A Private Lounge at a Mainland Club, Thursday Evening

[brat_inslayage]

Kennedy was supposed to be home in New York tonight, helping with the last few days of moving preparations. In fact, that was what she'd been doing, but apparently all her well-meaning offers of assistance were really just wreaking havoc on Willow's carefully constructed System. So, she'd been persuaded (like that was hard) to go out and patrol,

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[trigons_child]

Raven was frantic to try to make Karla feel better about what had happened (and feeling a little guilty herself, of course, despite the fact that her presence wouldn't have changed anything, and she might've even made it worse by getting angry), so she was relieved when Kennedy offered to arrange an impromptu gathering.

She usually accidentally indulged in alcohol rather than drinking it on purpose, but tonight she felt she deserved a drink or two. And given how delicious this S'Mores Martini tasted, maybe three.

[glacial_witch]

Karla slumped next to her. Pouting. This probably shouldn't surprise anyone.

"I hate everything," she informed her. "Everything. And possibly everyone. I haven't decided yet."

[trigons_child]

Raven slipped her arm around Karla's shoulders and gave her a gentle squeeze. "I am sorry I was not there for you," she said, for probably the one hundredth time. "But I will help you do whatever is necessary to set things to right, I promise you."

She offered Karla her glass. "Try to relax and not think about it right now, please, for just a little while?" she said. "Try this. It is some glorious mixture of whipped cream and chocolate liqueurs." With crushed graham crackers around the rim!

[glacial_witch]

Don't mind if she did, Raven!

Karla reached for the glass and sipped--then took a much longer drink from it. Don't worry, Kennedy. Karla would be happy to monitor Raven's drinking for you. By drinking half of whatever Raven ordered.

She was a good friend like that.

"Apparently it's not something anyone else can do for me," she said with a scowl. "It's something I have to figure out for myself."

[trigons_child]

Raven nodded, though she didn't entirely understand what had happened in Kaeleer.

"Well, whatever you need of me, I will do it," she said. Including ordering more sweet delicious drinks for Karla to have half of.

[glacial_witch]

"Go back to Kaeleer and string Luthvian up by her hair?" Karla suggested, glowing into the dregs of Raven's her drink. "Bring me her teeth fashioned into a cunning necklace?"

She had other ideas, of course. But those might offend Raven's pacifistic nature.

[trigons_child]

Raven signaled for another drink for Karla herself, then moved her hand to lightly stroke Karla's hair. "I cannot deny that was one of my first thoughts," she admitted. Yes, her initial reaction had been very angry when she saw how upset Karla was.

[glacial_witch]

Karla sighed, both in frustration at the situation and because having Raven pet her hair felt wonderful. "I know I can't technically be angry at anyone for what happened, but, ARGH! Luthvian! She is such a bitch! I hate her, you know. Really, really hate her."

Apparently, Karla was still a little angry at someone.

[trigons_child]

Raven had never met Luthvian, and she kind of hoped she never did. It probably wouldn't end well.

"Do not waste your energies in hate," she advised gently. "This Luthvian sounds most unpleasant, and perhaps she bears a grudge against you for some reason, but it is better to focus on proving her wrong. She thinks you are unworthy, but I know that you have within you the strength and compassion to be Queen and a Black Widow. And we have seen it in your future selves in more than one dimension."

[glacial_witch]

Yeah, well, Karla didn't want to think about some of those dimensions they'd seen. In one, there was Rook's whole...everything. In another, she'd had a child with Peter.

"She doesn't have a grudge," Karla assured her friend. "She's just a hateful, spiteful, vicious old bitch. Lucivar's mother. The sole reason he ended up Ringed and kneeling in Terreille."

[trigons_child]

"There is no reasoning with that kind of attitude, unfortunately," Raven said, wrinkling her nose. How could such a vile woman be Lucivar's mother? Then again, look at her own father.

"I have the utmost faith you will be able to prove your worthiness. And she will have to stew in her own impotent hatred." She took a big sip of her drink and passed it to Karla. "But this is not the time for unpleasant thoughts."

[glacial_witch]

Karla muttered a few more unpleasant thoughts about Luthvian, because, well, she wanted to and so there. But the appearance of a new tasty drink in front of her suggested a far better way to occupy her mouth.

"You're right," she said, swallow. "Nothing unpleasant. We're here to have fun. Yay fun. I love fun."

Beat.

"What should we talk about?"

[trigons_child]

"Um." Sure, ask her the hard questions!

"Anything you would like," Raven said, putting it back to her. Ha, take that.

[glacial_witch]

"I want to talk about how Luthvian is walking Harpy-bait," Karla declared, volleying it right back. "But that's not party-appropriate, remember?"

[trigons_child]

"If you truly wish to, we can," Raven said. "But we should step outside to do that, so as not to disturb anyone." Because ranting wasn't festive, yes.

"But I think it would be healthier to put that all out of your mind, if only for a few hours."

[glacial_witch]

"Then you have to come up with the next topic, see?" Karla said, sipping her Raven's drink in victory.