Room 218, Sunday Afternoon

[glacial_witch]

Karla'd had an excuse why she'd missed the wrapped present on her bed Friday night. She and Warren had been awake for almost twenty- four hours, fought in a battle, had gotten hurled into a bridge, made up, and then she'd performed at the Showcase. Karla counted herself lucky that she'd managed to make it to a bed, never mind her own, before

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[wesleynotponcy]

Well. That was startling.

"Er." Wesley rapped his knuckles on the doorframe. "Is everything all right?"

[glacial_witch]

"THERE IS A HORSE HEAD IN MY BED!"

A statue. With paint on it. Not even life-sized. But it was the principle, Wesley. The principle.

[wesleynotponcy]

"All right," he said, stepping forward and holding out an arm to create a barrier between Karla and the dangerous, dangerous horse head. "I can take care of this."

Brave rogue demon hunter that he was, Wesley took a cautious step forward, then another, and --

"...Karla, it's a statue."

[glacial_witch]

Those were the keen Watcher instincts at work!

"I know," she said, irritably. "It's what it represents."

Which was a dead fake horse in a made up game. So, no, she still didn't have a leg to stand on.

"And it's ugly."

[wesleynotponcy]

"I... and what does it represent?" Wesley asked, bewildered. "Did you lose a horse recently?"

[glacial_witch]

"Sort of."

In a game. It was an imaginary horse. Owned by Karla's character.

"I've been slightly over-emotional recently. You know, with the Nothing and the breakup and the everything else."

Her horse hadn't judged her.

[wesleynotponcy]

So... that'd be a no on the losing a horse, then?

"Right," Wesley said, a bit more gently. "Actually, I was hoping to speak to you about, ah. The last time I spoke with you." That made sort-of sense? "I... spoke a bit harshly, and I'm sorry. With all the stress of the week and all of that, I -- well. I apologize, at any rate."

[glacial_witch]

Karla looked up at him, surprised. "Wait--you are?" she asked, caught somewhere between shock and skepticism. Not that she doubted your sincerity, Wesley. It was just that everyone she'd talked to about that seemed convinced that they were in the right to have spoken to her exactly that way.

[wesleynotponcy]

"You'd been through a very trying ordeal," he pointed out. "It was wrong of me to speak to you that way."

[glacial_witch]

Karla was having the surrealest day. "I appreciate that," she said. "I am sorry for snapping back at you--and I did appreciate that you told me about Bobby and Sookie, too."

[wesleynotponcy]

"Of course," Wesley said, waving it off. "Don't trouble yourself with it. But, ah, in any event. Yes. That's, ah, that's what I was, er. Hoping to say."

[glacial_witch]

"I accept your apology, Wesley," Karla said. "It was a pretty miserable time for everyone."

Mistakes were made, Wesley. Mistakes were made.

[wesleynotponcy]

"It was," he agreed emphatically. "Well. Thank you. Er. For that."

[glacial_witch]

"Thank you," she said. "For apologizing. I don't think you know how much it means."

[wesleynotponcy]

"Of course," Wesley said easily, offering her an almost-smile. With a nod toward the horse head, he said, "Well. I'll leave you to your, ah, visitor, then, yes?"

[glacial_witch]

Karla just looked at the horse's head and shuddered.

"Too kind, Wesley. Too kind."