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Post by Ariel Logan Callahan on Oct 15, 2008 23:07:15 GMT -5
Something told Ariel that he was treading in dangerous waters, that he shouldn't even be talking to Markise, much less considering seeing him again. "It's harder than you'd think," he said, in complete rebellion of his previous thoughts. Damn, he thought to himself, wasn't this one of the things he had been glad to be away from? All of the taunts springing from his name and his tendency to shave had been almost too much for him back home, so why was he being even more open than before now?
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Post by Markise Sterling on Oct 15, 2008 23:17:12 GMT -5
The curve of Markise's lips didn't ease. "I'm a hard worker," he said in reply. An alarm went off in his head then, telling him he needed to back down, that he shouldn't be teasing at all. He didn't know for sure if Ariel was gay or just needing a friend, so he shouldn't be flirting. Still, it seemed impossible to stop, though he consciously tried to tone it down again. Markise moved his gum back into the center of his mouth, chewing thoughtfully for a moment. "So, what do you do in your free time?" he asked at last, then added, "besides get tattoos?"
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Post by Ariel Logan Callahan on Oct 16, 2008 7:49:14 GMT -5
Maybe it was because Markise was just so feminine in his face, but Ariel was finding it very hard to listen to that part of his mind telling him to turn to the window and stop talking. "I'm a swimmer," he said, "It had kind of worked its way into my school." Considering the location, it wasn't that hard to believe, everyone wanted the choice of having somewhere to swim, even if most hadn't used it. He began to wonder how much longer the ride was going to be, because once at the school he could leave and stop confusing himself so badly.
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Post by Markise Sterling on Oct 16, 2008 8:13:20 GMT -5
"A swimmer," Markise repeated, only just stopping himself from looking Ariel over. He was sure the fates were laughing at him right now. He was trapped in a tiny room with an incredibly hot guy who had awesome hair, tattoos, and a swimmer's body, and unable to do anything about it. For hours. "My old school was big on the beach," Markise said, trying to distract himself with conversation again. "People would go down on weekends and stuff. We didn't have a pool or anything, though."
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Post by Ariel Logan Callahan on Oct 16, 2008 8:21:17 GMT -5
Ariel's eyes lit up, his previous concerns forgotten for the moment, "Your school was on the beach? I bet that was great." The only time he had ever been on the beach was a few times when he was really young and his father was still there, if he didn't count the few times he had gone with his brother for a tattoo convention of some sort. He had always wished he could spend more time on the beach, maybe learn to surf.
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Post by Markise Sterling on Oct 16, 2008 8:27:00 GMT -5
Markise's eyes mirrored Ariel's, excited at the interest he'd gathered just for that one comment. He nodded. "It was pretty close," he said. "It could be great when it was warmer. Nasty to get ocean water in your mouth, though." Markise's mind made a jump at those words that he hadn't meant, so he dropped his gaze momentarily, though it only got as far as those damn sexy tattoos. Markise licked his lips, then looked back up again. "We were in Southern California," he said, resuming the conversation. "I'm from New York, though."
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Post by Ariel Logan Callahan on Oct 16, 2008 8:37:22 GMT -5
Ariel nodded, though he only had a faint idea of what those names meant, New York brought an image of large buildings and California brought sun. "My school was out in the middle of nowhere, right at the edge of Queensland and New South Wales. Hot as hell and no water for miles except the pool. What are New York and California like?" he asked, linking his hands together at his knees and shaking his head roughly to get the hair out of his eyes.
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Post by Markise Sterling on Oct 16, 2008 9:03:54 GMT -5
Damn, was the boy trying to be sexy? Markise's gaze caught on the motion of Ariel's hair, and he had to blink to regain his concentration. "Um, California is really laid back," he said. "Really appearance-centered, but pretty cool. New York is a lot more fast-paced, I didn't even realize it before I went to SWIM--SouthWest Institute of Magic," he clarified. "One of the things I really had to get used to in California was winter, it didn't even exist there. Well, I guess you didn't get much of a winter, either, did you?" Markise swept his hand against his hair as he watched Ariel, unable to look away now.
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Post by Ariel Logan Callahan on Oct 16, 2008 9:14:36 GMT -5
Ariel's eyes followed the path of Markise's hand, shaking his head absently. "No, we just got out of winter," he said, though he rarely even noticed the changing of the seasons. "School's letting out down there in a month or two for summer." That had been one of the things that annoyed him, going to school for over a year straight with no break in between. But he wasn't going to complain too much about it, not when the alternative was staying in that school with those people that wouldn't leave him alone.
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Post by Markise Sterling on Oct 16, 2008 9:19:26 GMT -5
"Oh, wow, I hadn't thought of that," Markise said. Things must have been bad, or desperate at the least, for Ariel to be making the move right now. Markise was curious, but he didn't ask. It was really none of his business, was it? Instead, he turned his attention to the fact that Ariel was watching him again. His lips nearly curved at the knowledge. "Well, winter's about to start up here, so that'll be an experience for you," Markise said.
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Post by Ariel Logan Callahan on Oct 16, 2008 9:25:35 GMT -5
Ariel wrinkled his nose, "I don't know that I'm looking forward to it, I like the hot weather." He didn't like warm, he didn't like comfortable, he liked the weather to be hot. When it was, he would go to the pool, or even running outside. He had a feeling that he was already going to be cold when he got to the school, and he didn't like it at all.
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Post by Markise Sterling on Oct 16, 2008 10:11:18 GMT -5
Markise's thoughts went wild at that. He liked it hot. God, he hoped Ariel was flirting with him, because there was really only so much Markise could take. "I'm sure you'll keep warm somehow," he said, then blew another slow bubble, letting it pop and pulling it back into his mouth with his tongue. "If you put on enough layers, you'll be fine most of the time. I've got a couple friends who transferred out here at the end of the year last year, and they seemed to think they'd be fine with their little jackets and hoodies."
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Post by Ariel Logan Callahan on Oct 16, 2008 10:18:18 GMT -5
Ariel watched that bubble, and it wasn't hard for his mind to take those words farther, I'm sure you'll keep warm somehow. It was so much easier to deny the accusations back home, where there weren't many, if there were any at all, gay guys. And Ariel had no doubt in his mind by now about Markise, why else would he be playing up his feminine side so much? Or maybe Ariel's mind was just playing cruel tricks on him since his brother wasn't within a wand's reach. "I'm staying holed up in my common room," he said, trying to pull his mind away from those thoughts, something he didn't need to dwell on if at all possible.
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Post by Markise Sterling on Oct 16, 2008 10:25:45 GMT -5
There was definitely more to Ariel's observation than the conversation called for, and Markise's blood heated at the thought. He'd been hoping to get back with Dare, but there was something about Ariel that just got him. Ariel had to have figured it out by now, Markise knew he'd been slipping, had caught himself flirting more than a couple times, but Ariel wasn't saying anything, so Markise could only come to the conclusion that Ariel wasn't out. Fine, I'll play along, Markise thought. It didn't mean he wouldn't encourage, though. "The snow makes the cold worth it," he said at last. "Yeah, you get a little chilled, but after, when you go back in and sit by the fire, it's ecstasy." Something in Markise's mind told him that he was going overboard, but he couldn't seem to help himself. "Try it once, and if it doesn't work out, I'll owe you." Markise blew another slow bubble.
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Post by Ariel Logan Callahan on Oct 16, 2008 10:40:01 GMT -5
Ecstasy. Surely Markise could have come up with a better word than that. Maybe he didn't want to, said a little voice in the back of Ariel's head. And there was another damned bubble, he had never felt compelled to watch a bubble before, but he couldn't help that his eyes were drawn to it. He pressed his lips together to keep his first instinctual comment about Markise owing him back, and fished around for something else to say. "I can't see me liking snow, it sounds like a pain."
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