icecoldfrost | The Perk, Thursday Before Class, and then the Causeway

Right. If Karla wasn't dead, she was going to wish she was, after Emma got done peeling back her ears with a blistering tirade of why we don't do stupid things.

<<Wake up and put on your pants.>> Emma didn't have time for niceties, like not going right into people's heads or using a phone. She was already using it to book the portal and call any people she couldn't reach telepathically.

<<Karla's being an idiot, again, and may have gotten her fool self kidnapped. Morton rightly put me in charge of organizing the cavalry, and that means you're coming with me.>> 'Please' had no place here either. <<Causeway. Now rather than later, darlings.>>

With that, Emma cut off telepathic communication, quickly signaling the barristas at the Perk to get her a dozen various coffees to go, while she finished making arrangements.

Raven	Raven teleported into the Perk (because she didn't need to wait to meet at the causeway) less than 30 seconds later, just long enough for her to put on shoes and grab her cloak. "What happened?" she demanded. "Where is Karla?"
Emma	"We don't know. Morton says she left to return to school five days ago, and he thought she was with us. Here, hold these." Emma shoved a bag of donuts into Raven's arms as she grabbed for the coffee. "He thinks there's a chance she's been kidnapped."
Raven	"Then we will find her," Raven said, clutching the donuts. And if anyone had harmed her, then she wasn't sure what she'd do. She'd seen some of the horrors in Karla's world, and thinking that any of those might have befallen Karla was making her stomach twist. "Is there a portal arranged?" she said, trying to keep calm. "Or am I needed to teleport?"
Emma	"A portal is coming for us at the Causeway, so you don't have to try and move us all," Emma answered. "I...may have simply sent out an all-call." She'd promised Morton an army, after all. "Let's just get to the Causeway. The sooner we're there, the sooner we can go."
Raven	"Yes," Raven agreed, holding on to the donuts for dear life because for now at least it was something to do. She followed after Emma, anxious to get going and find Karla.

Tara	Tara was surprised to get the mental call -- she didn't think Emma had much use for her, and she wasn't exactly front line of defense against a kidnapping -- but she obediently trundled off to the Causeway. "Karla's in trouble?" she asked, looking alarmed. "And she wanted me?"
Emma	"Karla's in trouble, and I want you," Emma replied bluntly. "You run the magic group with her, don't you? I'm hoping we could use your experience in working with Karla in helping to find her."
Tara	"Uh-huh." Tara raised an eyebrow. She didn't pretend to understand how Karla's mind or her world worked, but ... "Of course I'll try to help," she said. "Do we know how long she's been missing?"
Emma	"Five days," she answered. "Any tracking spells you know, start making lists of what you need."
Tara	Tara pursed her lips. "Think I have time to run to the shop before our portal leaves?"
Emma	"Ask Raven to take you," Emma suggested. "But don't take too long."
Tara	Tara nodded. "We'll be back before everyone else is even here."

Warren	Warren really didn't need to be told twice, no. Between the fact that Karla was in trouble and the fact that he can well-equipped with wings, he was at the causeway... Pretty darn quickly. "Kidnapped?!" The extra punctuation was mandatory, in this case, yes.
Emma	"Don't take that tone with me, Worthington," Emma snapped back. "Yes, kidnapped, as far as we are aware. Morton thinks it may be their Uncle Hobart."
Warren	Warren drew in a sharp breath, running a hand through his hair and pacing back and forth a few times for good measure. Hobart. Yeah, Warren knew about Hobart. "Well, then we have to get her back," he replied, stating the painfully obvious. That was apparently a very important step to take, here. "Quickly."
Emma	"I've already booked a portal, and Morton is arranging things on the other side. We leave as soon as everyone's here," Emma promised.

Ben	Ben was running a little behind, having stopped at the weapons locker to pick up his not-inconsiderable collection of vibroblades, blasters and lightsaber. "Things at home have gone less well?" he asked dryly.
Emma	"Karla supposedly came back to Fandom a week ago," Emma replied shortly. "Morton thinks she may have been kidnapped."
Ben	"Hobart?" Ben replied immediately, blanching.
Emma	"Who else?" Emma scowled. "That's Morton's theory, right now. And I can't say I'm not itching for the opportunity to teach the man some manners."
Ben	"There's a line for that," Ben said grimly. "Is Morton going out of his mind?"
Emma	"It's Morton," Emma's smile was both fond and worried. "I told him to keep a leash on it, but I don't know how long it will hold." "He's notifying their Uncle Saetan and mobilizing the rest of the Hall, which ought to keep him out of trouble for the time being."
Ben	"And you've organized--" Ben looked at the crowd as it gathered, "half of Fandom?"
Emma	"I don't like Hobart," Emma stated. "Half the school does not like Hobart. Ergo, if it is Hobart's fault, I don't want to deprive anyone of the chance to stomp on his face." "Besides, there's safety in numbers."
Ben	"Depends on the number," Ben commented. "The Hall's not going to know what hit it, let alone Hobart."
Emma	She shrugged, giving him a wide-eyed look of innocence. "Well, I did promise Morton an army, so hopefully he remembers to tell someone?"
Ben	"So he really has this coming," Ben said with a tiny grin.
Tahiri	Gaderffii in hand, blaster and spare power packs in place on her equipment harness, and boots dangling from her other hand, Tahiri made it down to the Causeway at a run. "Just save me a few minutes to yell at her later," she said without preamble. Because Tahiri never did anything stupid and got herself in trouble for it.
Ben	Ben shot her a smile. "Going to bring out some of Dad's greatest hits of 'I'm very disappointed in you' speeches and throw them at her?" Quipping was easier that worrying.
Tahiri	"I might have heard them all," Tahiri said wryly -- right on board with him on that quipping thing. "May as well pass them on."
Ben	"Let me know what you use," Ben said. "I'd hate to say the same stuff."
Tahiri	"Why not team up on her?" Tahiri offered, only half joking.
Ben	He thought that over. "Might not be a bad idea," he finally said. "Looking at the group that Emma called out, the line for yelling is going to be long."
Tahiri	"We could always save it up for later," Tahiri suggested. "Sithspit, I wish I had a lightsaber."
Ben	Ben was quiet for a second, then reached into his boot and pulled out a vibroblade. "Mom gave me this one," he said. "It's not a lightsaber, but it's useful to have."
Tahiri	"Ben," Tahiri said quietly, a quick pulse of surprise rippling through the Force, "I can't. Not that one." She understood what the gesture meant, but she didn't want to lose that vibroblade.
Ben	"You sure?" he asked, blue eyes locking onto hers.
Tahiri	Tahiri reached up to cup his cheek. "Positive. But I love you for offering."
Ben	He leaned in so that his forehead pressed against hers. "I don't want you getting hurt."
Tahiri	"Same goes for you, Skywalker," Tahiri answered, wrapping her arms around him quickly. "But seeing as we're both Jedi, how likely is it that the risk of that is ever zero?"
Ben	"Not even Uncle Han would bet on those odds," Ben said, "but it doesn't hurt to hope."
Tahiri	"Never does," agreed Tahiri. "But I will be awfully put out if you lose a limb on my watch."
Ben	He kissed her nose. "With you and Ender here, going to pick up Karla? I know better than to do something that stupid. The lecturing would be unbelievable."
Tahiri	"You'd never get away from it," Tahiri teased. "Boy, Emma must have hauled half the island into this." Ew, why did Kennedy have to be here?
Ben	"Karla has a lot of friends," Ben said, already mentally slotting people into groups of who might need to be watched out for.
Tahiri	"Good thing whoever took her didn't realize that," Tahiri noted.
Ben	"I'm not planning to tell them," Ben replied.
Tahiri	Tahiri reached up to tap him on the nose. "Because you can actually be a lot more sneaky than I tend to give you credit for?"
Ben	His smile didn't quite reach his eyes. "It's time to go to work," he agreed quietly.
Tahiri	"It's what we do," Tahiri answered, taking a deep breath and stepping back. "Shall we, then, Jedi Skywalker?"
Emma	"We can all take turns," Emma agreed. "It may take weeks before she hears the end of this."
Tahiri	Tahiri grinned wryly. "Ben and I were just thinking we might have to form teams, to save time."
Emma	"And other people can tag-team Morton and her Uncle Saetan, about Why We Check-Up On Karla If There Is Threat of Kidnappings?" Emma asked wryly. "They thought she was with us."
Tahiri	Tahiri snarled something in Yuuzhan Vong that was nearly unintelligible, but bore a distinct context of . . . the excremental, suffice to say. "Does no one know how to communicate? Sithspawn. Once we fix this, there are going to be words had."

Jono	No coffee for Jonothon, alas. //Please,// he grumbled as he made his way to the causeway, //please tell me that her kidnapper is a bloody bunny rabbit or something.// It was early. He was grumpy. He was going to make do a bit of wishful thinking here, yes.
Emma	"If I knew what or who her kidnapper was, I would have said something," Emma pointed out. "Morton has a suspect, but I'd rather wait until we're at the Hall to start speculating. Especially as time is of the essence."
Jono	//Well, then we'd best be on our way, hm?// Jono crossed his arms over his chest and looked around, eyebrows furrowed. At least first thing in the morning grumpiness meant that he wasn't terribly prone to standing around and wasting time. //Are there many more people coming?// If they ended up waiting more than a few more minutes, he was torn between hunting down the stragglers and throttling them, or else strongly voicing his opinion that they be on their way, with or without.
Emma	Emma did a quick head-count of those that had arrived. "We're waiting on a few more," she said. "I promised Morton an army."
Jono	//And Emma Frost delivers,// mused Jonothon. //I've never been to Karla's world. Is there anything you can tell me about it while we wait for th'stragglers?// The ones that he was going to hunt down and shake if they took much longer?
Emma	"They aren't going to be freaked out by people with powers, obviously, and you'll think you've stepped into some medieval fantasy novel at first," she said, rattling things off as she thought of them. "Try not to mind the talking animals."
Jono	//I've spent enough time around here trying not to mind th'talking animals,// Jono noted. //I suppose a few more can't hurt.// He managed, somehow, to keep himself from pacing. //That's about it, then?//

Bobby	Getting himself and Sookie to the causeway as quickly as possible meant Bobby was ice-sliding, and so he didn't even bother with the "put on your pants" part of the instructions, instead just grabbing the pack with the change of clothes he kept handy and slinging it over his shoulder. "What the hell's going on?" Language, Robert, Emma's voice chided. Bobby only barely managed to avoid rolling his eyes. Just because he wasn't actually mad at her anymore didn't make having to deal with two Emma Frosts any more enjoyable.
Sookie	Sookie, meanwhile, was more dressed than Bobby, but only in the sense that she'd pulled on some jeans and a hoodie over her nightgown, and stuff a backpack with actual clothes, as well as whatever food she'd found in her room during the approximate minute and a half it'd taken them to leave. "Who's kidnapped her?" she asked, feeling that Emma might respond better to specifics. "Do we know?"
Emma	<< Language, Robert. >> Bobby's language got a mild glare and telepathic slap across the knuckles, but she didn't have time or the inclination to be bitchy at him. They had an emergency, and time was already running out. "Missing, yes. Morton thinks it may be their uncle, but we don't know for sure."
Sookie	Sookie went very, very still, switching immediately to telepathy. << Hobart? >> she asked shakily. << Not the good uncle? Unless she's got another one. >>
Emma	<< Breathe, Sookie, >> Emma soothed, walking over to wrap an arm around her friend. << We don't know for sure, not yet. We're going to go see her cousin and her adopted uncle, and we'll find out more then. >>
Sookie	Sookie shivered, and obediently took a deep, shaking breath. << Okay. If it's Hobart, I -- she's told me things. I don't know how much I'll be able to do. >> Because she was afraid her system would shut down in the presence of someone who evoked her own uncle. << But her cousin'll know more? >>
Emma	<< I hope so, >> Emma sighed. << We'll find her, darling, I promise. >>
Bobby	Bobby didn't flinch at the telepathic slap- mostly because he was too busy concentrating on not giving away the fact that he was getting chastised for his language in stereo. He glanced over at Sookie, recognizing that 'I'm speaking telepathically' look and took a deep breath. "What's going on?" he asked, his tone even. "Tell me. Please."
Emma	There was a pause of less than half a heartbeat as Emma and Sookie carried on an entire conversation between themselves, and then Emma glanced over at Bobby. "Karla's been missing for five days in Kaeleer-time," she clarified aloud. "Morton thinks their uncle may have something to do with it and we're leaving as soon as everyone's here."
Bobby	"Five days. Sometimes I really hate this timeline crap."
Sookie	"Her uncle's like Bartlett," Sookie almost whispered, looking over at him. She figured that would be explanation enough. He would understand -- not only her reaction, but the severity of the situation.
Emma	"Even if it isn't Hobart, I'm inclined to do something to make his life miserable for awhile," Emma growled. "But finding Karla and getting her home is the priority."
Sookie	Sookie glanced over, giving a tiny nod. "I'd enjoy that, too," she murmured. "But yeah, priorities. We'll find her." She wasn't that confident, but she tried.

Kennedy	"Thank god, you thought about coffee," Kennedy announced, sauntering up with a dozen knives, her hand crossbow, and a couple of quivers of bolts making various lumps under her jacket. "That makes up for the continued freaky of talking in my head. Do I want to know what she did this time?"
Emma	"Why does no one appreciate my freaky?" Emma sighed, looking skywards. "She's most likely gotten herself abducted, according to Morton."
Kennedy	"And the line for yelling at her about it would form behind you, I'm guessing," Kennedy remarked; she'd actually be happy to cede that to Emma, in this case. "Hey, it's useful! Just, you know. Freaky."
Emma	"Yes, the line forms behind me," she agreed, offering Kennedy her choice of the two carry-packs of coffee she was holding. "I called her cousin to say I wasn't going to cover for her in class forever, and found out he thought she was with us. There will be a Talk about practicing safe travel procedures, at the very least."
Kennedy	It'd taken Kennedy a little longer to arrive; gearing up at the weapons locker had been several minutes' work of picking and choosing. She reached out to put a hand on Tara's shoulder as she approached; this'd be cool, getting to go on one of these things together again. Didn't stop that niggling sense of worry at the back of her mind, though. "You got the call too, huh?"
Tara	Tara nodded, face grim. "I was studying," she answered. "Kind of weird to have Emma's voice in your head all of a sudden. Takes your mind off Canada." She feebly smiled at Kennedy. The couple adventure aspect wasn't totally passing her by. "What did you bring, honey?"
Kennedy	Kennedy reached up to rub the back of her head. "Tell me about it. God, that's freaky." She didn't think she'd ever get used to that, no. "I might have overdone it a little," she admitted, indicating the entire collection of knives strapped to an army-surplus belt around her waist and the sword-- one of her more manageable ones, not the SOLDIER blade-- strapped to her back. "But, sharp pointies, check. You all geared up?" Maybe Tara wasn't sure what she was doing here, but Kennedy-- typically-- had complete confidence in her.
Tara	"There's nothing I really needed," Tara answered, buoyed by Kennedy's confidence. "I mean, Raven brought me by the Magic Box and I picked up some stuff for tracking spells? And I can probably work with their supplies there, too. But ... I figure mostly I'm here for moral support."
Kennedy	"You're here because you're awesome," Kennedy informed her. "Plus, friend of Karla's, which I guess falls into that moral support category, but still awesome."
Tara	"Well," Tara said, sounding as if she was trying hard to believe it, "obviously Karla wouldn't have asked Emma to ask anyone who wasn't awesome, right? Right?" The repetition made her nerves even more clear, but she was trying to rally.
Kennedy	"Right," Kennedy answered firmly. "Hey. We're both here, we've got some serious firepower, we'll be good. Plus, you and me together are pretty damn kickass."
Tara	Tara nodded slowly. She wouldn't help anyone if she disappeared into self-consciousness. She had to be ... "We're strong," she said finally. "Like -- Amazons."
Kennedy	Kennedy smiled and reached to wrap an arm around her shoulders; it felt like a small victory, getting Tara to say that. "Got that right. Also, I think we actually have one present."
Tara	"We do?" Tara asked, glancing over. "Think we could ask her for guidelines?" Because that wouldn't be dorky at all.
Kennedy	...good thing Kennedy loved that dorkiness, huh? "Only if you want your ear talked off," she decided, as if she wasn't perfectly capable of doing that herself. "The principle of the thing's the important part, here."

Gabrielle	Having someone talk directly into her head was entirely new, but it had all the feel of Xena yelling her name across a battlefield, and Gabrielle didn't stop to question it once she heard Karla was in trouble. Planting the butt of her staff on the pavement of the causeway and leaning on it to catch her breath (she'd pelted from the dorms to the weapons locker to the Causeway flat-out), she rambled, "That was a neat trick, talking in my head like that, and just so you know it tickles a little bit. What's my roommate done now?" She had not, by the way, put on pants as per the directive, but that was because she wore a skirt.
Emma	"Gotten kidnapped, according to her cousin," Emma said, blinking at the skirt. "She apparently left for Fandom almost a week ago."
Gabrielle	Yes, the burlap was an utter fashion disaster. No one would blame you for blinking, Emma. "That's not possible. I'd have known if she made it back," Gabrielle protested, probably unnecessarily.
Emma	"You would have known, I would have known, the entire campus would have known, since it's rather hard to miss Karla," Emma agreed. "Be that as it may, her cousin was under the impression that she's been with us for the past five days, until I informed him otherwise this morning."

Dinah	Dinah's nightmares last night had been unfocused, unsteady, and very very upsetting; Karla was in trouble again. She'd taken a Portal into Fandom early, and had been heading to find anyone who knew what was going on and wanted to go with her when Emma started talking in her head. The urge to go now now now was thrumming through her, but she kept her face calm and her shields up. Cutting loose would be for later. "Ready when everyone else is."
Emma	"Don't worry, darling, you'll get to punch people soon enough," Emma said, barely glancing at Dinah. The other girl's shields were up, yes, but Dinah was predictable, all things considered.
Dinah	"Good," Dinah said very definitely. "Although if it's not needed, I'll take cliff-diving and then shaking Karla for scaring us."
Jack	In London, Jack spoke to Emma briefly -- Karla in trouble, portal booked -- and barely took a second to scribble a note to Sebastien before throwing a bag together and dashing off to catch a portal. He supposed he should be more worried, but he was mostly immensely grateful not to be left out of whatever was about to happen.
Cassidy	Cassidy had no idea exactly who was calling her, but the news of Karla being in trouble got her moving quickly. I'll be right there. She hoped that thread went to the right person as she gathered up supplies they might need and vanished them. She had no idea who Morton was, but she thought Karla might have mentioned him to her. Maybe.
Ender	I guess I'm out of luck, and you didn't forget to let Ben know about this little excursion, Ender thought, wryly. He had no idea if it would reach Emma, but it seemed more sane than talking to himself out loud. The next moment, he was packing, shoving some meager provisions into his backpack before heading down to the causeway. Packing more would be useless: he wasn't a warrior, and the extra storage space might come in handy later. "I think we really need to start a phone tree for events like this," he said, without irony. Well. Without too much of it.