"That's so cool!" Oliver declared. His voice even went up in pitch in his excitement. "So magic is just--well, not common, but a regular thing here?" He looked around, as though expecting to see magic in the air. "It sounds like Lord of the Rings!" And that, in his opinion, was a fantastic way for things to be. He could hardly even imagine what his world would be like if there were magic in it. Then again, in some ways it was like trying to imagine what the world would be like if the aliens were public knowledge--and either way, it sounded wild.

He gaped when he heard Eithan hadn't proposed yet, though. "Wait, what? Why isn't it the right time?" He gave his friend a critical look, well aware of the "not the right time" excuse--and how long it could go on if a person wasn't careful. Eithan's sappy smile made him relax a little, though. He definitely looked committed. "So what sort of time are you waiting for?" Oliver pressed. "Did you decide what you're gonna do for sure?"