Fourth Floor Common Room: Saturday evening

[vkandis-son.livejournal.com]

Karal was happy. Really, truly happy. He was back in Fandom, to stay, this time, and everything in his world was going well.

There was really nothing to be unhappy about! So, in minor celebration, he was participating in an uniquely Fandom activity: Pizza and television.

There were a number of pizzas, because he'd determined those were the rules if you brought pizza to a common room: you always brought enough to share, and Karal was sitting on the couch, slowly flipping through the channels as he tried to work out what everything was.

Altra was sprawled across the back of the couch, contributing snarky commentary. Luckily, only Karal could hear it, though anyone watching might wonder about his apparently random moments of laughter.

[ooc: it's a common room, so of course it's open, and there are moddable pizzas for all!]

Comments

[ambassadorinara.livejournal.com]

"Please?" She looked up at Karal hopefully.

[vkandis-son.livejournal.com]

"I could tell you what happened in Valdemar?" he offered. "I promise, it's a story with a happy ending."

[ambassadorinara.livejournal.com]

"I like happy endings," she said, nodding her agreement, "and I'd love to hear."

[vkandis-son.livejournal.com]

"There is a lot to tell." He folded his hands, laying it all out in his head before staring, then grinned. "Though it can be summed up by telling you that the Imperial soldiers who were in Hardorn are now part of the Alliance! Their leader has severed any allegiance to the Empire and is now standing for Hardorn!"

[ambassadorinara.livejournal.com]

"Because of you? Oh, Karal, that's wonderful! But how?"

[vkandis-son.livejournal.com]

He blushed and shook his head. "because of everyone who helped, Gavin, Jaina, Molly, Aravis, yourself," he added, glancing up at her. "It would not have happened without that, so it was because of everyone."

[ambassadorinara.livejournal.com]

Inara looked at him a little strangely. "I didn't do anything, Karal."

[vkandis-son.livejournal.com]

"You listened to me, gave me advice, cheered me out of my funk," he said quietly. "You helped keep me in one piece when I was accused of being a traitor." He touched the back of her hand fleetingly. "You helped."

[ambassadorinara.livejournal.com]

She inclined her head, accepting the compliment as it was meant, no matter how much she might wish to argue the point. "If you say so. But whatever took place at your home, that was your doing. You should be proud."

[vkandis-son.livejournal.com]

"I'm simply thankful that it has resolved itself so well." He pulled one knee up, resting his chin on it. "So much happened. It began when I lost my job," he said, smiling at the phrasing. "Solaris was determined that contact would not be made with the Imperials, and the rest of the Council followed along. So…" Karal shook his head. "So I thought if the Alliance wouldn't go to the Imperials, perhaps they should come to the Alliance."

[ambassadorinara.livejournal.com]

"What did you do to bring that about?"

[vkandis-son.livejournal.com]

"We," he rubbed his temple, "we devised a magical way to spy on the Imperials in Hardorn, to see if there was someone among them who might listen to reason. Disturbingly enough, it proved to be their leader, Tremane. Much happened, and I decided I needed to talk with him before anything more could happen." No need to mention why he'd needed to so badly. "It ended with me giving him a way to send a message to the Alliance." He beamed. "Which he did!"

[ambassadorinara.livejournal.com]

"Congratulations!" She turned her hand to give his a friendly squeeze. "What did the message say? Did anyone take it seriously? How persuasive did you have to be?"

She ducked her head, letting her hair fall forward. "I'm sorry, I've just never met anyone who changed the world after I met them, that's all."

[vkandis-son.livejournal.com]

He stared at her, mouth hanging open as he slowly went red, then started to laugh in disbelief. "I only did my duty, Inara," he protested, shaking his head. "That is all. If you ask Gavin, he can show you a copy of the message, but there was no persuasion from me. Solaris was...not happy. I'm lucky I survived her anger long enough to see a good result. I still don't know what happened, but several days after I was recalled to Valdemar, there was a new Ambassador in court!"

[ambassadorinara.livejournal.com]

"Well, congratulations," she said, reaching over to give him a quick hug, her opinion of him unchanged by his modesty. "However it happened, you seem very pleased by the result. Does this mean you'll be staying?"

[vkandis-son.livejournal.com]

He hugged her back happily. "I am, I truly am. I never dreamed it would be so effective, least of all so quickly!" he said. "And I will be staying. For good, this time. There will still be tasks for me to do, but I will be able to do them here."

[ambassadorinara.livejournal.com]

"Oh, that's wonderful!" Inara beamed at him, happy not only for Karal, but because it meant Gavin probably wouldn't be accompanying him into danger for quite a while. "Fandom is a better place when you're in it."

[vkandis-son.livejournal.com]

"You keep making me blush!" he protested, ducking his head as he did exactly that. "I'm glad to be staying. Somehow, I'm not certain when, this place, it began to feel like a home."

[ambassadorinara.livejournal.com]

"I know exactly what you mean," she said, giving Altra a few more scratches, "I can't pinpoint it, but it has definitely grown on me."