The Roof, Monday Afternoon/Evening

[glacial_queen]

The roof was the traditional place for brooding, and so, after the walls of her room had finally gotten stifling, that was where Karla had fled. As much as she hated to admit it, the weather was a bit of a draw as well; she wanted to rail and curse and demand gray skies and rainy days to match her mood, but she couldn't deny how nice the sun felt. It couldn't really lift her spirits, but they might have been slightly lighter after she'd been sitting out for awhile.

[Open like a roof, though warning for emo. It's likely that information about Raven will come out in conversation, so please let me know early on if this is not okay.]

Comments

[swordsandsoccer.livejournal.com]

After Karla's message (http://swordsandsoccer.livejournal.com/531.html?thread=24595#t24595), Dolf had had enough reason to be concerned-- and, as a consequence, to hurry up to the roof after pulling on a proper pair of pants (shorts didn't seem appropriate roof-wear). He arrived with a frown on his face and his hands shoved down his pockets.

"Karla?"

[glacial_queen]

Karla turned away from her contemplation of the edge of the roof. No, nothing crazy like that, just gazing out over the island. The view helped her not think, which was very nice right then.

"Dolf," she replied. "I--thanks for coming up. I don't really know the proper etiquette for this kind of thing, but I'm pretty sure that giving this kind of news over the phone isn't the best way of handling it."

[swordsandsoccer.livejournal.com]

"What happened?" Ten thousand causes for panic ran through Dolf's brain all at once - never say he wasn't talented at knowing just how many things could go horribly wrong.

He kept walking until he got to her, but he didn't sit down yet, looking down at her and waiting for the answer.

[glacial_queen]

"Raven--" Karla stopped and swallowed. Hard. "Raven's not coming back to school. Ever. We...she...she's dead, Dolf. Over the weekend."

Karla tilted her face up, trying to blink back more tears.

[swordsandsoccer.livejournal.com]

"Oh."

Dolf's face crumpled, though a small cynical part of him that had been born somewhere in the Alps pointed out that it could have been much worse. He did sit down now, mostly to find some stability. "Oh."

[glacial_queen]

Karla was still standing, sniffling, above him, trying to figure out how to explain what had happened in a way Dolf wouldn't find too far-fetched for belief.

"Her father--he's evil. Raven spent her whole life trying to stay away from him. But in the end he got her and used her and--and--she died so that he could be stopped."

Eliding over a whole lot of details in there, but it was true at the heart and that's all Karla really cared about.

[swordsandsoccer.livejournal.com]

"At least that's not a bad reason to die," Dolf said, a little numb, now. People you knew dying on you didn't exactly get any easier with experience, though it did get-- different.

He stared at the wall in front of him for a few moments, and then he looked back up at Karla. His eyes were a little wet. "And you were there?" he asked.

[robinthefrog.livejournal.com]

Ah the roof. Where one could go and get their emo on, or on rare occasions, just enjoy the fresh air.

It was that latter thing that Robin was aiming for, but when he spotted Karla he wondered if someone was here for the first reason.

"Hi Karla." he said softly.

[glacial_queen]

"Hi Robin," Karla returned, voice subdued. "I'm surprised you're not down at the luau like everyone else."

Except, y'know, her. But Karla wasn't really in a party mood right now.

[robinthefrog.livejournal.com]

"Oh I went earlier." Robin said. "It was fun but I think it started throwing off my internal calendar. Do you mind some company?"

[glacial_queen]

"I'm not going to be good company," Karla warned. "It's been a...rough few days."

Hello, understatement. How are you today?

[robinthefrog.livejournal.com]

Well Robin could handle that. Muppets were resilient, both physically and emotionally.

"Oh I'm sorry." he said sympathetically. He sat down on the edge of the roof. "Do you want to talk about it?"

[glacial_queen]

"Lost a friend this weekend," Karla said, hoarsely. She gave him a sidelong glance, trying to gauge whether Robin would want to know who. "Hitting me pretty hard."

[justwantsquiet.livejournal.com]

After spending the day feeling warm and comfortable and just...floaty at the beach, Sookie realized she couldn't just run away forever.

So instead, she sought out familiar minds. Emma, she knew, was at the slumber party -- and she wasn't at all up for that.

Karla was a different story, and as she changed from her sarong to clothes that matched her mood, Sookie sent a little tickle against Karla's shields. << Up for company? >>

[glacial_queen]

*Sure,* Karla replied. *So long as you don't expect me to be good company. I'm not really feeling all that...effusive. But if you don't mind...*

Karla wouldn't mind company. Especially someone who already knew. That she wouldn't have to explain. Again.

[justwantsquiet.livejournal.com]

<< Honey, I've spent the last two days trying not to cry on poor Bobby, >> Sookie replied, heading for the stairs. << I'm not at my most effusive, either. But it beats being alone in my head right now. >>

[glacial_queen]

*I think Warren's wings might be permanently waterlogged,* Karla confessed. *I can barely stop crying.*

[justwantsquiet.livejournal.com]

"I haven't yet, really," Sookie said softly, exiting out onto the roof and crossing over quietly. "Cried, I mean. I'm scared I'll lose it if I do."

She took a seat beside Karla, reaching a hand out silently.

[glacial_queen]

Karla reached out and clung to Sookie's hand like a lifeline. "You saw me. Outside Anakin's office." Hysterical, or nearly so. "I've been like that, or completely wrung out and exhausted."

[momslilassassin]

Ben silently joined her on the roof, reaching his hand out for hers.

He figured she'd tell her what had gone wrong sooner or later. He wasn't in a hurry.

[glacial_queen]

Damn it, Ben! Karla had pretty much just stopped crying. She reached for his hand--and then with a cry, flung herself at him.

She was totally fine. Totally.

[I MIIIIIIIIIIIIIIISSED YOU!]

[momslilassassin]

"Hey," Ben said, trying not to stagger back at the wave of emotions. He reached out to run his hand along her hair--Mara had done that when he'd needed comforting when he was little--and held on tightly with the other arm. "That bad?"

[glacial_queen]

Karla was just going to nod into his chest. She'd done what Ender had asked, has kept him and Ben out of it and part of her couldn't help but wonder if the two of them had been there, if maybe something could have been changed...would have happened differently...

Except those were stupid what-ifs. In all likelihood, there would have been two more grieving, guilty people wandering Fandom.

"Raven..." She couldn't finish.

[momslilassassin]

She didn't have to. He knew that particular feeling all too well, which, he reflected inanely for a moment, was probably not a good sign at 16.

"Need to talk about it yet?" he asked quietly instead.

[glacial_queen]

"No," Karla moaned. "Never, not ever, no. You'll..."

Hate her. Karla was worried he might hate her for what happened. Why wouldn't he? She was hating herself pretty hard right now. And besides, she'd gotten his grandfather involved in all this, too.

Maybe Ender was right. Maybe she was too quick to call on people and put them in situations where they were forced to kill.