On the road somewhere in the South of Glacia, Saturday Morning (Fandom Time)

[heromaniac]

Momoko had spent Friday in Gotham City for the last of the tests Oracle was running on her, so her portal reservations had to change slightly. This meant she had a shorter layover, yay, but it also meant she was arriving in Glacia on Saturday and about twenty miles north of where Dinah had last reported their camp to be

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[glacial_witch]

"They weren't going to see me!" Karla was thinking about throwing a temper tantrum. "Why did they need to be prepared if they weren't going to see me!"

Did you ever think Jaime was calling you evil because you were evil, Dinah? Just as a thought?

Also, they had seen the talking ponies!

[heromaniac]

Momoko totally snorted. "Now you're sounding like Jaime when he turned into a girl." She dropped the dance and gave Karla a fond look. Kinda odd, coming from this face and gender, but maybe she could tell... "How were they never going to see you? You can't just up and quit what you're doing when stuff like this happens... well, unless you turn into a cat again. Because yeah, then you can't really to queen stuff."

[blondecanary]

Dinah was still doing the arm waves, but not the footwork. "You're gonna need a plan for when you're a cat, too. Although, maybe not much of a plan." Because: Cat. "Not saying you *have* to do it this moment. But hey, think of how this would've gone if you'd given people warning."

It would've been even weirder, probably.

[glacial_witch]

"When I'm a cat, I'll have an entire Court to make sure that things run smoothly in my absence," Karla drawled. "That's one of the things a good Court does."

"As for seeing Uncle Saetan and Lucivar...do you honestly think I'm going to go visiting when I'm like this? Believe me, all the preparation in the world isn't enough when a Warlord Prince decides to be an ass."

[blondecanary]

"If they are asses, then I will hit them." Oh, they would be so scared. Okay, not at all. "But again I say: you need to lighten up on this. Who knows how long Fandom is going to love you and give you this yearly 'gift.'" Dinah gave her a wry look, and then Momoko was ducking out of the video range to chase Ulrich and Kirt. "...Although, I'll help you with the smacking of Lucivar. Of course."

Sigh. And a shame it was that that's all it was ever gonna be. Sigh.

(Meanwhile Mark was lurking in the background, giving Dinah weird looks.)

[glacial_witch]

"Every two years," Karla corrected. "The one benefit of the double-time. And, during times I'm not fighting a war, I can wander off to Fandom or Hawaii or wherever and deal with it there."

Karla sighed. "You're still underestimating how much gender stuff is important here, Dinah. Julian was trying to kill us this morning. Honest and legit kill."

[blondecanary]

"Why?" Dinah asked, mystified. "If he didn't recognize you-- I'm assuming he didn't? I mean, what did he think was happening? Why didn't he listen to Warren, if he's still himself?"

Karla was so not wrong about Dinah not getting it.

[glacial_witch]

And this was why Karla didn't fight harder for a contract.

"Because all he knew was that there was a strange male in the Queen's tent," Karla said. "And that's a danger. So by the time he got in and saw me but no Queen he recognized, he slipped over to the killing edge. Morton, too. They were, in their own minds, defending and protecting."

[blondecanary]

Dinah made an indescribable noise. "And they didn't know where you were? How was that going to help you? Killing the only trespasser they saw? What if there was a ransom demand? What if there was an explanation? What if, oh, you'd been turned into a guy?" She caught her breath and grumbled. "I'm sorry, that all sounds like criticism, and I know they can't help it - sort of - but..."

But why did Karla want Warlord Princes in her Circle, again?

[glacial_witch]

"Dinah, how often do you think the explanation for a strange male in a female's room is, 'Oh, don't worry, it's me, I just changed into a guy.' Let's be real here."

Be honest, Dinah. C'mooooon.

"We're in the middle of a war. The odds that my uncle might try to slip assassins in to kill me? They're pretty high. What good will trying to kidnap me do? I'm the darkest Jewel in the Territory. No one can hold me for long against my will. But trying to kill me? All they need is one lucky shot."

[blondecanary]

Dinah had to laugh at that, because, well, yeah. "See, this is why you need to tell people. Ahem. Just sayin'." What if that *had* been Lucivar barging into the tent, or her guest bedroom someday? Yeesh.

"...okay, point. Multiple points." She frowned. "I think -- I'm upset that he hurt Warren," she said slowly. "Or didn't trust him enough to listen. But. I guess there's a lot of ways he could interpret that, which would've been bad." Dinah grimaced. "Everybody's healing?"

Too, she realized: she'd never dream of barging into Karla's room. Unless she heard her screaming. But of course, to the guys, not being able to sense Karla was probably the same thing.

[heromaniac]

"I told you my mom knocked me out?" Momoko heard the last bit and came back on-screen for a moment, dragging Ulrich by the scruff of his collar. He was only not protesting because he was sulking.

"I don't know what I would have done if she'd actually called the police. And that just was when I was Momoko as a boy. I can't even show up as a boy when I'm Blossom, since I look exactly like Brick and he's a villain."

"Being arrested isn't the same as being killed, but at least I understand a little? And I totally agree with Dinah that you should tell at least your inner Court and family about all of it. For support. Like you said, that's what a good Court is for."

"Can I go now, Lady?" Ulrich whined.

"Not until Kirt regains consciousness."

"That was your fault," he muttered, only to get himself shaken slightly.