He waited for the night to end just so he could take Siren up on her offer of sleeping on her bed. Not to even do anything, really. Maybe just cuddle. He was too buzzed to process everything; she could help him think in the morning. She was good at helping him. When it finally did, she pulled him by the arm, using some excuse like heading the same way and helping the drunken prince get to the dorms. They walked back wordlessly, Siren humming some tunes that were definitely  horrendous Quads songs. They were halfway there when someone beckoned them from behind a building. "You two," it was Fabiana, casually resting against a wall. She motioned for them to come closer. Reluctantly, Siren obliged, dragging Laurel along to the shade.

"What the fuck are you doing, Olga?" Fabiana demanded, immediately making Siren recoil. "The usual," she replied. "No," she pointed at the spot where their bodies touched with her chin, "You're fucking around with some royal kid." Siren rolled her eyes, "Not." Fabiana's face remained stern. "Anyone on that dinner table could get that just from hearing you talk, you dumbfuck," she said, "A seasonal fling with some peasant girl is hardly a stain on a young prince's reputation. Anyone would say he was just messing around." At that point, she unleashed a harsh look on Laurel, whose brain was already fried enough; then, she turned back to Siren. "But you should know better. You act like you have this huge safety net that doesn't exist. So high and mighty. Something like this comes up, you're unemployed and back home. That simple." 

Siren made that weird hissing sound again, separating herself from Laurel to take a step forward and push her chest out. A laughable effort. "Such a small thing would hardly dent my position," she said, "My superiors wouldn't bat an eye. My work matters more than that." Fabiana crossed her arms. "By superiors, you mean Bibi?" she asked, lowering her voice. "Don't start," Siren equalled her tone. "You already know. Bibi is not in your corner. She never was. Not in anyone's, really. Don't count on her." Siren's face nearly distorted itself. "Yeah, just casually forget all the times she helped me," she said. Fabiana put her hands on Siren's shoulders, letting all their weight fall on them. Siren seemed to get smaller. "Olga... Siren. She didn't. You got that scholarship on your own," Fabiana said, a melancholic note in her voice, "You worked really hard, kid. It's always been just you. Don't count on Bibi." 

"I don't know why you even care to visit anymore," Siren said, forcefully tearing herself away. The effort made her pant. "You obviously don't value your sister at all." She reached out to Laurel, grabbing his hand. "Come on, I'll take you to your room," she softened her voice for him. Before she left the shade, she looked back at Fabiana and it seemed like she'd say something, but didn't. Laurel was dragged behind her towards the library, where Siren stopped and produced a bunch of keys from her pocket. The light was faint and she could see how thin her mouth looked. Then, she exhaled heavily. “You must think I’m pathetic,” she said, resting one hand on her hip and looking down at their feet. “I’m not the kind of person who can judge that,” he said, unsure of where the conversation was headed. His thoughts were mostly just buzzing along. 

“That’s good,” she paused, jiggling her keys, “Do you want me to take you to your room?” He stuttered, trying to find delicate words; ultimately, he gave up on that effort. “Do you wanna cuddle?” he asked instead. Without verbal reply, she guided him down to her room again, helping him take his boots off so he could lie down. “Fuck, that’s humiliating,” he said. “You’ve yet to get to my level of humiliation,” she said, lying down beside him and covering them with a soft blanket. “How so?” Laurel shifted to look directly at her, though the pillow beckoned him to sleep. “I was completely debased in front of you,” she muttered, averting her eyes. “Oh. No. That’s not what I gathered,” he mumbled, his words a bit jumbled. “Then what was?” she asked, seemingly impatient. 

“It felt like Wyvern’s sister cares about you,” he said, seeing her face contort; “Even if she was wrong. I don’t know.” Siren’s brow was furrowed and the space between her eyebrows was totally wrinkled. Still, he didn’t feel like retracting his statement. “You wouldn’t,” she said, sighing and relaxing a bit after a while, “You’ve only been here a couple months.” Making his intents clear so she took the initiative, he hugged her, holding her against his chest. She felt warm and it soothed his spinning mind a little. “Well then, let’s think about it. Starting with that scholarship business,” he whispered close to her ear and closed his eyes. 

“Fuck that,” she mumbled and, though she tried to sound annoyed, it seemed like she was just as tired as him; “Fuck the scholarship thing. I’m an adult now. I don’t have to think about my teenage years anymore.” He chuckled, finding her hand and holding it tenderly. “I don’t think that’s how it works,” he said, “I want to know if Fabiana was right. Would you tell me about the scholarship thing?” There was a pause as Siren frowned and snuggled up to him. “You’re annoying… and yet I like it,” she said. She took a deep breath. “I obviously didn’t have money for tuition anywhere. I always wanted to study, but it felt delusional, so mostly I just wanted to… get away,” she said, pausing and pursing her lips for a moment; “I pulled a stupid teenager move and ran away from home. Shit happened. Eventually I got singled out and picked up by the Archmage. That’s Wyvern. So, yeah. That’s the scholarship thing.”

Laurel felt his tongue catch on his teeth. That story sucked. He blinked with force, trying to shove the teenage angst away. It had hurt to hear as well. “Fuck, and you say that so casually as well,” he said, hugging her tighter, “So your family’s crap?” She shrugged lightly, her face lightening up. “Ah, yeah. Dad’s cool. Mother’s a bitch though. We’re cool these days,” she said, “It was an absurd stunt. Worked though. In any case, as you can see, Fabiana was wrong. Wyvern meant something.” Laurel sighed. “And you always say my optics are fucked,” he whispered, “Come on, Olga. You’re brilliant. You got a scholarship for a reason.” She laughed a bit. “Oh, I know I’m brilliant. But I wouldn’t have had a chance. I didn’t just get a scholarship,” she shook her head and swallowed hard, “With a wave of Wyves’ hand, my meals were all paid off, my housing costs were annihilated, my class materials were accounted for. Everything. I lived within castle walls for free. A regular scholarship doesn’t cover that.” 

Of course she’d hold on to that dearly. “That should be a normal thing,” he said, pressing a kiss to her hair, “It’s unfair that you wouldn’t get a chance normally.” That made her laugh a bit. It sounded bitter. “Funnily enough, you’re one of the few people who have power over that somewhere… Soon. And you won’t do anything,” she said. Siren flicked her wrist and all the fairy lights in the room gave out, immersing them in darkness. “Go to sleep, princeling. You reek of alcohol.”