Chapter Text
It's midnight, and I'm just wandering around Basgiath, with so much to think about. Why do I care this much about a Sorrengail? What the fuck is going on with the venin? What if we win the war? What if we don't? Is my father looking down at me and saying, "You absolute failure?" Fuck, fuck.
"Calm down," Sgaeyl says calmly down the bond. I take a deep breath. She's right. If someone had told me at sixteen that a dragon would be the thing to calm me down, I would have laughed in their face.
My eyes narrow when I see Imogen leaning against a window down the hall. I don't like using my second signet on my friends, but I'd like to know her intentions, so it can't hurt anyone to do it just once.
"Why are you staring at me? Follow-up question: why the fuck are you wandering the halls this late?" Imogen snaps. I cringe.
"Real sneaky," Sgaeyl jokes. I shut her out. "Well, I was wondering the same thing. Why the fuck are you out here?" I retort, walking over to stand beside Imogen. "I'm thinking, because I have a brain, unlike you."
Ah, the most childish insult she could think of. Clearly. "Real funny, Imogen. Seriously, glad to see all the trauma didn't take that from you," I grumble, but there's a slight smile playing at my lips. Imogen mock-salutes me. Good to see she's still comfortable mocking me, we haven't been that close recently, that's mostly my fault though I admit.
"So, why are you sulking in the corridor? If it's a good enough answer, I might tell you my reasons. Or I'll tell you all the gossip your antisocial ass would never hear about," Imogen prods.
I glare at her. I have so much I could use against her, but I'll play nice for now.
"I'm leading a rebellion, Cardulo. Do you think I have time to sleep?"
That feels like an easier answer than explaining everything else.
"No time to sleep? Yet you have time to be a prick. Your priorities are insane," Imogen exclaims. She says it thoughtfully, just to make it seem like she's saying something insightful.
We've moved away from the window now, wandering down the halls.
"Quinn's engaged to Jax, a girl in your year," Imogen says. I nod. Quinn Hollis. I'm not the biggest fan of her, and neither is Garrick, but she randomly attached herself to Imogen last year, and Imogen's been very adamant about keeping her around. If I didn't know any better, I'd think Imogen was completely gone for the girl. But I do know better, and, well, Imogen Cardulo has had it bad for my best friend since she was about ten.
"She told me to invite you. She likes you guys for unknown reasons," Imogen adds. I snort, unknown reasons? Code word for your a prick
"So, Garrick."
That's all I say, and it's enough to make her whip her head around and glare daggers at me. Hilarious. Truly, it always has been. "What about him?" Imogen snaps back. I snort.
"Well, from what I know, you've friend-zoned my best friend multiple times, for unknown reasons." Imogen's eyes widen at that, and she likes to say I'm not a good friend.
"He wasn't friend-zoned. He was turned down, and he's delusional and a whore. Oh, and he's a raging asshole. He's an elitist prick," Imogen snaps. I snort. Oh, wow. This is truly hilarious.
"And I'll have you know that no one has proof of that. It's not my fault Garrick runs his delusional mouth," she adds. I study her for a second. Does Imogen seriously think I'm stupid?
"Imogen, you didn't speak to him for seventy-eight days in your first year, and I'm yet to be told why. You get mad when he's with another woman. When his grandma died, when we were fourteen and you were thirteen, you bawled your eyes out because you felt so bad for him. He wasn't even close to the woman. He didn't give a fuck," I exclaim.
I can hear Sgaeyl laughing down the bond. I'm not going to laugh, though. That would be downright mean. "Says the one who was engaged to Catriona Cordella, of all people," Imogen retorts. Oh, she went low.
"Betrothed, not engaged. I didn't love her. I believe you need to be in love to be engaged," I counter. Case closed.
Imogen sighs deeply. "Later, Riorson," she grumbles before walking off. "Back to pondering your life choices," Sgaeyl sing-songs down the bond. Fuck my life.