The Gardens of SaDiablo Hall, Thursday Evening (Fandom Time)

[glacial_witch]

Karla had been packing for her move to Haven, to spend a few months being an unofficial Queen to a village full of refugee Black Widows. Had been, however, because 'packing' apparently meant 'getting chased of her chambers by Helene and several other maids while they packed because no guest leaving SaDiablo Hall would ever be seen unpacking the

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[bitten_notshy]

Jack was at loose ends that day after finishing a few arrangements for the club, and what better way to fill the time than a few friendly phone calls?

So he dialed Kaeleer, planning to feign annoyance Karla was gone before he'd gotten to town.

[bitten_notshy]

"I don't suppose I can demand Emma be near me next time she's a boy for purpose of experimentation," Jack said, after a moment's thought. "I keep missing her, worse luck."

[glacial_witch]

"Only if you promise to be nearby when you turn female," Karla said, trying to keep the smirk from her voice. Emma had refused to divulge details (blast her), but she knew that they had almost experimented while Jack and Emma were both female.

Almost.

"I think you'd both enjoy that, too."

[bitten_notshy]

Jack laughed, since he knew exactly what Karla was alluding to.

"I shouldn't be surprised that you know that," Jack said. "I should be grateful you two telepaths don't share daily updates on our choices of underthings."

[OOC: I am of the opinion they did experiment, but thanks to TDing THE WORLD MAY NEVER KNOW.]

[glacial_witch]

"You don't wear the blue ones nearly often enough," Karla replied immediately. She didn't actually know anything about Jack's underthings, but she had no compunctions about teasing him about them anyway. "And I don't know much about what happened. Emma's a brat when it comes to actual details."

[bitten_notshy]

Jack snorted in amusement. He didn't own any colored underthings, but he had no intention of sharing that information with Karla.

"Yes, well, I'm just as much of a brat," he said breezily. "Anyhow, I should be too angry at you to share. You disappeared to Kaeleer before I even got here."

[glacial_witch]

"Well, you should have arrived sooner," Karla replied, tossing her hair. "We could have had dreadful amounts of fun if you had. You left a lady waiting, Jack. How rude."

[bitten_notshy]

"I'm sorry if I made you pine away your days," Jack said, almost sincerely. "When are you coming back, anyhow? I seem to be here for as long as Eric will have me."

[glacial_witch]

"There might have been tears," Karla informed him with a sniffle. "Tears, Jack."

Okay, there hadn't. But there might have been!

"I'll definitely be back for Jono's show," she promised, still amused but no longer teasing. "And probably a few days before that. We're moving to Haven, shortly, and a break between those would be nice."

And she missed her friends on the island, dammit.

[bitten_notshy]

"What's there to do in Haven?" Jack asked, a bit suspicious. "Not that I'd deny you the break, not after having made you cry."

[glacial_witch]

"Be a Queen?" Karla said with a laugh that was meant to be casual, but mostly came across as uneasy. Someone was beginning to have anxiety nightmares about it, shh!

"It's a village for refugee Black Widows that fled Glacia," she explained. "I'm spending the next few months there practicing being all Queenly before my last year of school. I hear it makes for a great 'What I Did on My Summer Vacation' essay."

[bitten_notshy]

"Like an apprenticeship for royalty," Jack said. "Well, don't worry. I'm sure you'll be quite good at it. Is there a ... senior Queen, watching over you?"

[glacial_witch]

"...No?"

She wished. She really, really wished.

"That's normally how it works. Junior Queens serve in the Courts of established Queens and then end up getting small villages to rule under the eye of an older Queen nearby. I'm, umm, jumping a bit."

No Queens to serve and none to watch over her. This was more than a little nerve-wracking, yes. But better this than no practice at all and then suddenly becoming Territory Queen, right?

[bitten_notshy]

Jack managed not to point out his doubts, but it was likely Karla could hear the skepticism in his voice when he spoke again. He trusted Karla; he just had a hard time seeing past the girl to the queen inside her.

"Ah." A pause. "Is there anything I could do to help?"

[glacial_witch]

It was okay, Jack. There were a lot of times when Karla couldn't, either.

"I don't suppose you'd like to sign a contract next year after I leave school?" she answered, trying to sound like se was teasing, though she really wasn't. "Help keep an eye on me and stop me from doing anything painfully rash?"

[bitten_notshy]

Jack snorted. "I doubt I'd last a week before I did something painfully rash," he said. "But I'd be willing to come up from time to time for moral support, if you need it."