Caught! (Anna/Markise) (gates/lawns)

[Markise Sterling]

"Huh?" Markise hadn't been to the Bloody Mary since that fight with Dare, and he'd certainly never called it by its initials. He didn't make the connection and he'd already moved past the excuse he'd just given her, since it hadn't taken any thought to begin with. He reached up absently and caught a lock of hair that had worked its way over his forehead from all the times he'd tugged at his hood and twirled it around his finger, toying with it.

[Annabelle Hennessy]

Anna's eyes followed his movement, but the hood still blocked everything. His reluctance to reveal anything other than his hands was really starting to get to her. Curiosity killed the cat, and each moment he tried to hide made her want to know what he was hiding even more. "You're not going to tell me where you were? You really expect me to buy the sleeping in a tree bit?" She asked playfully, trying to imitate their playful connection from the night at the Bloody Mary.

[Markise Sterling]

Markise's smile returned. "Nope," he said. "My little secret." He never wanted to come out again. He was perfectly happy sneaking off to London on Friday nights. All alone. Markise inwardly sighed. So maybe going out all alone wasn't what he'd prefer, but it gave him a lot of freedom that he hadn't had before.

[Annabelle Hennessy]

Anna put on a fake pout, drawing off of her interest in acting. "I feel so unloved! Was I that horrible of a dancer that you'll cut me completely?" Her teasing voice showed that she was clearly playing around, but deep down the question hit home a little. Why doesn't he want me know know what's going on? She didn't know if it was something she'd done inadvertently that had pushed him away, or if he was doing something that he didn't want people to know. Possibly something wrong, or even illegal!

[Markise Sterling]

Now Markise laughed. "You don't wanna know where I've been dancing," he said, his voice soft and teasing. He was feeling much better now that he wasn't scared as hell, and he wanted to have fun again. He hardly realized what he'd said, only that he was playing and Anna was a good sport.

[Annabelle Hennessy]

Anna gave a dramatic gasp, noticing that teasing him had gotten her much farther than direct questioning. "You've been dancing without me!" She placed the back of her hand to her forehead as if about to stage a mock swoon. "Oh, the shame! I'll never get to dance again." She managed not to laugh at the over-dramatics, but was unable to keep a huge grin off her face.

[Markise Sterling]

Markise laughed again, an entirely unselfconscious sound higher-pitched than his everyday laugh was. "You wouldn't make it through the door without a heart attack," he assured her, grinning widely now. This was too much fun. She'd never guess where he'd been! Maybe he'd keep giving her clues until she gave up and they could go back to their dorms.

[Annabelle Hennessy]

Anna raised her eyebrows at that comment. So he'd been dancing somewhere that would shock her? It was obvious that he hadn't been at the Bloody Mary then, and she narrowed down that it hadn't been anywhere nearby. "Do you think me that much of a prude that I'm so easily shocked?" She crossed her arms, tucking her wand up her sleeve as she did so. Her mind raced to try and figure out the hints he'd let slip, but there were just too many possibilities. "It wasn't a strip club was it?" She didn't even know if wizards had such things, and doubted that Markise would be able to get in even if there was.

[Markise Sterling]

Markise gave a low, secretive chuckle. "Not offiish...offa... Not really," he said at last, his voice almost sultry with the tease, even if it had been a while coming. There were plenty of guys who went into the club less than fully dressed, and plenty more that half stripped with the heat of the crowd, but no, it wasn't a strip club. Markise stifled a yawn, then half turned, gesturing up toward the castle. "We should go in. It's late."

[Annabelle Hennessy]

She caught his stuttering again, but was sidetracked by his actual words. Not officially. What did that mean? Her thoughts were interrupted by his request, and Annabelle agreed that it was past time to head inside. She only hoped that they could make it safely to their respective dorms without getting caught. As she turned and fell into step beside him, she was able to smell what she couldn't from her previous position. "What is that smell?"

Like pieces of a jigsaw puzzle, all the little bits suddenly came together. "Oh my gosh, Markise? Have you, have you, been drinking?" She managed to ask just above a shocked whisper. She'd never have pegged Markise for the type that needed alcohol to have a good time. At the club together she'd seen him drinking only water, but his mannerisms had been completely different then. Annabelle stopped their progress toward the castle and rested a hand gently on his cloaked arm.

[Markise Sterling]

Markise stopped and looked down at Anna, his glossy lips curving into a mischievous smile. "Maaybe," he said teasingly, in the same secretive tone that Annabelle had used. She didn't seem to think it was funny. "I was thirsty!" he argued. And he'd done a lot better this time. He'd actually turned down a few drinks, though he'd been right about what would happen if he did. But he hadn't wanted to talk to that guy with the black hair anyway.

[Annabelle Hennessy]

Anna didn't know what to do next with this new information. It wasn't that she completely disapproved of alcohol, but she'd never had to deal with someone that was drunk. And was he really drunk? He wasn't as bad as people she'd seen in movies, but he definitely wasn't acting normal. And the claim he'd made about the place not really being a strip club resurfaced. Had she judged his character so wrong? "I just never pegged you as the type to get drunk and go to topless bars?" Her statement came out more as a question as she tried to understand what Markise was all about.

[Markise Sterling]

Markise broke into laughter at that. Topless bars! "There's nothing I wanna see there, Anna. C'mon, let's go!" He turned back toward the castle, still tickled by that, until he got a visual. Ew. He wouldn't go into a topless bar, and he couldn't imagine he'd have much fun in a strip club either, unless he got to dance too. That sounded like fun. "I'll stick with dancing," he said to no one in particular.

[Annabelle Hennessy]

"Oh come on, ALL guys want to see that!" She accused him playfully. Sure, Markise might try to play the gentleman, but he even admitted to looking when he wouldn't get caught. And a strip club was someplace where it was acceptable to look. She turned with him and walked beside him, but he kept her eyes on him more than the path about them.

[Markise Sterling]

Markise made a face, since Anna couldn't see him anyway. "Not all guys," he said. Not that he meant to include himself even if he was included, but he was making a point. "I wasn't in a strip club or a topless place either so it doesn't matter." Even if he did want to go-- which he didn't-- he didn't have that kind of money to spend. All he ever paid was the cover. All his drinks were free.