"I've already cried and tried not to throw up," Quen said. "It was so embarrassing and awkward, and I'm sure I made Merri feel bad. I didn't want to do that." She took another sip of wine. "I feel so isolated here in the Mage Tower. But I do think that I need to be more ... discerning than most people, just because I don't have the visual cues. So I don't really feel comfortable just going out to bars and stuff. Not to mention Darius would lecture me." She was still reeling a bit from the most recent lecture, which had been ... extremely awkward.
Still, the wine was starting to make her feel warm and more detached from the emotions she'd felt right after the rejection, and Ari's words gave her hope.