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Post by Ariel Logan Callahan on Feb 20, 2009 19:08:50 GMT -5
Ariel had the faint thought that perhaps he should have warned Markise, but he didn't say anything, it was too late anyway. He huddled in his chair and kept a blank stare on Markise just to make sure nothing happened. It wouldn't be a long trip; Markise could survive. His eyebrows creased slightly as he gave up the battle to get the images out of his mind and let them flow freely.
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Post by Markise Sterling on Feb 20, 2009 19:14:02 GMT -5
If Markise had thought the taxi was bad, it was nothing compared to this. He clung to the arm of his chair to keep from being thrown out of it, and at the first unexpected pop between one place and the next, he leaned over the edge of his chair and got sick. Neither the driver nor the conductor seemed to notice.
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Post by Ariel Logan Callahan on Feb 20, 2009 19:22:48 GMT -5
Ariel wrinkled his nose slightly, "It won't be long," he said, then focused down on his lap as the image of Markise on the bus was pushed away by other images of Markise. He would have helped Markise, but the way the bus moved he wouldn't have made it to Markise without getting thrown into a couple of windows.
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Post by Markise Sterling on Feb 20, 2009 19:36:34 GMT -5
By the time the bus finally stopped, Markise had been sick more than once, and not only was his head throbbing, but it was spinning as well. He didn't have a single thought of getting up, couldn't think of the bed at the end of the journey through his current misery. He sat with his eyes closed, his skin even paler than normal, trying to take slower breaths and will his stomach not to revolt again.
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Post by Ariel Logan Callahan on Feb 22, 2009 15:14:46 GMT -5
Ariel stood and, with a glance from an impatient doorman, stepped toward Markise. "Come on, we have to get off," he urged as he tried absently to get his previous thoughts out of his mind. He brought his hand up to brush away the hair from Markise's face, then rested it on his shoulder. "We just have to walk up to the castle."
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Post by Markise Sterling on Feb 22, 2009 15:21:56 GMT -5
Markise gave a half-smothered groan at the thought of walking that far. The grounds suddenly seemed endless, not to mention the continued walk once they were inside. It took him a while to push himself to his feet, and the conductor guy didn't look at all happy as he headed back to clean up, but eventually they were on solid ground again. And then there was the crack of the bus disappearing. Markise was near tears from it all. At least he had his hood up.
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Post by Ariel Logan Callahan on Feb 22, 2009 15:36:59 GMT -5
Ariel's eyes softened underneath the protection of his hair and he momentarily put his hand at Markise's lower back. "You can make it, I promise," he said softly. "I'll even walk you to your dorm if you want." Then he pulled his hand away, remembering that they were no longer in accepting London, but the outskirts of Hogsmeade. Even if Markise was in a cloak, Ariel didn't trust the people there.
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Post by Markise Sterling on Feb 22, 2009 15:42:13 GMT -5
Markise nodded slightly, too miserable to even consider telling Ariel no. He didn't want to fall down somewhere and get found by someone; his parents would kill him if they found out, even if he was a legal adult. Technically.
Markise couldn't think to say anything right now, but just standing was wearing on him. He forced suddenly leaden feet to move, hoping the momentum would keep him upright. He was never going on the Knight Bus again. Ever.
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Post by Ariel Logan Callahan on Feb 22, 2009 15:52:57 GMT -5
"You could have stayed in the Leaky Cauldron and slept, you know," Ariel pointed out, though he figured it probably wouldn't be appreciated by Markise at all. It was the truth, and he wouldn't even have had to pay unless they had stayed another night. Markise could have slept longer and would have felt much better.
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Post by Markise Sterling on Feb 22, 2009 15:57:20 GMT -5
Markise scowled at that. Yes, he could have stayed, but he'd been trying to get away from the discomfort of being near Ariel, the discomfort of being in that place! He didn't know why he'd let Ariel come with him, that had defeated half the reason he'd tried to sneak out to begin with. He just... lost his ability to think properly when Ariel was around. He refused to think about why. "I wanted my bed," he managed to say.
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Post by Ariel Logan Callahan on Feb 22, 2009 15:59:55 GMT -5
Ariel shook his head and looked up at the castle, still a good walk away. "It's hard to imagine that you really care where you sleep the way you are right now," he said as he glanced over at Markise. He could see Markise caring later on, but considering it was hard for him to even walk, Ariel couldn't see it mattering.
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Post by Markise Sterling on Feb 22, 2009 16:04:10 GMT -5
Markise's eyes teared up at that; no, he didn't care, not now, but earlier, when he'd just had a cup of coffee and washed his face, it hadn't seemed like such a horrible ordeal. He'd known he would get sick from the Portkey, that he'd be a little dizzy, but this was so much worse. Markise brought one hand up to wipe at his eyes beneath his hood. "I don't care now," he said.
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Post by Ariel Logan Callahan on Feb 22, 2009 16:10:08 GMT -5
Ariel forced himself to keep his eyes away from Markise. He didn't need the temptation of putting his arm around Markise to be any stronger than it already was. Neither of them wanted someone to find out and spread around the school about them, individually or as a pair, so he couldn't let himself come close to slipping and touching Markise.
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Post by Markise Sterling on Feb 22, 2009 16:22:25 GMT -5
Markise was feeling horribly weak, both physically and emotionally. He was too miserable even to think of why he kept wishing that Ariel would touch him. Everything that had ever happened between them had been a bad idea, but still, something told him that having that hand at his back would make him feel more stable. Markise walked, but it was slow and his head hurt too badly to allow him to speak unless it was inescapable.
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Post by Ariel Logan Callahan on Feb 22, 2009 16:38:07 GMT -5
Ariel accepted the silence, if only for a few minutes, as it gave him time to think. Then he reached out for Markise's arm when they reached a tree. "Can we stop for a minute?" he asked, glancing around the lawns. He didn't want to stay long, but he wanted to say what he wanted before he talked himself out of it.
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