The Village of Haven, Arceria, Kaeleer, Tuesday Evening (Fandom time)

[not_a_parakeet]

So, Warren had been sitting on it now for a little while. It had only been a day, according to Fandom, since Karla had formed her Court, but in Kaeleer, it had been two. A very busy two. They were in Haven, now, making the last of their plans before the procession into Sidra and everything that that would entail. And, the entire time, there was

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[brat_inslayage]

This text was probably inevitable, Warren.

Fine. Make my next gift basket challenge even harder. I see how it is, Worthington.

Approximately ten seconds later another text came in:

But seriously, though, CONGRATS.

[not_a_parakeet]

What could Warren say? He lived to make things difficult for people, clearly.

Thanks! Now accepting gift baskets in the form of provisions for people prepping for war. The actual wedding isn't going to be until we're finished with that mess, at least.

[brat_inslayage]

Kennedy's reply had to wait until after she threw the demon she was fighting into a tree hard enough to knock it unconscious for a minute. (Look, this was the kind of news that sort of demanded a quick reply, barring the end of the world. Granted, it was the right time of year for that, but...)

Right. Of course. 'cause neither of you would be my friends if your lives didn't have complications like that.

Right after that:

Hey, I'd probably get yelled at if I tried to offer the couple dozen Slayers under my command-- yes, she actually used that phrase, sigh, Kennedy-- but if you need me, just say the word.

Oh, offering to run off to get in trouble in another world again. That would go over so well with Willow, undoubtedly.

[not_a_parakeet]

We definitely wouldn't be US without complications like that.

Warren was laying on his side and texting in bed, still kind of wondering how in the world he managed to get a signal out in the middle of nowhere, on a world that didn't have basic telecommunications technology. No complaints, of course, but...

If we run into something we happen to need reinforcements for, I'll keep you in mind as part of the cavalry. We're still not totally sure about the shape this war is going to take. Glacia has been at peace for longer than humanity on Earth has been able to form language, so...

[glacial_witch]

Yes, Warren, I know. I'm also right here in bed with you. Literally within touching distance.

Which wasn't preventing Karla from texting him back. Pssht, obviously not. Though she was going to roll over and pinch his bottom.

See? Touching distance.

[not_a_parakeet]

And the undignified squawk that Warren made at that pinch to his rear? Totally warranted, here!

Totally touching distance, yep.

He rolled over, grinned, and reached to give her a nudge to the ribs with one knuckle.

"Brat."

[glacial_witch]

"You're the one who texted me," Karla pointed out. "I was falling asleep and my phone buzzed and it's a text from you."

So, yep, butt-pinchings.

[not_a_parakeet]

"Oh, you were on that list?" Warren blinked at his phone. "Oh. Everyone was on that list."

Well, that explained that.

"Um, congratulations, we're engaged?"

In case she'd forgotten!

[life_inshadow]

Tara was not going to text back. Tara was going to call back and squeal in Warren's ear incoherently, because people she loved were getting married and that was exciting.

She'd come up with words ... eventually.

[not_a_parakeet]

Oh, wow. Warren's ear was going to be ringing for a while, after that one.

"Well, hello to you, too," he said, once it seemed like there was going to be a momentary break in Tara's incoherent glee. "I guess you got the text, huh?"

Warren, who hadn't gotten the text?

[life_inshadow]

"I did," Tara affirmed, and finally drew a breath and remembered to speak at something more closely approximating normal human volume. "Congratulations! How did you ask her? I bet it was way romantic."

[not_a_parakeet]

"Well... it wasn't exactly a candlelit dinner or anything like that," Warren admitted, sounding a little sheepish. "She'd just finished forming her Court. Turns out she'd handed out one year contracts to pretty much everyone from Fandom, including me."

And that had just not gone over well.

"I've been carrying the ring around with me for a while... After the ceremony, I talked to her in private, and told her that I wanted a lot more time with her than just a year."

That was kind of paring it down to the bare bones of the conversation, but it was late at night in Haven, and Warren was pretty sure Karla didn't want the world to know the specifics of the insecurities that had led to the single-year contracts in the first place.

[dollpocalypse]

Topher was extremely tired, because as it turned out, having a job meant actually working, like, all the time. So his text in response was not the smartest thing to ever come out of his brain.

you and me???

To be fair, Warren hadn't specified who the 'we' was. But to be even more fair, it definitely wasn't Topher.

[not_a_parakeet]

I don't know. Are you wearing my ring?

Warren, teasing wasn't nice.

Me and Karla!

See, clarifying was better, wasn't it? Totally.

[dollpocalypse]

ohhhhHhh

That did make quite a bit more sense, Topher had to admit.

why did i get to know?

Because it was a mass text, weirdo.

[not_a_parakeet]

Because I can't possibly get stupidly drunk with you as many times as I have and not actually TELL you.

What? If Topher was going to ask, Warren was totally going to bullshit an answer.

You chew on my wings, you get to hear about my engagement. That's the rule.

Also, Topher was on the contact list.

[apocalipped]

I'm already wearing a feather around my cock. Might as well marry you too, sure.

Look, when Jono got a text at this hour of the night, he reserved the right to snark.

Not that he'd been sleeping. He was still up poring over maps and the like. But still. It was the principle of the matter, really.

[not_a_parakeet]

... Mental images that Warren could have lived without for a hundred, Bob.

You know, I think we might already have a case for annulment?

[apocalipped]

Good. I'll let you get to work dealing with the papers for that. I have a war to worry about winning.

...

Congratulations.

And that was all the snark that Warren was going to be getting from Jono tonight, because he was shutting off his phone.