Karla's Rooms, The Estate, Glacia

[not_a_parakeet]

Okay, so this wasn't really a Glacian holiday, and Warren needed to explain in small words to Mallory why it was important that he take the day off (even if it didn't match up at all to the Kaeleeran calendar, either), and that Karla also get the day off, and that somebody take the baby for the evening, and could he please do him a favour and

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[glacial_queen]

Karla wasn't in the Valentine's Day mood that Warren was aiming for here. It wasn't his fault--she hadn't even really noticed the work he'd put into the atmosphere. The StuCo roses had arrived and Karla was trying to figure out who her flowers had come from.

And if it were meant to be a threat.

"Warren?" she called, staring at her bouquet in consternation. "Did you, umm, send me flowers? From StuCo?"

[not_a_parakeet]

Clearly Karla didn't know what kind of Valentine's Day mood Warren was aiming for, yet.

"StuCo?" He was looking up at her, kind of puzzled, from where he was sitting on the edge of the bed when she came into the room. "Why would I go to the island and order roses from our alma mater when I can just get something done up for you here in Sidra?"

There was a beat, and then he was reaching for a bouquet sitting on the nightstand by the bed. "These are the flowers I got you, my love."

[glacial_queen]

Well, that was enough to draw her attention away from the possible-murder!bouquet, at least for a few minutes. She set down the scary roses to take the flowers Warren was handing her.

"Oh, Warren, they're beautiful," she breathed, burying her face into the flowers and inhaling. "And smell heavenly."

Peeking up at him, she smiled. "I have a bouquet for you, too." She called in the one she'd made...with a bit of help from Ermengarde.

[not_a_parakeet]

"Oh!"

Karla! You loved him! You really, really loved him! Provided you'd let Ermengarde do anything and everything that might have otherwise compromised the integrity of the bacon.

"Oh, wow. That bouquet is way better than the one I got you." A beat. "Though the bacon I got for you has pineapple."

Seriously, Ermengarde must have been so sick of bacon by the end of the morning.

[glacial_queen]

Ermengarde had grudgingly--grudgingly--allowed Karla to attach the rosettes to the stems. And only that. And under supervision.

Warren was as safe as possible with the roses. That was Ermengarde's gift to him on this weird holiday.

"Oooh, pineapple!" Karla squealed. "You do love me. I should give you a pineapple of your own."

Of the non-edible variety, of course.

[not_a_parakeet]

Really, that was Warren's favorite kind. And now he was smiling and leaning in to claim his.

There were wings involved, wrapping around her. And very carefully avoiding the bacon.

[glacial_queen]

And she didn't even yawn while he kissed her! That was love and romance right there.

She wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled herself close to him. "So much better than creeper!flowers," she murmured against his lips.

[not_a_parakeet]

"There were creeper flowers?" It was hard for that to not grab his attention, okay? Warren pulled her into his lap, cradling her close. As was really only right and proper, right? "... How do you mean, creeper flowers?"

Did he have to bring his sticks to bed tonight? Was killing someone necessary before their big Valentine's plans?

[glacial_queen]

Their brilliant and very exciting Valentine's Day plans that involved an activity that they hadn't enjoyed since before Kayla was born?

"Here," she said, floating her bouquet over for him to inspect. "These were delivered from StuCo a little while ago. Well, it's not the flowers that are creepy, but..." She shrugged. "It's why I was hoping it was from you."

That note would be a little disconcerting if it came from Warren. Coming from someone who wasn't Warren, it was hard to read it as anything other than a threat. If it hadn't been delivered from Fandom, the flowers would be in Julian's possession right now, rather than hers.

[not_a_parakeet]

"From StuCo?" Warren looked appropriately confused as he looked at the bouquet. And then his brow furrowed and there was a low growl in his throat. "So... somebody from the island sent this?"

That... narrowed it down?

Or didn't narrow it down at all. Warren didn't know who was on the island these days, after all.

"... Should we get rid of them, or should I just keep an extra set of bladed sticks under the pillow tonight?"

[glacial_queen]

"I'm liking both of those options," Karla said, tossing the bouquet into the fire. She'd contact the island on Monday and talk to Raven and Jono tomorrow, see if they had any ideas who it might have been from and what they meant by it.

"I can't think of who it might be." While she could see Hannibal mixing a flirt and a threat, it didn't seem his style at all. "There's one student who hates me because of Craft, but this isn't her style, either."

Cassandra wasn't the subtle type.

[not_a_parakeet]

Warren eyed the fire suspiciously for a moment. They were roses. Just red roses. But that didn't mean there couldn't be something dangerous about them.

Or maybe he was just paranoid about burning flowers.

"I'll accompany you to the island next week," he decided. "When you go in for your class. Until we know who sent that, I don't want to take the risk."

[glacial_queen]

"Bring Kayla," Karla said. "It's cold on the island, but I'm sure Hannibal won't mind company. Or you can stay in my office or something."

Normally, she'd balk at the idea of needing an escort to the island of all places, but...she felt better knowing Warren would be there with her, truth be told.

[not_a_parakeet]

Warren nodded a little.

"I don't want to let either of you out of my sight for longer than necessary," he replied, frowning. "Should I get Kayla now? Julian's sitting for the evening, but..."

Actually, no, Warren pitied the idiot who decided to mess with Kayla while Julian was on baby duty.

[glacial_queen]

"There shouldn't be any danger here, should there?" Karla asked. "The bouquet came from the island."

That wasn't stopping her from putting up an Ebon-gray shield around the nursery, though. And setting Julian up on high-alert, just in case.

"He's been warned and the room is shielded. I told him not to let anyone in to see Kayla except you or I. No one."

Just in case it wasn't someone on the island. In case it was someone here, someone close.

[not_a_parakeet]

There was always that concern, wasn't there? The files that Jonothon had handed to Karla showed just how many times somebody close had posed a direct threat.

"Good," Warren decided. "Then she's safer than anyone else in Glacia."

He rocked a little, there, with Karla in his lap.

"... Here, let's try to enjoy our evening, then. Whatever that was, whoever sent it, they're not here right now. You and I are, and we have a warm bed and good food, and so help me, we're going to sleep tonight if I have any say in the matter."