Anna Sighed (Brindle/Annabelle)

[Annabelle Hennessy]

Through the pockets of fog and the light mist that covered her with pinhead-size droplets of water, Anna stared out at the still water of the lake. It was quiet, but she was so lost in thought that none of the sounds of the waking morning registered anyway. She rested her chin on her knees, her arms hugging them to her chest in a pose that had always brought her comfort. Today however, even that didn’t help. She didn’t know what to do, how to act. She felt completely lost now that all her tears had fallen, and didn’t know whether she wanted to mourn for the loss of Chase, or hex him.

[Brindle Sterling]

The fog was rather thick today, and so Brindle picked her way carefully through the stand of trees that crept up beside the lake. It was her favorite place to practice, and no gloomy weather was going to stop her from using it. She just couldn't practice in the castle. Its cold stone walls spoke everything of solidity of strength, and nothing of serenity.

Normally she wasn't out this early, but one of her dorm-mates had a hacking cough and refused to see the nurse, so she'd given up on sleeping until the first sign of light shone through the tower window. She'd gotten dressed, thrown on a jacket, and now here she was... tripping!

Brindle's foot hit something more or less solid, and she nearly toppled over onto her face. She made a low expletive and took a long, hopping step, moving whatever it was before she caught her balance a good foot or so away.

[Annabelle Hennessy]

Annabelle was abruptly recalled back to reality by something, or more correctly someone, tripping over her. Luckily the person only caught her legs, the force of the connection turning her as her head snapped up and a sound somewhere between a gasp and a grunt flew from her lips. She looked as the figure regained balance, but didn't recognize whomever it was. "You okay?"

[Brindle Sterling]

A person! She'd tripped over a person sitting on the ground out in this ominous weather! Brindle turned, tugging her jacket back into place, and looked down at the shape of the girl still sitting there. "Yeah, I'm fine," she said, her New York accent shining through at the surprise. "Are you okay? Who are you?" For all she knew it was another of her dorm-mates trying to escape Brooke's deafening cough.

[Annabelle Hennessy]

"I'm fine." Annabelle grinned, getting a sense of Déjà vu, and remembering the friendship that had started with practically those same words, in that same accent. If she hadn't been spending so much time with Markise in the past few weeks, she may have mistaken the person for him. The tone was different, but the accent was the same. Other than Markise, she only knew of one person that had traveled from New York.

"I'm Anna." She told the other person, trying to see though the fog to catch a glimpse of them, but could only make out some light colored hair. It was so similar to how Markise wore it around school, that she started questioning her judgment, but realized if it were Markise he would have made a comment directly after hearing her name. "You're not Markise.... Are you his sister? Brindle?"

[Brindle Sterling]

"Anna!" Brindle said excitedly. "You are that Anna! Yeah, I'm Brindle, and I'm kind of afraid to ask what he's said about me." Brin closed the distance, moving to sit beside the shape in the dampened grass. She hoped the sun would get high enough to burn off some of the fog soon, because she'd prefer to meet Markise's current most-talked-about friend and be able to see her properly.

[Annabelle Hennessy]

A small smile came to Anna's face and she forgot her troubles momentarily at the thought of finally meeting Markise's sister. "Only good things." Anna assured her, then cocked her head to the side, feeling a little excitement at being important enough to be mentioned to one of his family members. "So he's mentioned me to you?"

[Brindle Sterling]

"Mmhm," Brindle hummed with a quick nod. "I talk to him at least a couple times a week, usually after lunch when he's got that free period. The rest of the time I'm pretty sure he's in Hogsmeade, at a book store, of all places." She rolled her eyes playfully, though really, when had Markise ever gone to the library, let alone a book store? At least he wasn't still invisible like he'd been for most of December and January.

[Annabelle Hennessy]

"Don't tell me you have a thing against books too?" Anna joked, not taking offense by Brindle's remark about the bookstore. She knew most people didn't have such an attraction for reading and didn't hold it against them. She couldn't remember Markise paying much attention to the surrounding bookstore, they usually just hung out in the seating area if she wasn't dealing with customers.

[Brindle Sterling]

Brindle made a face she hoped Anna didn't see. "Oh yeah," she said, "Books are everything that's evil in the world." She made a face again. "Charms books are, anyway." She was still fighting everything she'd ever learned about Charms from a book trying to actually use the spells. "Apparently his grades have gone up since Christmas, so Mama and Pa are happy. He can't be that bad." Not that she'd ever really seen him read anything but the occasional magazine, but the past however months had done a number on him.

[Annabelle Hennessy]

Annabelle didn't see the faces; the lingering fog was gradually lifting, but it still muted subtle features. "He usually brings something along to entertain himself, but I guess I've seen him pick up a book or two, maybe a magazine, if I'm busy. Though if they weren't sitting right in front of him I doubt he'd search them out." Anna didn't mind at all that Markise didn't share her interest in books. He had his own hobbies that she knew next to nothing about, but they had managed to form a friendship regardless. If they liked everything the same, it probably would have been boring. "So you're not a fan of Charms?"

[Brindle Sterling]

"Not really," Brindle said. She decided that Markise must not have told Anna about that. "Our other school thought theory was enough, and I'm still trying to catch up. Turns out there's no good way to explain a spell with diagrams." Brindle's lips pressed tight as all the reasons she hated that school came back to her. "Apparently wands are for stirring potions and transfiguring fish into french poodles."

[Annabelle Hennessy]

"Oh right, that." Anna remembered Markise mentioning something about their previous school, but had forgotten about it until Brindle brought it up. Her lips formed a smile at the image her mind conjured of a partial fish-poodle transfiguration gone horribly wrong. "I can think of a few better uses myself, I can't believe how incompetent your American school was."

[Brindle Sterling]

Brindle pressed her lips tight again, choking down the anger that always bubbled up. "Incompetent," she said under her breath. That wasn't even the beginning. Brindle took a deep breath, then pushed to her feet. "I hope you don't mind, I have to do my exercises. Just thinking about that place pisses me off." She walked a few steps away before giving a brief pardon my French. Then she inhaled deeply and tried to center herself enough to practice her beginning stretches.

[Annabelle Hennessy]

Annabelle murmured her apologies for the subject, though she doubted Brindle heard her. She watched silently as Brindle began some stretches. Markise had briefly told her about Brindle's martial arts, and she wondered if that was what she meant by her exercises. As she watched, her mind began to wander, and she concentrated desperately on each movement Brindle made, trying to keep her mind on Markise's sister and not her own life.