第 57 页

“Have a good weekend, dude.”

“Hey, Felagund, did Professor O. say when he’d have our papers back?”

“Monday at the earliest,” said Finrod, gathering up his notes. “And remember, if anyone wants to check in ahead of next week’s midterm, I have extended office hours Tuesday through Thursday.” As he left the philosophy building, tipping his head back to let the sun warm his face, he caught sight of a figure under a nearby tree get stir from the bench and make to intersect his path. As the figure drew closer, Finrod could see that it was Maglor, and that there was no cheerful greeting in his face but grim indictment.

Finrod didn’t allow himself the momentary luxury of pretending ignorance. There was no doubt in his mind as to why Maglor was there.

“I expected Tyelkormo to be the one waiting for me, somehow,” said Finrod, his voice light but wary as they came to a halt in front of each other.

“Tyelko’s got enough to worry about,” said Maglor. “I told him I could handle this one.”

Finrod straightened his back, weariness flooding him. “Very well then. Say what you need to say.”

“I’ll be quick.” It was by far the stoniest Finrod had ever seen Maglor’s open, kind face. “This ends now, one way or another. The sneaking around, the lying, the playing my brothers off each other – ”

“I’m not playing anyone off anyone,” said Finrod, unable to stop himself. “I only – ”

“Shut up. This is a listening exercise for you, okay? What Curvo does is his own choice, but Moryo deserves all the facts before he decides if he wants anything to do with you going forward. And if what he decides to do going forward is punching you in the face, I can’t say I’d blame him. In fact, if he doesn’t, I think he’d likely find some volunteers.”

It was almost humorous to hear such threats come from mild-mannered, gentle Maglor, but Finrod didn’t feel like laughing as he looked into Maglor’s grey eyes - very much like Curufin’s, he thought, and looked away.

“So here’s the deal, you sneaky, dishonest, disingenuous creep,” Maglor leaned forward. “Moryo is going to know exactly what’s going on by tomorrow evening, one way or another. I am going to give you a whole 24 hours to be a half-way decent human being, way too late in the game, I might add, and if he hasn’t heard it from you by tomorrow night, he’s going to hear it from me. Unfortunately,” Maglor’s fingers twitched and he rubbed one hand unconsciously over his arm, “I’m leaving for New York this evening, so I won’t be able to check in person. But you’d better believe I’ll be giving him a call one way or another – either to fill him in on the facts, or to check and make sure you have.”

Maglor leaned back, and Finrod let out a very small breath.

“I’m not even going to get into what you think you’re doing with a 19 year old kid right now,” Maglor said, his voice holding nothing but disgust, “but on the whole, I don’t underestimate Curvo the way Tyelko does, so I’d imagine he’s had a fun little role in this whole fuckery. I would say you at least are old enough to know better than he does - if I didn’t know you had the moral compass of a flea. Congratulations, Ingoldo,” Maglor turned away as Finrod started breathing again, “you really do make admirers everywhere you go. And for the record, you should be happy Maitimo wasn’t the one to hear about this first.”

I've been working on my timing

halethh@beleriand.edu: heyy

caranthirf@beleriand.edu: hey

halethh@beleriand.edu: soo

caranthirf@beleriand.edu: sooo

halethh@beleriand.edu: have you done the econ 360 problem set

caranthirf@beleriand.edu: yea

halethh@beleriand.edu: I can’t get problem 13c

halethh@beleriand.edu: D:

caranthirf@beleriand.edu: lol

halethh@beleriand.edu: seriously, what equation did you use?

caranthirf@beleriand.edu: LOL

caranthirf@beleriand.edu: oh child

caranthirf@beleriand.edu: you dumb

halethh@beleriand.edu: I’ll kill you

halethh@beleriand.edu: You know I can

halethh@beleriand.edu: HELP A BROTHER OUT THO

halethh@beleriand.edu: remember that Keynes paper you woulda failed without me?

caranthirf@beleriand.edu: I wouldn’t have /failed/

caranthirf@beleriand.edu: gotten a C maybe

halethh@beleriand.edu: I still saved your butt

caranthirf@beleriand.edu: you gave me a lot of socialist propaganda, I remember that much

halethh@beleriand.edu: point is

halethh@beleriand.edu: give me some help and don’t be a douche

halethh@beleriand.edu: dear friend

caranthirf@beleriand.edu: fine fine

caranthirf@beleriand.edu: yeah, you gotta use that equation prof showed us Friday

halethh@beleriand.edu: I DID tho

caranthirf@beleriand.edu: AND you gotta use the one from the first test

caranthirf@beleriand.edu: remember? The one we used for the ag yields problem?

halethh@beleriand.edu: ohhhhh

halethh@beleriand.edu: OHHHH

halethh@beleriand.edu: ok, yeah

halethh@beleriand.edu: thanks!

caranthirf@beleriand.edu: :)

caranthirf@beleriand.edu: (you still dumb)

halethh@beleriand.edu: you’re the one who’s dump :P

halethh@beleriand.edu: *dumg

halethh@beleriand.edu: DAMNT

halethh@beleriand.edu: *DUMB

caranthirf@beleriand.edu: hahahahaha are you high?

halethh@beleriand.edu: yeah, right, I am blazed on this econ problem set

caranthirf@beleriand.edu: heh

halethh@beleriand.edu: ok, I can get that problem now

halethh@beleriand.edu: what are you up to?

caranthirf@beleriand.edu: writing that fucking essay for my phil class

halethh@beleriand.edu: lol why are you even in phil　

caranthirf@beleriand.edu: it seemed like a good idea at the time…

caranthirf@beleriand.edu: but now I hafta write this paper and idk idk idk

halethh@beleriand.edu: mm

halethh@beleriand.edu: is that mithrandir’s class?

caranthirf@beleriand.edu: prof o? yeah but he’s teaching like a million classes this semester

caranthirf@beleriand.edu: ingo says he’s totally overcommitted and letting his TAs do most of the work

halethh@beleriand.edu: ingo says that, EH

caranthirf@beleriand.edu: oh shut up

halethh@beleriand.edu: ;)))))

caranthirf@beleriand.edu: ugh stop

halethh@beleriand.edu: your boyfriendddd

caranthirf@beleriand.edu: seriously haleth he’s not

caranthirf@beleriand.edu: we’re not dating

caranthirf@beleriand.edu: I’M NOT GAY

caranthirf@beleriand.edu: and he’s been weird af lately

halethh@beleriand.edu: huh

caranthirf@beleriand.edu: yeah idk

halethh@beleriand.edu: …so if I wanted to introduce you to a friend of mine…

caranthirf@beleriand.edu: a GIRL friend?

halethh@beleriand.edu: yep

caranthirf@beleriand.edu: a non lesbian girl friend?

halethh@beleriand.edu: no I wanna hook you up with a lesbian that sounds like a good idea

halethh@beleriand.edu: naw she is straight afaik

caranthirf@beleriand.edu: I mean

caranthirf@beleriand.edu: yeah

caranthirf@beleriand.edu: is she cute?

halethh@beleriand.edu: yep you shallow lil biscuit

caranthirf@beleriand.edu: hmmm maybe

halethh@beleriand.edu: are you suuuure your boyfriend wouldn’t get jealous?

caranthirf@beleriand.edu: he’s not my fucking boyfriend holy fuck

halethh@beleriand.edu: maybe he wants to be

caranthirf@beleriand.edu: maybe he just wants to get fucked

halethh@beleriand.edu: maybe he wants more

caranthirf@beleriand.edu: ughhhhhhhh

halethh@beleriand.edu: MORYO NO LIKE FEELINGS FEELINGS ARE FOR HUMANS BLEEP BLORP

caranthirf@beleriand.edu: stfu

caranthirf@beleriand.edu: i swear to god

halethh@beleriand.edu: sorry

halethh@beleriand.edu: couldn’t resist

halethh@beleriand.edu: anyway if mithrandir is your teacher just quote some martineau he eats that shit up

halethh@beleriand.edu: he and my econ prof argue about her malthusian whatevers all the time

caranthirf@beleriand.edu: think that’s gonna fit into my phil paper?

halethh@beleriand.edu: try it and see

halethh@beleriand.edu: you could always let ‘ingo’ read it over before you submit ;)

caranthirf@beleriand.edu: damnit wench

caranthirf@beleriand.edu: wait hold up

caranthirf@beleriand.edu: someone at the door

caranthirf@beleriand.edu: uhhh holy shit it’s him gtg

halethh@beleriand.edu: it’s finrod　?

halethh@beleriand.edu: seriously　　

halethh@beleriand.edu: speak of the devil, huh?

halethh@beleriand.edu: augh no don’t go skype me in I wanna watch

halethh@beleriand.edu: hahaha jk

halethh@beleriand.edu: gross

halethh@beleriand.edu: don’t need to see you do the do

halethh@beleriand.edu: but seriously tell me what happens

halethh@beleriand.edu: Moryo

halethh@beleriand.edu: Moryo

halethh@beleriand.edu: …you’ve minimized the chat window haven’t you

halethh@beleriand.edu: sighhhhhh

* * *

As Ríanellë turned onto the side street heading towards the highway, she fumbled one handed in the center console, trying to flick through CDs without taking her eyes from the road.

“I know it’s archaic, but amazingly, ’02 Foresters don’t have iPod hookups,” she said, holding a CD in front of the steering wheel so she could glance at the label. “So we’re going to have to rely on my CD collection rather than hooking up one of our phones. At least we have a disc drive, Ecthelion’s old car only had a cassette player…Oh, damn.” She dropped the CD, which fell down in front of the odometer, and returned both hands to the steering wheel so she could merge onto the highway. “Okay, this is where a copilot comes in handy. Can you DJ for us?”

“What?”

“Pick some tunes!” Ríanellë craned her head over her shoulder and accelerated as she pulled into the lane. “I would, but we might end up pancaked by a semi if I don’t keep my eyes on the road, more or less.”

“Sorry,” said Maglor shaking his head. “Say that first part again?”

Ríanellë glanced at him. “Not paying attention, huh?”

“I…No. I had to send a text.” Maglor tried to pull his attention back with some effort. “What did you want me to do?”

“Pick something for us to listen to.”

Maglor frowned as he picked up the stack of CDs. “Would you mind if I just hooked up my phone instead? Wait, where’s the cable?”

Ríanellë sighed. “Just shove in that Blitzen Trapper CD and don’t worry about it.”

Maglor obeyed, then sank back in his seat, eyes fixed on the road stretching out ahead of them. His face settled once more into dark preoccupation, and there was silence between them through the first five songs of the album. Finally Ríanellë reached over and poked him lightly. “Hey.”

Maglor started up. “What?”

“You seem a bit out of it. Not that I’m ungrateful, but I thought one of the benefits of carpooling was the company and conversation. Are you hung-over? Sleep-deprived? Not interested in talking?” She smiled slightly. “I haven’t noticed the latter being a trait of yours usually, but I suppose I don’t know – ”

“Sorry.” Maglor rubbed his hands over his face and tried to bring himself back to the car, and Ríanellë’s presence next to him, rather than where it had been, where he more than half wished he was: back home, waiting for Caranthir. He hadn’t gotten particularly good sleep the night before, either, he realized, as he rubbed his eyes again and stifled a yawn. “I’m a little preoccupied, I guess.”

“Anything you want to share with the rest of the class?” asked Ríanellë cheerfully.

“Family stuff.” Maglor’s brows drew closer together. “And step-family stuff.”

Ríanellë waited, but Maglor didn’t seem like he was going to elaborate. “Alrighty.” She hummed and tapped her fingers on the steering wheel, and Maglor glanced over at her. Her sleeves were pushed up, and the tattoo on her inner forearm was just visible. He found himself trying to read it sideways, and she caught him looking. Her lips twitched. “I’ll tell you about mine if you tell me about yours. What does it say, anyway?”

Maglor’s hand flew unconsciously to his bicep. “Oh. It…” He reddened a little.

“Shy? Man, I could have read it when you were shirtless for like seven hours with me, but now you come over all modest?”

Maglor pulled himself up straight and tried to look like he didn’t know or care that his ears had gone red at the reminder of their night together. “It’s a verse. Of poetry, I guess, or maybe a song.”

“Maybe?” Ríanellë cocked her head. “Don’t you know? Where did you find it?”

“In my head.” Maglor touched his own arm once more and then lowered his hand. “It’s the longest poem – or song, I suppose – I’ve ever written. I started it when I was about ten, and just kept writing. Verses, lyrics, or something…”

“About what?”

“Everything. My life, my family’s life, my family’s family’s lives…History, stories I heard somewhere…Sometimes I think it’s how I keep a journal. I mean, I do keep a journal, a real one, but I always forget to write in it except when I’m pissed. But I keep adding to the Nol – to this piece, every time something important or interesting happens.”

“Have you written music for it?” Ríanellë sounded interested.

“Yes. Well, I’ve tried…It keeps changing, you know? And I keep getting better, so I feel like I should start over every time I get a new piece of knowledge or ability, so the actual composition part keeps backtracking. But I still add to the lyrics even though the music isn’t resolved yet.”

“That’s a long piece to tattoo on your arm, if you’ve been writing it for 16 odd years. How small is the font?”

“It’s just the first verse,” said Maglor softly. “To remind me of where I started. The music changes, but I try to keep the lyrics as they were at the time I wrote them, so they perfectly preserve and encapsulate that moment…these first six lines are the oldest ones. They were my beginning.” His voice trailed away. He felt suddenly embarrassed. It wasn’t that he didn’t tell anyone about his project; he was used to people, girls mostly, asking about his tattoo, and he had perfected its telling. But with Ríanellë, he felt oddly exposed, and somehow more honest than he usually was when explaining the ink on his skin. “Anyway. They remind me where I came from.” It sounded horribly cheesy, to his ears, and he scooted down in his seat, eyes flickering out the window once more.

But Ríanellë made a humming noise of understanding and nodded. “Gotcha. Mine’s kinda the same, actually.”

“Really?” Maglor sat up straight again and looked over at her with new interest.

“Yup. Mine’s the first song I ever wrote.”

Maglor tilted his head, squinted, and read the words printed on her wrist.

Like a hamster! (but with wings)/He soared through the Skies

Fuzzy, and those kinda things/With a Snout full of Lies

OH PIG OF LIES/why Do you Do…

Maglor dragged his eyes away mid-verse and raised them to Ríanellë, struggling to say something kind.

“Um…”

Ríanellë was grinning. “Yeah, I know. Did I mention I was six when I wrote it?”