A Meaningful Place (Anna/Markise)

[Markise Sterling]

Markise had become addicted to this spot at the edge of the lake. He felt secluded with the little stand of trees nearby, but he felt so free looking out over the water at scenery he'd never seen in New York or California. Yes, he loved the ocean, but the ocean was always moving, always trying to draw you in even as it threatened to tear you apart. The lake was still, aside from the occasional ripple from some underwater creature, and maybe, just maybe a tentacle out in the depths.

Markise had started coming to the lake for Ariel, he'd admit that much to himself, but over the times that he'd come to wait for him, he'd grown to actually enjoy it. Now Markise sat at the edge in the spot he liked so much, thinking. Again. He'd brought his homework with him this time, but couldn't seem to actually pull it out and work on it. Markise sighed.

[Annabelle Hennessy]

Anna came around a cluster of trees, scanning the landscape for a good spot to call her own. She loved the lake, but it seemed like every spot she'd previously been held memories of one form or another. There was the tree her and Michael used to sit by, the spot she used to swim at until she saw Michael and Dare there together, and the side by the lake where she'd been caught in a storm with Chase. All She wanted was a pretty, quiet place that she could escape into her book without her thoughts interfering.

She was looking out over the lake as she walked, verifying that none of the other places could be seen from here, when her foot caught on something, sending her flying towards the ground. Only it wasn't just ground that she hit.

[Markise Sterling]

Markise had been so lost in his thoughts that he hadn't seen the girl approach, hadn't heard her shoes on the dirt, grass, and fallen leaves. All he knew was that one moment, he'd been leaning back on his arms, legs sprawled out in front of him, and in a flash, something had hit his ankle sharply and with a low oof, Markise was sprawled on his back, a warm body pressed to his. A soft warm body. Markise tried to gather his bearings, then looked down at the girl, finding that he was fine, if a little sore. "Are you all right?" he asked her, struggling to help her into a sitting position.

[Annabelle Hennessy]

"I'm fine." Anna scrambled to remove herself from the stranger's body, her cheeks reddening from more than just the chill in the air. She ended up sitting on the ground, their legs barely touching, but no longer on top of each other. She checked her palms, sore from smacking the ground as she tried to break her fall, but otherwise uninjured. "Oh my goodness. I'm so sorry. I didn't even see you there. I didn't hurt you did I?"

[Markise Sterling]

Markise shook his head. "I'm fine," he said, realizing as he heard himself that he was echoing the girl's words. It was true, though, so he let it go and looked at her, trying to judge for himself if she really was all right. He didn't have Dare's people-reading skills, though, so he decided all he could do was trust that she was, and that she hadn't hurt her palms too badly, since that much was obvious. "Is there anything I can do?" Markise asked, offering the girl one large hand partially shielded from the cooler weather with a fingerless glove.

[Annabelle Hennessy]

"Oh, no, I'll be fine." Anna offered her hand to him, her palm up as proof that she was fine other than a bit of redness. She looked at him closely, now that the shock of tripping was fading. She realized that she didn't have a clue who he was off hand. She searched her memory, and thought she might have seen him in the halls a few times, but she didn't have a name to put with the face. "I'm Annabelle by the way. I don't think we've met before."

[Markise Sterling]

Markise lifted his pale blue gaze from the girl's palm, and the corner of his lips curved just a bit. "Markise," he responded. "And no, we haven't, I'm sure I'd remember you." The words weren't true flirting, and it showed, just a bit of flattery and fun for both of them. "I've only been here a few weeks. Have you been a lot longer?"

[Annabelle Hennessy]

Anna smiled at the compliment, deciding he meant nothing beyond that by his mannerisms. "Yes, I was born and raised in Britain. Where are you from?" She asked, noticing his accent. At first guess she would say it sounded American, but it was so different from Dare's accent that she wasn't sure. She'd never been good at telling what country people were from unless they spoke another language which made it much easier to narrow down the possibilities. "It sounds similar to ones I've heard before, but not quite."

[Markise Sterling]

Markise thought that over for one brief moment before making the connection. "I'm American," he said, "from New York. I went to school in California though, so I know about regional dialects and stuff. You know other Americans?" Markise's first thought was, of course, Dare, then Silver. Not that Markise knew many people, but he hadn't met any other Americans since he'd been here. Two Australians and countless British, though.

[Annabelle Hennessy]

Annabelle wondered if he knew Dare or Silver, but thought it rather stereotypical of her just because they were from the U.S. She knew it was a big country, so she dismissed the ridiculous thought. "There are some students that are American, and I think a professor, he has an accent like one too, though I never asked where he came from. Your accents are really funny so it's easy to tell you're not from around here." She said the last bit with a smile, simply pointing out the obvious difference in speech patterns.

[Markise Sterling]

Markise's lips curved. "Really funny?" he repeated, unable to pass up the opportunity. "Maybe the British are the ones with the funny accents." Markise paused a second as though in thought, then corrected himself. "No, you're right, our accents are funny. The British are the ones with the cool accents." His eyes gave away the tease, another light, harmless flirt. Markise was a flirt by nature. He loved the teasing, the humor, and the good feeling everyone got out of it when it was done right.

[Annabelle Hennessy]

"Nonsense. I don't have an accent." Annabelle lifted her nose in the air a bit, trying to look as snooty as possible, but ruined the effect when she couldn't hold a straight face any longer and broke out in a big grin. She found herself oddly comfortable around Markise, as if he was an old friend that she could joke around with, not like someone she'd just met that moment. She couldn't place what it was about him, perhaps just his friendly demeanor, but he didn't seem at all threatening to her like so many of the other students at the school were.

[Markise Sterling]

Markise's smile widened, and he gave a light chuckle at Annabelle's tease. He liked her melodramatic flair. It was especially refreshing after Ariel's brooding near-silence. "You don't even have a cool accent?" Markise asked. "I guess that means I have one, then." Markise had a flair for the dramatic too, but he knew how to hold back, and in front of a girl he didn't know anything about was definitely the moment to do so. "So, Annabelle-without-an-accent, were you going anywhere?" Markise didn't ask in the effort to get her on her way, but as a subtle invitation to stay. He was bored and lonely as hell lately, and he rather liked her.

[Annabelle Hennessy]

Annabelle laughed lightly at his addition to her name, deciding she liked him. "Why yes, Markise-with-a-funny-accent, I was looking for a new place suitable for reading. I love the lake, and there's only a few more weeks until the weather is unbearable and I'll be stuck reading indoors. I was thinking just before I tripped over you that I liked the view from here." She didn't add that if he hadn't been there already, that she probably would have claimed his location as her new haven.

[Markise Sterling]

Markise chuckled again. "This is my spot," he declared, though he had no issues sharing it. "It has an amazing view, and I'm here all the time. 24/7." An obvious lie, but one she couldn't prove at the moment, considering he was here. "I was just about to put up my flag," he added. He didn't actually have a flag if she called him on it, but he'd make one if he had to. There were plenty of twigs and dry leaves lying around.