|
|
Post by Michael Blackwood-Hardt on Oct 28, 2008 19:29:05 GMT -5
Michael turned his eyes away from Brindle, "I feel bad about it, if that makes it any better." He did feel bad; Markise was one of Dare's closest friends, he should be able to at least get along with Markise. It seemed nearly impossible, though, especially when Dare wasn't there. "I mean, I know him and Dare were close..."
|
|
|
|
Post by Brindle Sterling on Oct 28, 2008 19:38:50 GMT -5
Brindle nodded. "Markise is...not himself lately," she said. She licked her lips briefly as she tried to think of what she could tell Michael--what she should tell him. He was really close to Dare, and Brindle knew that Markise would tell Dare, so didn't it make sense that Michael would find out anyway? "Markise came out at SWIM," she said, deciding to just do it. She liked Michael, and she got good vibes from him. If Markise found out, he'd forgive her. "He got attacked and our parents pulled him from the school, and he seemed fine for a couple days, but then..." Brindle shrugged. "I'm not sure what's wrong with him." It was as close as she could come to verbally commiserating with Michael.
|
|
|
|
Post by Michael Blackwood-Hardt on Oct 28, 2008 19:51:12 GMT -5
He got attacked. Michael's mind went straight back to Dare, to that dark ring around his eye, the boils and cuts on his back. His chest immediately ached again at the memory, but he tried to focus on what Brindle had said. "Being attacked can change you," he said. Anything violent like that could change who a person was.
|
|
|
|
Post by Brindle Sterling on Oct 28, 2008 19:59:55 GMT -5
Brindle nodded. "It was pretty bad," she said. "He was unconscious most of the night they think. They didn't let him out of the hospital for a few days. I told them I wasn't going back either." Brindle took a deep breath, then began her routine again, slowly, carefully, trying to calm herself. "You sound like you know," she said. She wouldn't wish that on anyone, and she hoped she was wrong.
|
|
|
|
Post by Michael Blackwood-Hardt on Oct 28, 2008 20:07:03 GMT -5
Michael's eyes fell and he shrugged slightly. "I know my way around a wand," he said, hoping to leave it at that. He didn't feel compelled to tell her about his past, hadn't felt it necessary to inform anyone since Dare's thorough acceptance. It just didn't seem as important anymore. He also didn't think it necessary to mention what Dare had gone through, if Dare wanted them to know, then he would tell them.
|
|
|
|
Post by Brindle Sterling on Oct 28, 2008 20:11:48 GMT -5
"Good," Brindle said definitely. "Not everyone does." Markise, for example. Brindle had tried to pick up a few defensive spells, but her friends hadn't been good at them either, which was why she'd turned to Martial Arts. The classes were inexpensive, and her parents hadn't batted an eye. They'd certainly have said something if she'd demanded a curses and counter-curses class. She could hear it now: What happened to Markise was a freak occurrence. What you learn in school is plenty. It was enough to make her grit her teeth.
|
|
|
|
Post by Michael Blackwood-Hardt on Oct 28, 2008 20:18:03 GMT -5
"Everyone should," Michael said, though he knew how true Brindle's statement was. Dare didn't, and Emilian was a horrible duelist, even with the training he had had. "I mean, even if it's just a few good spells, that helps." He wasn't particularly proud of how he had become so good with a wand, but he wasn't going to complain.
|
|
|
|
Post by Brindle Sterling on Oct 28, 2008 20:36:42 GMT -5
"SWIM is really bad about stuff like that," Brindle said, trying to distance herself from her thoughts by talking about it as she moved. "If they caught so much as a wedgie jinx there was detention. I don't even know how those people managed what they did." She pressed her lips tight at that and concentrated on her movements again. One. Two. Breathe. It was over, and she was doing everything she could.
|
|
|
|
Post by Michael Blackwood-Hardt on Oct 28, 2008 20:47:19 GMT -5
"That's ridiculous, around here you almost have to be good with a wand." Emilian might not have been the best duelist, but at least he could halfway hold his own. "Not that they won't get you for doing stuff in the halls, but you really have to know something, at least. There's not enough professors to catch everything." Michael's mind went back to Dare's back again and his eyes darkened slightly.
|
|
|
|
Post by Brindle Sterling on Oct 28, 2008 20:53:24 GMT -5
Brindle's eyebrows creased at that, and it was everything she could do not to stop her routine right now and go find Markise. She tried to keep going, but she'd lost her concentration entirely, so she stopped, turning her attention to Michael again. "It's not really that bad, is it?" she asked hopefully. She didn't want Markise getting hexed again. He'd at least moved his wand somewhere he could reach it, but what good did that do him?
|
|
|
|
Post by Michael Blackwood-Hardt on Oct 28, 2008 21:05:31 GMT -5
Michael thought for a moment, and then shook his head. "He's not out, and since he's new he doesn't really have an alliance, so he should be fine." The school was bad for certain people, members, supporters, guys with alternative lifestyles. But Michael couldn't see anything happening to Markise, not yet at least. As long as he stayed low, Michael didn't think anything would happen.
|
|
|
|
Post by Brindle Sterling on Oct 29, 2008 10:54:55 GMT -5
Brindle looked at Michael suspiciously for a moment, trying to decide if he meant it or if he was just placating her. He didn't sound condescending though, and his reasoning made sense, so she accepted what he'd said and looked down at her boots again. "People are such morons," she said idly. Her brother wasn't attracted to girls--something Brin understood, since she wasn't either--and he'd been seriously hurt for it, as though beating him half to death would make him suddenly wake up wanting to conform. If anything, he'd rebelled even further.
|
|
|
|
Post by Michael Blackwood-Hardt on Oct 29, 2008 20:04:18 GMT -5
Michael's lips quirked and he nodded, "Yes, they really are." He knew how stupid people could be, they could be insufferable. "It's rare to find someone that's tolerable." Especially for him. Michael got along pretty well with enough people, though many of them he hadn't seen in a long time, but there were still those that got annoying, they greatly outnumbered the number of those that he liked.
|
|
|
|
Post by Brindle Sterling on Oct 29, 2008 21:19:39 GMT -5
Brindle looked at Michael again. It seemed that no amount of visual assessment was enough to prepare her for the things he said. "You sound like Dare. He doesn't like people, either." She sighed and toed the leaves she'd disturbed back over the rock she'd found. "Lucky me and Keesee don't count as people," she added, her lips curving slightly.Michael obviously didn't count as people any more than they did.
|
|
|
|
Post by Michael Blackwood-Hardt on Oct 29, 2008 21:37:43 GMT -5
Keesee? Michael could only assume she was talking about Markise. He bit his tongue; in his opinion Markise was just as bad as some of the people he really didn't like. "People can be annoying, but then you find those few that aren't, and you have to stick with them." There wasn't many he could count for that, but Brindle hadn't bothered him yet, ever since he figured out who she was.
|
|
