The Perk, Friday Afternoon

[glacial_queen]

So, all the faucets at the estate had started pouring black water this morning, causing great consternation among her staff. It was only after Nommy had declared 'it's sweet! And fizzy!' and Karla had chastised him for drinking black water that she discovered it was actually Coca-Cola.

There was only one force in the multiverse that could replace the water in the pipes with Coke and Karla took that as a message from the island that she hadn't visited in too long. And so after sending a message to Warren, who was taking his turn in Ebon Rih, Karla left the children with their older siblings and headed off to Fandom for a visit.

She'd be pissed in any other circumstance to receive what amounted to a summons of her presence, but you couldn't really argue with a sentient island made of whimsy and magic, now could you? Which was why she was sending out a text message across every social media account she had. (including several that were defunct at this point, keep up, Karla). At the Perk. Old people reunion?

[Inspired by vdistinctive sending me this pic. Open!]

Comments

[furnaceface]

//At th'Perk, Karla? Honestly, now. I'm wounded.//

He wasn't, really, but Jono was walking up to her table with a coffee in his hand anyway, mostly because just kind of sitting there and occasionally smelling it was coffee enough for him, these days.

//Yer lucky I love you, you know.//

[glacial_queen]

"My water was all replaced with Coke this morning," Karla said with a small laugh, standing up to give Jono a fierce hug. "Do you really want to see me before my morning coffee?"

[furnaceface]

Well, with a hug like that incoming, who was Jono to really complain? He held open his arms and held her close, putting enough focus into maintaining some solidity with his flames that he wasn't yanking her into himself or something awful.

//When you put it like that, I might have to give you mine, too,// he decided.

She'd appreciate it more anyway.

[glacial_queen]

And could share!

"You always did love me best," she mumbled into his shoulder. "We're still in a fight over the daughter thing, but we can get to arguing later."

Honestly, arguing was how these two said 'I love you' half the time.

[furnaceface]

//Is it a fight if only th'one of us is yelling?//

He had to check.

[deaddadsclub]

After actually getting to treat a human for once at the clinic, Cristina was feeling in the mood to celebrate a little.

A very little. It was an eardrum, not a myocardial infarction or anything. Still, time for coffee!

She offered the other woman there a tiny flash of a smile and a small salute with her coffee when she got it. She didn't think she recognized her, but she hadn't quite lived in a small town long enough to get the whole "if I don't know you you're new" feeling yet.

[glacial_queen]

And for once, Karla wasn't giving off a 'I must be from Fandom' vibe. She was dressed in a sharp blue business suit, rather than any of her stupid gowns, and apart from the large Jewel resting on her chest, she looked like a perfectly normal person, if maybe some kind of CEO of a Fortune 500 or something.

"Kiss kiss," she said, returning the smile and adding a wave to it. "I'd ask if you were new, but I'm afraid I haven't visited anywhere near often enough to know if that's true."

And was giving her a slight melancholy, it could be noted.

[deaddadsclub]

Karla's vibe was certainly that she was a Very Important Somebody, certainly. Which almost made Cristina want to drop into fundraising mode.

The clinic was pretty desperately undersupplied, in her opinion, after all.

But that wasn't her responsibility here, so she just shrugged and went for "slightly nicer than normal" just in case it came up later. "Oh you're visiting! That's nice. Where from?"

Yeah, she was going to regret that question basically immediately.

[glacial_queen]

But she should! Karla and Warren kept accounts scattered across the multiverse for charitable endeavors of all sorts!

"My home back in Glacia," Karla said, with a slight smile. Jono would have most likely told her if any students from her world had shown up, so unless this woman was friends with Surreal, she doubted very much that she would have heard of it. Depending on how long she'd been here, this could be entertaining/ "Glacia Territory in Realm Kaeleer, if we're being fancy, but I'm trying to avoid that on my day off. The island started making mischief at my estate and I had no pressing duties, so I decided to come visit Fandom instead of waiting for it to drag me back at far more inconvenient time."

Which it absolutely would do, too.

[deaddadsclub]

"Please tell me that's not in a galaxy far, far away." Cristina was otherwise going to go with "I don't know, maybe Greenland" as a place that had locations called Glacia and Kaeleer. "Must be nice to get to come and go, though. If I could leave this island, I don't think I'd ever come back."

Which was precisely why she was stuck.

[reicicled]

There was only so much dress-up that a baby penguin who was usually a teenage boy could tolerate, so at some point during the afternoon a little grey-and-black ball of fluff waddled in to the Perk, peering suspiciously over his shoulder.

[glacial_queen]

Yeah, but he really had looked adorable!

Karla glanced down to see the new arrival--and was shocked to realize that she recognized that penguin.

"Bobby?!" she gasped, blinking at him. "What are you doing on Fandom?!"

[reicicled]

Maybe he'd gotten your text about an old-people-reunion, Karla!

... Or maybe he was just going to stop as he heard his name, and then squawk at her.

[glacial_queen]

As a penguin?!

"Bobby! Darling, how have you been?" Karla said, reaching down to scoop him up if he'd let her.

[reicicled]

Penguin or not, he still had a phone!

Another squawk, and some flapping of his wings. Mostly in an effort to explain that no really, he wasn't the Bobby she was thinking of.

[intraspective]

Old people?!

Yeah, that was Ino, from her shop, replying telepathically late, oops?.

Karla, how could you?!

[glacial_queen]

*Ino, darling, have you seen the children on this island? They're practically infants. And all of them getting up to some of the shenanigans we used to.*

Well, some of those shenanigans, anyway. Karla doubted anyone was getting sacrificed on meat trees these days.

[intraspective]

That's even more ridiculous, Ino insisted. We got up to better, more dangerous, more insane shenanigans!

Was that a plus or a minus? Who knew? Well, okay, Ino knew where her opinion on that landed.

Though I guess I ain't quite as young as I were. They probably wouldn't be letting me teach if I were still fourteen--no, thirteen. I were only thirteen when I first got here, since my birthday's in September.

It still baffled her that they let her teach at all, though.

[glacial_queen]

Karla was definitely of the opinion it was a plus. They had been badass. Though it was probably better for the children if their lives were quieter and easier. For do-as-I-say-not-as-I-do reasons.

*Pish. Fandom's always let quality teach, and, darling, you know you're quality.* Karla's voice was warm and proud. *So, what are you teaching anyway?*

[intraspective]

Ino laughed, her amusement bubbly and bright.

I'm co-teaching with Reno--Sabotage, Infiltration, and Blowing Shit Up. Dunno yet if I'll teach next semester, I mostly took this semester on for nefarious reasons.

A beat.

You talk to Jono lately? He told you what he's teaching?

Ino figured he was going to make her teach next semester. But this had been worth it.

[sharp_man]

Hannibal was definitely going to show up, smiling and holding out a hand.

"Karla. It has been too long."


[I missed this! Late okay?]

[glacial_queen]

"Hannibal!" Karla said, using his hand to get out of her seat and offering a hug instead. Pfft. Shaking hands. What were they, strangers? "I'm afraid I'm going to have to kick your husband."

[Mais oui!]

[sharp_man]

Fortunately, that was more or less what Hannibal had intended. He hugged her back and gave her a kiss on the cheek.

"Why is that? Will I need to defend him or help you?"

[glacial_queen]

"He just said he missed all the really 'fun' trauma," Karla said, making quotes with her fingers. "And that he's bored and looking for some excitement. Like something trying to devour us, like the good old days."

HANNIBAL, YOUR HUSBAND WAS BEING WRONG AGAIN.

[sharp_man]

Hannibal looked pained. "He has been feeling rather restless lately."