The Hall, Dhemlan, Kaeleer, Monday Evening (Fandom Time)

[glacial_queen]

The Coach arrived on the landing web with a slight thump. Lucivar frowned a moment and then sighed. "So, I'm not a professional Coachman."

Karla looked up innocently. "I didn't say anything."

"But you were thinking it, witchling. I could tell." He hopped out of the Coach and opened the door for them, helping Karla out first. "Ready for your first view of SaDiablo Hall?" he rumbled at Warren.

From the landing web, only a side of the Hall could be seen, towering over acres of thick, lush lawns, gardens in a riot of colors, and even the hint of some not-so-distant woods.

"Show-off," Karla muttered, though she couldn't deny a bit of pride, either. "Let's go inside. They're probably waiting on us, I'm sure."

[Up late, but for SP goodness! Still for one, and nfb. Karla and Warren will be back on the island tonight.]

Comments

[glacial-warlord.livejournal.com]

*Good job,* Morton said, giving Warren a nod even as he winced. Stupid Karla got him right in the shin. That was going to bruise, too. He could tell, having been on the wrong side of Karla-kicking for years. *She'd get seven flavors of pissy if she knew I was telling you this.*

Brat.

*But yes, that's why she's there. Or here, when she has to be home. Hobart can't know where she is. Fortunately, here is where Jaenelle is, and she'd follow Jaenelle to the ends of the earth if that's what was needed. We all would.* Because Jaenelle was special.

*I'm not going to tell you what it was like for Karla from the time she got called back from the coven and the time I brought her to Fandom. That's her stuff to tell and I wasn't there for much of it.* Guilt echoed down the link, dark and heavy. *But she has reasons why she might shy away from males. Good ones. You seem like a decent enough male and you like Karla, which is nice even if it's weird. But be careful.*

That last was both concern on Warren's behalf and a warning. With a hint threat thrown in with good measure. Quite a versatile sentence, that.

[wwiii]

A small smile tugged at Warren's mouth again, in spite of himself. He caught the hint of a thread, and the concern and the warning. He was going to focus on the bits that weren't a threat. That seemed safer, somehow.

*Careful, I can do.*

And then he skewered that piece of carrot that he'd been poking at, and he gave Morton a grin. It wasn't a cocky grin. It wasn't even particularly confident. But, if nothing else, it was the sort of grin that you'd give to the protective cousin of the girl you like when he's sitting across the table attempting, and failing, to be intimidating.

[glacial-warlord.livejournal.com]

Hey! He was plenty intimidating!

...Sometimes. Sorta. When it was needed. Shut up.

"I'm not even doing anything!" Morton complained to Karla. "You deliberately wear pointy shoes, just to kick people, don't you?"

[glacial_queen]

"Your sitting there like a lump, pretending to be some big, scary male at Warren," she accused. "Very 'ooh, look at me, I'm Morton!' I'm all dangerous and growly."

[wwiii]

"He's dangerous?"

Oh, Warren's face was the very vision of innocence, there. Such a little angel.

[glacial-warlord.livejournal.com]

"I can take you, puppy," Morton said. He sounded like he couldn't make up his mind whether he wanted to sound amused or 'growly.'

[glacial_queen]

"And I can backhand you from across the table," Karla snapped, glaring.

[hells-highlord.livejournal.com]

"There goes polite," Saetan said, sighing. "I wish I could be surprised."

[offers-choices.livejournal.com]

"Now, now," Lucivar said genially. "I can smack you all around if it comes to it." Oh yes, his smile included Warren in that, too.

[wwiii]

"And what, do you suppose, are the odds of it actually coming to it?"

Sometimes, Warren had to ask the silly questions, yes.

[offers-choices.livejournal.com]

"With this lot?" Lucivar's grin sharpened. "Pretty damn close to even. Though if it happens before dessert, I'll be pissy."

[changeable-eyes.livejournal.com]

"I wouldn't mind so much," Jaenelle said. "We're having honey-pear torte with freshly whipped cream."

She smiled at them. "You all go. I'll take care of your portions."

[wwiii]

Warren laughed softly, shaking his head a little.

"I think for honey-pear torte, I might have to sit out of getting completely throttled. As much as I hate to."

[changeable-eyes.livejournal.com]

Jaenelle pretended to pout at him for a moment. "Karla needs to stop sharing honey-pears with people at her school," she said. "The fewer people who know how delicious they are, the fewer I have to share."

[glacial_queen]

"Hey, no pouting!" Karla protested...for no reason, really. "And no throttling, either. Though if anyone wants to share their honey-pear torte, I won't complain."

[wwiii]

"I'll keep that in mind," Warren decided, that tiny smile still toying over his lips as he tried to get his head around everything he'd been told, "but I really can't make any promises."

[glacial_queen]

"Warren..." Karla wibbled, "You wouldn't share?"

[changeable-eyes.livejournal.com]

"No pouting!" Jaenelle chortled. "You said so!"

[wwiii]

"Pouting is totally cheating," Warren announced. "And anyhow, how badly would you need me to share, if you already have your own?"

That wobbling was going to be the end of him yet, though.

[glacial_queen]

"A lot," Karla said, earnestly. "It's very good. And you've seen me eat."

[wwiii]

"This is true," Warren chuckled, shaking his head. "I really had no idea what I was getting myself into when I offered you delicious lunches forever."

Not that it was exactly a strain on his wallet, or anything.

[glacial_queen]

"Would you have said anything different even if you had?" Karla teased.

[hells-highlord.livejournal.com]

Saetan raised a single brow, amused. He and Lucivar traded glances at their byplay, but didn't say anything.

[wwiii]

"At the time, considering?" He hadn't had any brain to speak of, at the time, but Warren wasn't going to point that out at the dinner table. "Of course not. And I'm not even re-thinking it now, really."

[glacial_queen]

"So when do I get my next picnic?" Karla demanded with a chuckle. "I've been dreadfully spoiled for any other picnic, you know."

She glanced around the table, grinning. "Seriously. He surprised me with a picnic Mrs. Beale would have been proud of."