The Keep, Ebon Askavi, Kaeleer, Just Before Sundown (Kaeleeran Time)

[glacial_witch]

Karla tried not to look nervous as the great doors to the Dark Altar opened in front of her. Inside, Opal witchlights danced in sconces, forming a path for her to follow, rather than illuminating what was within. This was very different than her Birthright Ceremony, where she'd had the company of her parents and several other children, where a

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[glacial_court]

Julian wasn't sitting on the couch. He was pacing. It was all very well for everyone else to lounge and relax like they didn't care what was happening in there, but this was his Queen and his future at stake.

What if she didn't descend? What if something happened and she managed to break herself? He hadn't actually heard anything like that happening, but if anyone could figure out a way to do so, it was Karla.

He also had his Sapphire out and prominently displayed on his chest, just to head off any 'Purple Guy' comments before they started.

[momslilassassin]

"Relax, Purple Guy," Ben told him with a little smile because he was a pain in the ass. "She'll be fine."

[glacial_court]

Dick.

"My name is Julian," he said, doing his very best not to snarl. "And I wear the Sapphire now."

Both of those were easier to address than Ben's comment about Karla, dammit.

[momslilassassin]

"My lightsaber was blue too," Ben said with that same little smile. He didn't get to bait people very often these days. "It's a good color."

[glacial_warlord]

Morton was also nervous, though he was hiding it better than Julian. Rather than pacing, which he was certain would get annoying, he was sitting casually on a couch. Drumming his fingers on his leg. And tapping his feet.

But, you know, occasionally.

[blondecanary]

Stealth hug from a stealth blonde! Dinah's arms hugged him from behind.

"Hey, dude. Long time no see." She squeezed him around the shoulders. "How're you doing?"

[glacial_warlord]

"Hey, Dinah," Morton said, more at ease with himself and the surprise hug than he'd been in meeting's past. He was also taller and more muscular. Time and hard times had matured him. "I'm good. It's getting real now. Hard to accept how close everything is to coming together. You?"

[blondecanary]

Dinah hopped over the couch, amused and a tiny bit sad that he wasn't as blushy any more. But it was probably a good thing. "Hmm. One year of school left, then I have to deal with the real world. Looking forward to getting Hobart out of Glacia, not looking forward to how hard that's gonna be." She poked at him. "Did you grow a couple inches?"

[not_a_parakeet]

Naturally, Warren was here. For Karla's Offering? Where else would he be?

Once she disappeared behind that door, however, he was going to at least attempt to spend the entire night being completely productive.

... By pacing. Back and forth. Outside the door. A lot.

Totally productive.

[glacial_court]

Julian wouldn't say that he and Warren were besties or anything, but they had fought together and that made people a little closer. So he nodded at Warren one time their paths crossed during pacing before turning around and walking back the way he'd come.

See? Nodding. That was practically a hug in Julian-speak.

[glacial_warlord]

Well, Morton had another idea, rather than all the productive pacing Warren had planned. "Hey," he said, stopping Warren as he passed. "I have something for you."

[not_a_parakeet]

"... Have something?" Well, that got Warren's attention enough for him to stop and blink at Morton, at least.

He'd been very intent on his pacing, except for that brief exchanged bro-nod with Julian a little while ago. That had been important, after all.

[apocalipped]

Hopefully people would forgive Jono for not being terribly social tonight. Yes, it was a party. And yes, of course he'd come here in order to give Karla his best before her Offering. She was family, after all. But with his last class over and done with and this event laying out just how little time there was left before bigger, more serious things, he was hardly in any state of mind to sit back and relax.

Not when he could find himself a corner to sit at, where he could lay out maps of Glacia and any reading material he could possibly find that could give him the most useful information on just how harsh their winters were, and spend his night attempting to plot out those places where a group of landen soldiers could move safely in a territory where they were, if not outmanned, then at least hopelessly out-powered.

More than a few times as he flipped through his reading materials, he could be heard cursing under his breath, taking his notes, and balling them up to start over.

[heromaniac]

Momoko had been watching him for a while, and finally stepped over.

"What was wrong with that one, that it deserved to be called that?" she asked, nodding to the latest ball of papers as she sank to the floor, as close as his materials would let her get. "What is all of this, do you mind me asking?"

[apocalipped]

"Strategy," Jono sighed, turning a glance toward Momoko, along with a somewhat tired attempt at a smile. "It won't be long now before I'll be leading troops through that Territory, and I don't want to leave anything to chance. That one there was the word I use when I think I've found a mountain pass that'll do me some good in case we need an emergency retreat that won't lead Hobart straight to Haven, and then I realize that it's filled with snow to the point of being impossible to traverse on foot, nine winters out of the last ten."

They didn't call the Territory 'Glacia' for no reason, clearly.

[heromaniac]

"Ah! I didn't know you were going to be helping, too." Momoko nodded and looked closer at the papers, trying not to look glum at the fact that everyone but her was able to help with this war.

"And you can't use flying troops to help pull people out?" She remembered that had been something other her had done in the world of vampires.

[life_inshadow]

Tara had been pleased to get the invitation to Kaeleer, and not just because she wanted to support her friend. Willow's ex was in town and it seemed like a good time for Tara to make herself scarce. She'd gotten the sense Willow wasn't that into telling Oz she was bi, which was fine, just ... she didn't want to hang around when she wasn't wanted.

Anyhow. All that meant was that it was a great weekend to support her friend, and then to maybe spend a little time in Fandom.

She paced the room, trying to look appropriately solemn. "So does anybody have any idea what she has to do in there? Or is that rude to ask?"

[hells_highlord]

"She's trying to reach her true strength, Lady Tara," Saetan said with a smile and a small nod of greeting. "Did Karla explain what that meant?"

Not that he was putting much faith in that. Not after needing to explain it to Dinah after Karla had tried.

[life_inshadow]

"Sort of?" Tara looked apologetic. "I've -- kind of been busy in Sunnydale. I didn't really get to talk to her a lot before she went in."

[hells_highlord]

"No worries," he said with a chuckle. "That means I won't have to try to work around any of her well-meaning but occasionally unhelpful explanations with you."

He gestured to her to take a seat on the couch closest to him. "Please, tell me what you think and from there I can correct or fill in the blank as needed."