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Post by Markise Sterling on Dec 28, 2008 19:00:17 GMT -5
Markise had been miserable for far too long, and he was sick of it. Of course, being sick of it didn't do a thing to make him feel better. It wasn't like he could go talk to Dare, since he was on vacation with Michael, and even if Silver wasn't gone too, he couldn't bitch about Ariel to him. Couldn't bitch about Dare either. Not to Silver, and notto his sister.
Which left him with whatever random new students popped up. Yes, they could help him for a short while. He'd been able to focus on someone else's troubles with Holly, but the moment his company wandered off, it was back to brooding, and since he couldn't talk about his issues anyway, he'd kept it all bottled up.
He'd told himself he wanted to go back to the club, to dance and forget and maybe even meet someone, but he hadn't been able to yet. There were too many memories, just from that one trip, and with how miserable he'd been he didn't want to risk going back and possibly drinking too much again, especially not without someone to watch him. And hopefully not have sex with other people for money while he's passed out on the bed next to them!
But he was more than tired of thinking about it and being miserable. He was exhausted, and he figured that since he'd vomited up every drop of coffee the last time he'd had some, it didn't count and he didn't have to guilt himself about it not having been long enough.
When Markise opened the door to the coffee shop, his spirits lifted immediately. He walked in just far enough for the door to swing closed, then paused, closing his eyes and breathing it in for just a minute while there was no one else in the room.
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Post by Mano Berwyn on Dec 28, 2008 19:19:44 GMT -5
Mano had found that he actually liked running the little cafe, especially considering how little he had actually worked in his life before moving to Diagon Alley. He rarely left the counter, from which he would watch his patrons with high interest as they drank their coffees and chatted or read.
He only had left the counter a few minutes before to run upstairs to grab a book of his own and smiled when he came back through the door to the main room. "Can I help you?" he asked, setting the thin book on the counter by the register and looking up at the customer.
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Post by Markise Sterling on Dec 28, 2008 19:29:52 GMT -5
Markise's eyes blinked open, and it took him a moment to shake off the spell of the scent of fresh coffee enough to look for the source of that voice. Not difficult, considering there was only one other person in the room. "Just coffee," he said, pulling off his gloves one finger at a time as he walked toward the counter. He stopped next to a display of desserts or whatever sugary, fatty things were behind the glass, but after a moment he gave up. He was all alone, he'd been alone, and he was going to be alone. He'd extend his workout for the next couple days. He let himself look at the display.
"Actually," Markise said, tucking his thin leather gloves into his pockets, "What's that?" He tapped the glass of the display over something that looked far too rich to be edible and told himself determinedly that he was not going to look at the guy behind the counter. He was completely and entirely done with boys, guys, and men. Forever.
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Post by Mano Berwyn on Dec 28, 2008 19:44:05 GMT -5
Mano leaned on the counter with his elbows and followed the guy's finger. "Death by chocolate," he said, his own little name for it. Even he couldn't eat very much of it. He raised an eyebrow and brought his eyes up, moving over the guy's face before focusing on his eyes. "Are you taking back that just coffee, then?" he asked, a soft, easy smile coming over his lips.
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Post by Markise Sterling on Dec 28, 2008 19:52:02 GMT -5
Markise laughed lightly at the alleged name of the dessert, and his eyes sparkled. "Just coffee... and that," he amended, turning his gaze from the display only to stop entirely. He took a mental step back, but he'd already seen that smile and something in the guy's eyes. No, he told himself firmly. He was only imagining it because he'd been so lonely, and he shouldn't be imagining it anyway, because he'd sworn off all boys, guys, and men.
Markise blinked and reached for the buttons on his coat. He was eating here, and he had no intentions to sweat to death. Besides, it gave him something to concentrate on besides how pathetically desperate he apparently was.
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Post by Mano Berwyn on Dec 28, 2008 20:13:47 GMT -5
Mano's smile widened and he nodded. He bent and opened the back of the counter to pull out one of he desserts, then set it on the counter. "Which one?" he asked, glancing back over his shoulder at the list of coffees and sizes. He couldn't very well just pour a coffee and hope it was the right one. It wasn't as though he had a very large list, but it was enough to give a bit of variation.
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Post by Markise Sterling on Dec 28, 2008 20:24:44 GMT -5
Ugh. Markise had done this before. It was why he preferred little family-owned places most of the time. He had occasionally visited Starbucks® in New York and even more occasionally gotten a specialty coffee, but those times were so few and far between that Markise had to stare at the too-long list for a moment before he could decide. He ended up choosing something mellow, but not mild, something he knew from experience would have a light, nutty flavor to it. He hoped he'd managed it fast enough to fake that he knew what he was doing.
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Post by Mano Berwyn on Dec 28, 2008 20:38:40 GMT -5
Mano nodded and poured the drink, then snapped the lid on and set it on the counter by the dessert. "Sure you don't want anything else?" he asked, punching in the numbers on the register to open it, then telling the price of what was already on the counter. "Or is the just coffee your final choice?" He brought his eyes back up to the guy's face, hovering over his lips before meeting his eyes again.
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Post by Markise Sterling on Dec 28, 2008 20:44:59 GMT -5
Markise's lips parted lightly at the unmistakable direction of the guy's...man's...dammit, it didn't matter, he knew he hadn't imagined it this time! No! he told himself firmly. But looking didn't count, did it? Especially since Markise hadn't even known there were any more... He forced his thoughts and his gaze away and murmured something about coffee and death being just what he wanted, though he hardly heard himself as he dug the correct amount out of his money pouch.
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Post by Mano Berwyn on Dec 28, 2008 20:52:08 GMT -5
Mano raised an eyebrow at those barely heard murmured words. "Are you sure?" he asked again, though for a different reason. "There are much better things in this world than death and coffee, no matter how good those two things are," he said, mentally counting the money as it came into view. He didn't think the guy would rip him off, but it was an impulse.
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Post by Markise Sterling on Dec 28, 2008 20:58:40 GMT -5
Markise counted out exact change, though he already intended to leave a tip before he left the café. "Death is the only thing that's sure in life," Markise said, pulling the drawstring on the pouch closed again. "I'm in between better things right now, but this," Markise said, wrapping one hand around the hot cup, "this ought to keep me going for a while." He couldn't seem to meet the man's eyes anymore. He knew he'd said too much, and he ought to just go sit down.
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Post by Mano Berwyn on Dec 28, 2008 21:16:12 GMT -5
Mano took the money and dropped it in the register, which agreed with the counting of both him and the other guy. "If you're in between, then that means a better thing should be coming up any time," he pointed out, eyes sparkling lightly in a private laugh at his own wording. He wondered faintly if the guy would catch the same thing he had, but didn't give it much thought.
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Post by Markise Sterling on Dec 28, 2008 21:28:52 GMT -5
Markise didn't catch it. His mind was on his personal issues and the strong desire to just sit down and drink his coffee. He shook his head lightly. "I just don't see it happening," he said matter-of-factly. He looked up at the guy behind the counter now, with his thick hair and elegant features, and reached for his dessert plate. "Some of us aren't made for better things." He shook his head at himself again, then moved to turn into the café and find a quiet seat where he could forget himself for as long as he could make his coffee and death by chocolate last.
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Post by Mano Berwyn on Dec 28, 2008 21:39:47 GMT -5
"Everyone is made for better things," Mano said to the guy's back. He glanced around, and, since the place was empty and he could see the door from anywhere in the shop, pushed up off of the counter. "Would you mind if I sat with you?" he asked, glancing at the clock. It would be much more interesting to sit and talk with his customer than reading the book.
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Post by Markise Sterling on Dec 28, 2008 21:44:00 GMT -5
Markise had paused at those first words, the assurance that everyone was made for better things. He didn't believe it, not when through his own stupidity he'd been willingly used and abandoned more than once, and given up the only better thing he'd ever really had. Still, he shook his head, then glanced back over his shoulder. "I wouldn't mind," he said. Maybe a little social contact would do him some good.
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