Christmas Day, SaDiablo Hall, Dhemlan Kaeleer

[glacial_witch]

Times had lined up well enough that Karla's portal had arrived late in the night for both Fandom and Kaeleer. She'd barely stayed awake long enough to follow a footman up to her suite before flinging herself onto the bed and falling asleep

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[not_a_parakeet]

Considering the decorations, and the fact that Warren had come to the Hall specifically because he didn't want to spend Christmas alone in the dorms in Sunnydale, and how he'd gotten a proper sleep last night and all, it was probably not much of a stretch that he'd found himself a place next to the Christmas-appropriated-Winsol-tree to curl up in one of the dangerously comfortable chairs with a mug of coffee (he was still working on educating the Kaeleerans in the way of espresso) and one of the Protocol books that Saetan had given him to study.

He had his headphones in, and was listening to Christmas carols from his phone, as he read. The decorations weren't entirely the same as what one might put out for Christmas, no, but they were similar enough, and with a fire crackling in the fireplace nearby and the music and the tree all working in tandem, it actually felt more like Christmas here, in a completely different world, than it had ever felt back home when he was living with his father, after his mother had left

[glacial_witch]

The afternoon, however...

Karla was yawning and shrugging herself into the big, blue robe Warren had gotten her as she shuffled into the sitting room. Even as sleepy as she was, her eyes were still drawn to Warren immediately. He was the north to her compass, always.

She froze, unsure whether she should intrude on his peaceful Christmas morning or just slip back into her room before he noticed her.

[not_a_parakeet]

Really, though, it was difficult to miss a big, fluffy blue robe, and the fiery little blonde that was wearing it around. Warren glanced up as the blue blob entered his peripheral vision, just kind of sat there for a moment taking in the sight of her, and then bit his lip and pulled out one of his earbuds, setting his book to the side and offering her a little smile.

"Hey," he said softly, scootching to the side a little, in case she wanted to come sit down next to him. He was still upset, but it was a duller sort of upset, and it was Christmas, here in his little bubble of reality. "Merry Christmas, Karla."

[glacial_witch]

"Merry Christmas," she said, giving him a tentative smile in return. "You look all kinds of comfy, there. Sure I won't be the way?"

Either in the chair or in general...however he wanted to answer that.

[icecoldfrost]

Emma was - where else? - in bed, with Jack, but she rolled over at the familiar tone that indicated a text from Karla.

Merry Christmas, darling, she responded. Did Santa put coal in your stocking like I told him to?

[glacial_witch]

Hiding from him in Kaeleer, Karla texted back, lounging in her bed with a cup of cocoa. I won't know what I got from him until I return to the island.

Because of course she'd hung her stocking up before leaving!

[icecoldfrost]

You can't hide from Santa. He knows. Emma tapped out gleefully. Coal, Karla. Mounds of coal.

[glacial_witch]

He doesn't come to Kaeleer, Karla said, sticking her tongue out at the phone. And I doubt he's going to make an extra trip just for little old me.