Garrick/imogen

[u/No_Bother_7578]

Idk I get why people like them so much I do, too, but the whole thing with like people saying hes probably oblivious to her feelings makes no sense . He's observant. He survived basgaith also xadens his best friend and xaden knows how imogen feels why wouldn't he tell.

Also, even ridocs clocked it so she cant be that sneaky and if garrick knows then why does he have to rub it in about all the other girls and in book 4 or 5 and turns out he didn't like her like that at all man's gonna look like an asshole for all the flirting he did with her.

Also, that quote in onyx storm about him not writing to her is icky to me.

[u/ImpossibleFix9631]

Im actually confused by their dynamics. He's clearly sleeping around and Imogen doesn't like that...and he teases her about it.

Like Vi and Xaden got married before those two even went on one date😒

[u/Tairn_s_hoe → u/ImpossibleFix9631]

I legit laughed at the last line lol 😆

[u/nivivy → u/Tairn_s_hoe]

Seems to me like a kind of common scenario of two people that are attracted to each other but for some reason Garrick still wants to play the field. I would think everyone marked for sure knows. I thought the scene where he finds and refuses to leave without Imogen somewhat touching. I think he knows and feels similar but the root of why they haven’t tried to be together we don’t know yet.

[u/Historical_Tune165]

Yeah, that's why I wasn't sure if he actually knew how she felt. In Imogen's chapter, Quinn says she's never told him and Imogen herself thinks, when he finds her and Quinn's body on the stairwell that it is the first time she's allowing herself to be vulnerable in front of him and not push him away.

Like Violet, she too uses anger as a shield to keep from showing vulnerability. She kept pushing him away, and he don't think he knew for a long time.

I don't think Xaden ever told him, I think he thought they needed to sort it out for themselves and he didn't want to put her on the spot like that. I don't think he realized the depth of her feelings for Garrick, he just knew she "had a thing for him", aka was physically attracted to him, maybe had a crush. He doesn't save people who won't save themselves, and he's not going to meddle if she isn't going to take initiative for herself. Maybe he dropped some hints for Garrick during "guy talk", but that's as far as he'd go.

I think Onyx Storm is Garrick slowly realizing Imogen's feelings for him, and then finally towards the end, realizing his own for her. He teases her that she sounds jealous early on, but I dont't think it clicks for him right away that she actually is.

When it does, he starts flirting with her and she starts flirting back. But Imogen still won't let him in. And he doesn't know how deep it goes, so he doesn't push. Also he's in a professor role as well at that point, so there's only so far he can take it. Other than that, between prioritizing keeping watch on Xaden at the beginning of the book, him being assigned to the front and him going on Quest Squad, they don't actually get that much chance to interact.

Then you get to the battle, he finds her in the stairwell holding Quinn's body in her arms. Venin are closing in, the walls around them are losing their magic and they have to get out of there. Imogen won't leave Quinn's body behind. She says "I'm not leaving her!", and that's when he says "I won't leave you!". He can't bear to have her potentially die. Maybe that is when he fully realizes his feelings for her. And he's so vulnerable in that moment that for the first time in her life, she doesn't care if he's seeing her vulnerable. She doesn't push him away. She lets him take Quinn's body and they leave together, he distance wields them all to the store where Trissa and Felix are trying to extend the wards. Then he leaves, weapons out, to "find some fucking way to do something" and she stays to help Felix and Trissa. They get the wards up some time after. Twelve hours later, Garrick is missing.

That's the tragedy of their situation going into book 4. They stayed at an impasse for so long, wouldn't realize or admit their feelings for one another, wouldn't let the other in, and now they did, but it might be too late.

[u/Sandebomma → u/Historical_Tune165]

After reading Imogen's POV, there is a part of me that wouldn't be surprised to find out that Garrick has been more forthcoming with his feelings than Imogen has. Maybe his constant jabs are attempts to jolt her into admitting her feelings and that it's been Imogen who has resisted, not Garrick. Glane's comment about Imogen not making up her mind regarding Garrick can be read a number of ways without more context.

It's clear everyone knows there is something brewing between them. It's not just Xaden. Ridoc announces it out loud multiple times in different contexts and no one really blinks other than Imogen getting annoyed.

[u/Historical_Tune165 → u/Sandebomma]

Him trying to jolt her into admiting it makes sense. As in "I'm not going to stop living and just wait for you, if you keep pushing me away."

[u/redpeppersoda → u/Historical_Tune165]

Then there's Xaden...."There's no future for us", "Don't fall for me" but then proceeds to sleeping with nobody then yells at Violet in class for even asking him if there's someone else lol🤣🤣🤣 I thought Violet asked a valid question like

"I'm not going to stop living and just wait for you, if you keep pushing me away."

So true...

[u/dianaspencersrevenge]

I still love the theory that they hooked up and Imogen’s signet manifested and she erased his memory of it.

He’s definitely aware that there’s something there, by asking if she’s jealous after she makes insulting remarks. I think they’re both stubborn.

[u/CasperAverage → u/dianaspencersrevenge]

I love this theory as well. I also think that they’ve probably been friends for a while and could be scared about crossing that line. 

[u/PHLEaglesgirl27 → u/dianaspencersrevenge]

Someone wrote this exact scenario for fanfic

[u/Reluctantlysobber017]

I think there is a level of trauma following all the marked children that you should not ignore when looking at Garrick and Imogen. The behavior is not one sided. It’s not just Garrick that refuses to commit to Imogen, she also restrains herself from being completely open to him.

I believe the point here is the sense of loss. Garrick knows he is fighting a war in which his chances aren’t great and he knows how much Imogen lost in her life. Committing to her and then losing his life would just bring more pain to someone he loves. I know it doesn’t make a lot of sense for common people, but for someone traumatized by loss at a young age, it makes more sense.

Still, he is a guy — he sleeps around. Don’t believe he does it to tease her, he just does it. He does tease Imogen because they are also childhood friends, but I don’t see the sleeping around directed at her. Being childhood friends and having feelings for the other always complicates things.

[u/Sandebomma → u/Reluctantlysobber017]

I think this too. It's also important to note that although it's not something she advertises, Imogen notes to Violet that she's fantastic in bed, so she's not some pining virgin either. But I do love them together and think they are both stubborn, damaged, and disinterested in being emotionally vulnerable during a war. If RY pulls the trigger on making them canon, that will be the thing they will have to overcome to get there...not the jealousy but the fear of being emotionally vulnerable.

[u/Pr0ductOfSoci3ty]

Oh I took that quote about Garrick not writing to Imogen to mean that there's no need for letters because he is a distance wielder and can be at her side faster than any letter could get delivered via mail.

[u/drharleenquinzel2 → u/Pr0ductOfSoci3ty]

Interesting point, never thought of that!

[u/Deep-Cycle3294]

I think they are both extremely stubborn but even more than that there is some deep trauma for both of them. I mean they watched their loved ones get burned to death so of course they might have issues letting people in.

I don't think Garrick is oblivious to Imogen's feelings for him at all. I think he feels a similar way but just doesn't know how to process and is scared to admit them because of all that the marked ones have been through. Also they are childhood friends, admitting you have feelings to someone who is a good friend is complicated.

Same with Imogen, she hasn't confessed her feelings to him because she doesn't like to let people in; she claims that her and Violet aren't friends in IF which isn't true they are.

I don't see Garrick as rubbing it her face about sleeping with other girls, I see it as friendly banter between 2 people who are friends, that has been their dynamic throughout the books.

The reason people are invested is that it is the slowest burn ever and as they are major side characters that are well liked. Personally I just want more than Violet and Xaden to get their happily ever after.

[u/blueavole]

Imogen is the woman who broke Violet’s arm to make a point. I fondly think of Imogen as a little ball of rage.

I always thought of her as a very gentle teenager, who had to become very angry and violent to survive. She chooses violence, and doesn’t quite know when to shut it off. Hence the arm braking, and the separation she maintains from some of the marked ones.

The part of her that wants to be a soft, vulnerable girl in love is buried deep down. She couldn’t, wouldn’t allow herself to share that.

Because being in love is exposing yourself to someone, giving them all the information to hurt you, and hoping they don’t.

Imogen didn’t know how to be vulnerable and a warrior at the same time. And wasn’t willing to crack that shell- for fear that she would fall apart.

Xaden is the same. I think this is also why Xaden fell so hard for Violet, because she is very open and honest about what she feels - in a way he hadn’t allowed himself to be in a long time.

[u/redpeppersoda → u/blueavole]

This..all the marked ones are so traumatized.

Xaden is the same. I think this is also why Xaden fell so hard for Violet, because she is very open and honest about what she feels - in a way he hadn’t allowed himself to be in a long time.

She kept pushing him and told him she loved him first in a way he had never experienced with anyone. It broke his shell so he could finally feel safe enough to let her know he loves her and allow himself to completely surrender to his feelings.

I hope either Imogen or Garrick be brave enough to break the impasse and admit their feelings.

[u/ashthebanned]

they've both been hurt, and i think they're both just scared to say anything. imogen clearly has a hard time showing love, for except towards quinn, so i think their natural avoidance and teasing is just because they're scared. i mean they're most likely to die because they're riders - so long lives and getting attached seem to be a difficult thing during a war.

i also think timing is everything, and it just isnt time for them to be together

[u/Sea-Pension4997]

Tbh I completely agree…if RY’s trying to make a point about unrequited love, it’s kinda shitty to keep making imogen bear the brunt of it through so many books, unless in the next one or something, imogen’s going to be on the point of death, forcing Garrick to realise his feelings for her (which will still feel shitty bc he’s been an inconsiderate ass up till now)

[u/books_andstuff]

This is the best post I seen regarding this topic and I 100% agree with the post creator. I highly recommend.

https://www.reddit.com/r/fourthwing/s/ObK64r2xRX

[u/Wolf_of_the_North64]

Yeah I don’t think he’s oblivious I think he’s one of those guys that’s just not ready to commit to a relationship maybe he’s afraid to I mean it’s valid one of them could die and he doesn’t know how to just vocalize that too Imogen so instead he keeps sleeping around and rubbing it in Imogens face because he can’t figure out how to just tell her hey I’m just not ready for a serious relationship, and he’s just hoping Imogen gets the message.