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

[Annabelle Hennessy]

"So what type of place is not officially a strip club?" Anna asked in her teasing voice. It was like pulling teeth trying to get anything out of him other than hints and vague answers, which was probably what was making her even more curious as to his nocturnal activities. If he'd straight up told her he was drinking at a bar, they wouldn't have had any of their conversation. But something about the way he was skirting around the truth made her want to solve the mystery he was spinning.

[Markise Sterling]

"A real club," Markise answered. "Not like the Bloody... one in Hogsmeade where you can't even work up a sweat." He really hadn't minded the Bloody Mary until after Ariel. Then he'd had no outlet except clubbing, and he didn't trust himself in the little all-ages club here, even if they didn't sell alcohol. At the real clubs he'd started going to, he could be and do whatever he wanted and no one batted an eye. Not even the fact that he had a cloak instead of just a Muggle coat.

[Annabelle Hennessy]

"Whats a real club like? Would I like it?" Anna had no intention of wandering so far away from the school, but she was genuinely interested in his answer. She'd ended up having fun at the Bloody Mary, and had considered it a club. If it wasn't really one, then what was the difference? Would she enjoy going to one when she was back home? The thought of going dancing alone didn't really appeal to her though, and she wondered if she'd ever actually get to see a real club.

[Markise Sterling]

Markise licked his lips at that question, then just repeated what he'd said before. "Not that kind of club. It's more like Nine Inch Nails than that song you liked better. You'd have like an aneur..." He made a low sound of frustration. "A stroke or something," he said instead. Dammit, why did he keep picking hard words to say?

[Annabelle Hennessy]

Anna tilted her head at him, wondering how he could like such a club without his girlfriend there. He hadn't tried to dance all freaky with her, but would he be doing it with other random girls? "And the guys and girls all dance all up on each other like those other couples had been?" She was trying to understand what his interest in them was. "You like that?"

[Markise Sterling]

"Those other couples were amta..." He paused, then tried again. "Am-uh-shurs," he finished, sounding the word out very slowly. That sounded good. "I have to get out or I go crazy! And I can do what I want in London 'cause no one knows me." He didn't even use his real name, and that was only for the rare times a name was actually needed. He did not want word getting into the newspaper, or even worse, getting back to the school.

[Annabelle Hennessy]

"How can you get crazier than rubbing all up on a girl?" Annabelle's eyes were wide. The NIN song had caused everyone to practically hump each other like dogs, which, was actually what the lyrics were about. She didn't think dancing could get much worse if clothing was still involved. And if Markise felt he had to go all the way to London since no one knew him there, then what types of things was he doing?

[Markise Sterling]

"Ugh, that is not what I'm talking about," Markise said. He had no interest in rubbing all up on a girl. "I mean dancing, getting dressed up and being who I want to be and no one looking at me like I'm some freak of nature. Don't you ever wanna be someone else?" Markise didn't think Annabelle was a prude at all. He thought she was sweet and shy and needed to be led gently into expressing herself, but he didn't think she was a prude. All the same, he assumed that everyone was homophobic unless he knew for certain otherwise. It was much safer that way. If he'd just done that at SWIM, he wouldn't be here alone. Or mostly alone.

[Annabelle Hennessy]

Anna smiled, knowing the feeling that Markise was talking about. "Well yeah. That's why I love acting, I can pretend to be whomever I wish. I was a Gothic dominatrix at the Masquerade; it was fun to act like that without anyone knowing it was me." She paused, wondering how he dressed to go clubbing if people would think he was a freak of nature. "How do you get dressed up?"

[Markise Sterling]

Markise had been completely derailed by Anna's confession. A dominatrix? He might have asked if she was serious if it hadn't been for the whole Nine Inch Nails thing. He almost missed her question trying to think about it. Almost. As it was, he shook his hooded head. "My secret," he said. "I'm not someone else, I'm me, but that's enough."

[Annabelle Hennessy]

This secret of his was driving her crazy. He was speaking in circles, just barely hinting, but not enough for her to comprehend. Markise was himself when he went to London, but he got dressed up and people that knew him might think him a freak for it? She thought back to the Bloody Mary, he had dressed nice, and had said that he even made his clothes. A spark of light went off in her head, and she clung to the only lead she might have. "So do you make really weird looking clothes that you wear out or something, and are afraid for everyone around here to see them?"

[Markise Sterling]

Markise rolled his eyes at Anna, for all the good it did with his face hidden in shadow. "I don't make weird looking clothes," he said and grabbed the edge of his cloak, pulling it open just long enough for her to get a glimpse of his outfit, then pulling it closed again. He was wearing white, so even the dim light would be enough to show it, but he didn't think there was anything weird about a pair of perfectly tailored painter's pants and a snug white shirt. It didn't occur to him at the moment that his shirt was a bit shorter than the typical heterosexual male usually wore. He worked for the body he had, and was perfectly comfortable showing off the results.

[Annabelle Hennessy]

"No, let me see! You should be proud of what you make!" Anna pleaded as she took in the flash of white, all very fitting to his body. She had noticed a small gap between his shirt and pants where the dim light hadn't reflected white clothing. Was he wearing a belt, or, "Ooo, was that a midriff?" She'd never seen a guy wear one before, and hadn't ever had the guts to wear one herself.

[Markise Sterling]

"I didn't make it, I altered it," Markise said, and skipped over the bit about the midriff. He wasn't so drunk he'd completely lost his sense of self-preservation. Not that he gave it much thought, he was just so used to hiding that side of himself that he could do it even with his inhibitions lowered. Unless he was completely sh~faced drunk, which he wasn't letting himself get without a trustworthy escort.

[Annabelle Hennessy]

She hadn't seen any other guys dressed like that, wizard or muggle, unless they were wearing costumes for the theater or movies. Annabelle wondered if that was why he chose to go to London, because the wizards at the Bloody Mary wouldn't like the clothes he ma - altered. She doubted guys in London would be that more accepting, unless.... "So do all the guys dress like this then? Why would that be so shocking to me?" She didn't get it. If all the other girls were accepting of this fashion statement, then why wouldn't she be?