveling session when they realized which account they'd messed up, Karla was finally where she'd meant to be...two days late.

Back home, Warren was already pitching a fit in his polite and soft-spoken-yet-somehow-terrifying manner that involved a level of businesspeak and legalese that Karla didn't entirely understand yet generally made corporations roll over and show their stomachs. It was impressive and normally, Karla would have loved to watch. But she apparently had a daughter to meet.

Coffee anyone? she sent in a mass text to whomever she thought might be around.

[Open for fellow parents and small children alike! Pings to be picked up after I wake up, though SP through the workday.]

Comments

[puppy_fair]

Zack wasn't a parent, and didn't have a small child today. What he wanted was to have something to help him wake up after a relatively sleepless night.

When Zack Fair not only didn't notice an old friend when walking right by her, but also failed to hit on the barista when he placed his order, you knew he was tired.

"And extra, extra sugar," he mumbled. Mostly. It was kind of interrupted by a yawn. "Lots, please."

Because he was pretty sure they couldn't just scoop extra caffeine into the coffee. Heck, he wasn't even sure if it would do anything for him in the first place.

[glacial_queen]

Karla would never, ever put conditions on when she got to see Zack again. In fact, the only reason it took her as long as it did to respond was because she needed a moment to blink and make sure that she was actually seeing him and not some random doppelganger.

"Zack?" she asked, half-rising from her seat. "Zack Fair?"

[puppy_fair]

Zack blinked. His coffee wasn't even ready yet, but he'd forgotten about it entirely by the time he'd turned around and recognized the owner of the voice saying his name.

It would be there later, right?

"... Karla?"

He stared kind of blankly for a few seconds while his brain caught up with his mouth, and then he blinked and broke into a little laugh.

"Karla!"

A FRIENDLY FACE. HI.

[glacial_queen]

Hopefully he was awake enough to catch her because Karla was launching herself at him for a giant, squeezy hug, dammit.

"Zack, oh my goodness, I've missed you!"

[puppy_fair]

Hey, regardless of the situation, Zack was SOLDIER. He could catch pretty much anything if it had launched itself at him with no warning, and hugs were no exception.

He did stumble back a bit and clunk sword-first against the counter when Karla made contact, which was new, but he was still healing after the whole... five years being dissected under an evil mansion... thing, so he could probably be forgiven a step back to compensate.

"It's been, what, basically forever?" He grinned and gave her a squeezy hug in turn. "Oh man, it's good to see a familiar face around here, hi!"

[glacial_queen]

"At least one forever," Karla declared, noting the step back but not making an issue of it yet. Lots of things could change over the years. "Possibly as many as three, or so it feels. It's good to see you, too, darling. Are you living back here again?"

[future_sandworm]

Of course Leto would stop by. Not only would be never want to miss a chance to see Karla, and now he had a girl in hos who definitely wanted to meet her too.

"Mother!" Helena called, waving. Leto looked at her, amused, before tidning his gaze to Karla and grinned.

[glacial_queen]

Karla had one major rule when dealing with alternate children: they were to never, ever feel unloved or unwelcome, no matter how surprised she was to see them and who their alternate parent might be. So her arms were spread for a big hug before she even properly registered who was following the little girl in.

"Hello, darling, come and greet me properly," she said, then turned a smile towards Leto. "I'm so sorry to be late. Transportation was ridiculous."

This pairing, at least, she could understand easily enough.

[future_sandworm]

So could Leto. He wrapped an arm around Karla's shoulders to give her a hug.

"I arrived yesterday myself. Hannibal was kind enough to look after Helena."

"The cats wouldn't play with me," the girl informed her mother.

[glacial_queen]

"We'll have to give them something nice as a thank you." Karla leaned up to offer Leto the kiss of greeting while wrapping the little girl--Helena--in a tight hug. "Did you chase them?" she asked with the full knowledge of motherhood and cat-companionship behind her.

[iceandsand.livejournal.com]

"They run very fast," Helena informed her. That told Karla everything, didn't it?

[future_sandworm]

"They run for a reason, Helena," Leto said with a laugh, then looked at Karla. "It is good to see you. Any other visitors this time?"

[glacial_queen]

It did.

"Then that's probably why they didn't want to play," Karla reminded, situating Helena in her lap properly. "Do you get to play with the Arcerians back home?"

They enjoyed playing chase. Usually by being the ones who did the chasing.

[b-town-girls.livejournal.com]

As it turned out, caffeine was an obsession that Rain shared with her mother.

"Baron Samedi is your guidance counselor?!" Leda was signing incredulously as the pair entered.

Rain shrugged. "He stuck around after the career fair. I think he's still hoping to get us all to become undertakers. 'It's de only business guaranteed not to go out o' business'." she quoted, somehow managing to get her gloves to sound like the guy from the Allstate commercials.

"Rrrrrright. Nice to see I found a properly weird school to send you to. Sila's having to do it the hard way, going to other dimensions instead of having them come to her."

Ah, there was Karla.

"Hello! your Majesty!" Leda grinned.

"Hi Aunt Karla!" Rain grinned as well, just managing to restrain herself from calling her 'Aunt Mom's Ex'.

[glacial_queen]

Karla would have to give Rain a disappointed glance at that. Karla was far more than just 'Leda's ex.' She was a savior of Faerie, dammit!

"Well, hello back Your Majesty!" Karla said, waving Leda and her daughter over. "Well, well, who do we have here visiting this year?"

[b-town-girls.livejournal.com]

Ah, but Rain had known about the Savior of Faerie thing for quite a while. But somehow Leda and Karla's romantic past had never come up until this weekend. So that was what was fresh in her mind.

"Karla, this is my Daughter from someday in the future, Rain."

"Pleased to meet you, or, see you again I suppose." Rain laughed. "Because I saw grown up you about two months ago, and talked to you you last year. Yay time travel!"

[glacial_queen]

Pffft, Leda should clearly gossip with her daughter more!

"Oh yes, I remember darling," Karla said, holding her face up for a kiss. "You and your wonderful gloves! Is this the first time you're meeting her, though, Leda?"

[b-town-girls.livejournal.com]

Rain agreed. She didn't know if it'd ever have changed how she viewed her Aunt Karla, but she felt that it was vital information. (Just wait till she finds out which of her other aunts Leda also dated.)

Rain kissed Karla on the cheek, and hugged her.

"First time in person." Leda nodded. "She called me last year as well as you and Momo. This year I wasn't gonna let the opportunity slip by."

"Mom practically tackled hugged me right out of the portal." Rain giggled. "You'd think I'd be used to it by now."

It was only fair, Rain tended to do that to her mom and dad a lot.

[glacial_queen]

"Tackle-hugs are a sign of love and affection," Karla declared, sticking up for Leda. "Everyone knows that. And if your proper!timeline mother doesn't do that, then let me know and I'll go kick her in the ankle and remind her that she swore not to go all stuffy High Elf on me."

[sharp_as_knives]

Hannibal really didn't need the coffee, but he wouldn't miss the chance to see Karla.

So here he came, a teenager and a younger child in tow, a box with a neatly tied bow on it in hand.

"Karla." He smiled and set the box down in front of her, reaching for her hands. "How have you been?"

[glacial_queen]

"Hannibal, darling, hello!" Karla gave him her hands easily, standing up to offer him the kiss of greeting. "Busy. Obnoxiously, frustratingly busy, sadly. Warren and I going through fifty thousand years of legal code for landen reforms. We've got to get all of rid of all the laws that limit landen freedoms, while replacing them with laws that are fair to everyone and don't hamstring our economy or lead to more civil unrest."

So, you know, fun all around.

"And you, my darling? What have you been getting up to on the island, you troublemakers?"

[sharp_as_knives]

"Terrible amounts of trouble," Hannibal said, chuckling and kissing back. "Which is to say, very little at all, and Jono is dreadfully bored. I've been keeping him occupied, though."

He turned to introduce the children. "Angela you've met, I believe. This is Samar. Have you met Helena yet?"

[glacial_queen]

"Angela, darling, hello," Karla said, offering the girl she knew a hug. "And Samar, hello sweetheart, aren't you lovely? Do you wish a hug, too, or shall we stick to handshakes yet?"

[clonewelldone]

"Hi, aunt Karla," they answered, just a little shy. "Hugs are okay." They held out their arms.

Hugs were good! But they didn't want to seem too uncool.

[glacial_queen]

There was never anything uncool about hugging aunties. Karla knew that for a fact.

She swooped down to wrap Samar in her arms and hug them very close. "Hullo my dear one," she said. "Angela, I remember, but you I have never met. Shall we be good friends and have fun sharing embarrassing stories about your fathers together?"