|
|
Post by Markise Sterling on Dec 31, 2008 1:16:16 GMT -5
Markise's brittle smile had broken the moment the door of DareandMichael's apartment had closed behind him. He'd decided it was safer to think of them that way--DareandMichael--rather than continuing to let him pretend he'd ever have another chance.
He'd made it down the street without any overt sign of emotion, not unless someone was looking into his eyes, which no one was close enough to do. But the tears came again, without his permission and even as he forcibly ignored them.
Finally Markise stopped and turned on the spot. He wasn't even sure which way he'd gone, and he could hardly think to reme
|
|
|
|
Post by Mano Berwyn on Dec 31, 2008 15:09:31 GMT -5
Mano came out of the owlery, buttoning up his fitted, creme coat underneath his tan cloak. He had just sent off an owl to Carolynn to say that the place was ready for her to come whenever she could find the time. The figure he saw a shop or two down the street was certainly unexpected, and he slipped on his gloves and straightened his hat before walking toward the person he was certain was Markise. Even more unexpected than seeing Markise was seeing the wetness on his cheeks. "For a Hogwarts student you're out of the castle a lot," he pointed out as he came up to Markise.
|
|
|
|
Post by Markise Sterling on Dec 31, 2008 15:16:37 GMT -5
Markise's shoulders, back, and neck seized at the first sound of that disturbingly smooth voice. One hand rose, reflexively trying to wipe away the tears, though they refused to stop just yet. He shoved his hands into his pockets and tried to pretend that he hadn't been crying, and that Mano, who he hardly knew anyway, didn't see a thing. At least he hadn't worked himself up so that his eyes and nose were red or swollen yet. "I have friends here," he answered, but that started the tears all over again. He rolled his eyes at himself, highly annoyed that he wasn't quite able to stop.
|
|
|
|
Post by Mano Berwyn on Dec 31, 2008 15:33:28 GMT -5
Mano raised an eyebrow, "Do they live this close to Knockturn Alley?" He didn't see Markise having friends that would be anywhere close to the darker area. He slid his hands into his pockets and avoided commenting on the tears just yet. The last time he had nearly run Markise off, and he didn't like the idea of doing it again. He hoped he could get Markise comfortable enough to stay with him longer.
|
|
|
|
Post by Markise Sterling on Dec 31, 2008 15:38:13 GMT -5
Markise blinked at that, his attention gratefully jumping onto the new subject. "What's Knockturn Alley?" he asked, looking around again. He'd only ever been on Diagon Alley before, and even then, only as a passage between Hogsmeade and London, and he hadn't even considered that one street, alley, whatever, would likely have others leading off it.
|
|
|
|
Post by Mano Berwyn on Dec 31, 2008 16:10:41 GMT -5
"If you don't know what it is, you don't need anything that's sold in its shops," Mano said, that easy smile coming to his lips again. "It has darker objects than Diagon Alley," he explained, glancing toward it. It was obvious by the question that the friends didn't live near it, so that begged the question of how Markise had gotten anywhere near it in the firs place.
|
|
|
|
Post by Markise Sterling on Dec 31, 2008 16:21:04 GMT -5
Markise's gaze followed Mano as his words sunk in. It did look dark, but yes, he understood what Mano meant, even if he had no clue what any of those darker objects might be. He was curious, but he wasn't going down there with Mano. He told himself maybe he'd try another time. If he could find it again.
He pulled his gaze away from the twisted little alley back to Mano, who was being... nice again, or at least some version of nice. He hadn't forgotten what had happened in that coffee shop, but somehow he couldn't bring himself to put his guard back up. He was still on-edge about DareandMichael.
"So what were you doing down here?" Markise asked, only deciding after the fact that it was none of his business. His eyes flickered away, and one gray-gloved hand left his pocket without his notice to pull lightly at a lock of hair that his hood had pushed forward. "You don't have to answer that," he amended. Especially if Mano had been in Knockturn Alley.
|
|
|
|
Post by Mano Berwyn on Dec 31, 2008 16:27:40 GMT -5
Mano gave a light chuckle and gestured back toward the door he had walked out of a few minutes before. "I had to send an owl to my cousin," he said, the story coming easily to his lips of who Carolynn was supposed to be. It wouldn't go over too well for either one of them to say anything other than that they were relatives. They did have reputations to uphold. "I don't have the pleasure of owning my own."
|
|
|
|
Post by Markise Sterling on Dec 31, 2008 16:39:11 GMT -5
Markise breathed a low oh as his gaze moved from the Owl Post up to Mano. That chuckle had gotten his attention, yes, but it was odd to think of him having something as normal as a cousin. It made him seem almost human instead of some apparition that could turn at any moment. It was odd thinking of Mano having any life outside his two strange appearances in Markise's. "Are you and your cousin close?" he asked.
|
|
|
|
Post by Mano Berwyn on Dec 31, 2008 16:47:31 GMT -5
Mano nodded, his smile changing as he thought about just how close he and Carolynn were. "We are." He forced his grin into a more suitable one for talking about a relative. "Are you and your friends close?" he asked, a question for a question. He thought that Markise and whoever his friends were must be close, for Markise to make such a trip to see them.
|
|
|
|
Post by Markise Sterling on Dec 31, 2008 16:59:23 GMT -5
Any thought Markise might have had about the way Mano looked for that one brief moment was entirely forgotten at his question. Markise's lips pressed together a moment. That really wasn't a question he wanted to think about the answer to right now, so he tossed out the first explanation that came to his mind. "I've known Dare for years, but I've hardly even seen him since I got here. His fiancé has hated me since day one, and he probably just wanted to gloat when he asked me to stay." Markise didn't truly believe that--he'd seen how happy he'd been-- but what were the chances that Mano would have any clue who he was talking about?
|
|
|
|
Post by Mano Berwyn on Dec 31, 2008 17:18:00 GMT -5
Dare. Mano raised an eyebrow, wondering if it was the same one from the pictures at Emilian's place. "Does this Dare have color in his hair, by any chance?" he asked, instead of asking why the fiance would hate Markise. His mind was running through those pictures of Dare and Michael again, hating the teasing pictures that hadn't revealed everything he might have wanted them to.
|
|
|
|
Post by Markise Sterling on Dec 31, 2008 17:50:08 GMT -5
Markise's eyes widened a bit at the question. Apparently the chances were higher than he'd would have expected. "He's got a few colors," Markise answered, almost warily. He wanted to assume that it was because Mano's shop was in Diagon Alley too, but he hadn't missed that arched brow. "Why, do you know him?" If he could put a face to the name, it certainly seemed like it.
|
|
|
|
Post by Mano Berwyn on Dec 31, 2008 18:04:36 GMT -5
Mano shook his head, "No, there were some pictures of him and Michael in Emilian's place." He wondered if Michael was the fiance that Markise had talked about, and if he was, when had that happened? "It's not very often you see a guy with that kind of hair and such a unique name." With Michael. That was one of the reasons it had stayed in his mind so well, it had been Michael.
|
|
|
|
Post by Markise Sterling on Dec 31, 2008 18:13:03 GMT -5
Markise gave a noncommittal hm at that. He was the one who'd given Dare that unique name. He realized he was likely frowning, or pouting at the least, and attempted not to, attempted being the key word. "His name's Alasdair, actually." He was keeping the story of the nickname to himself. Then at least there would be something left that was just theirs. And he didn't want to think about the pictures at all, not even if they were the ones DareandMichael had allegedly taken to send him. "Anyway, I was trying to get back to this little martial arts place..." He stopped himself before he could give away that the guy was using unregistered Portkeys for most of his students.
|
|
