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Post by Ariel Logan Callahan on Apr 8, 2009 20:23:43 GMT -5
Ariel narrowed his eyes and exhaled sharply. He stared at Markise, then put his empty hands on the floor to jump up. He was planning on coming back tomorrow anyway, but still...he wasn't even sure what his argument was. He just hated being interrupted in the middle of something. When he was standing, he brushed off the back of his jeans and crossed his arms.
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Post by Markise Sterling on Apr 8, 2009 20:27:34 GMT -5
From Ariel, that was going to have to be enough. Markise turned from Ariel and went back into his mini-workroom, leaving the book there and locking the door. Then he headed for the door, stopping beside it to turn on the lowlights over the displays. He opened the door and gestured toward the street with a nod of his head.
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Post by Ariel Logan Callahan on Apr 8, 2009 20:35:18 GMT -5
Ariel exhaled sharply again before he strode across the room to Markise. He made sure to shoot a glare toward him before heading out the door. He shoved his hands in his pockets, eyebrows creased to show his displeasure in having to leave the job unfinished. Oh he hated leaving in the middle of a project! It would drive him absolutely insane the entirety of the next day until it was finished.
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Post by Markise Sterling on Apr 8, 2009 20:42:29 GMT -5
Markise was almost glad that Ariel was being pissy. For one, it felt normal. Then there was the fact that it made it so much easier for him not to want to flirt and tease or suggest finding an alcove somewhere when they got back to school. He didn't bother breaking the silence at any point from the store to Hogsmeade, though at one point he'd had to go after a piece of gum to keep from idle talking.
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Post by Ariel Logan Callahan on Apr 8, 2009 20:46:38 GMT -5
Ariel had refused to look at Markise, however petty it was to do so, until they were in the gates to the school. Even then, he only talked out of a necessity. Well, he told himself it was a necessity. "Are we meeting tomorrow or am I just showing up?" he asked, though he still refused to look over at Markise in the darkness.
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Post by Markise Sterling on Apr 8, 2009 20:51:54 GMT -5
So he was coming tomorrow. Markise had half expected Ariel to quit, but if he was this pissed about not being able to finish something, maybe he'd quit after. Markise refused to think about that. "I thought you'd show up, but if you want to meet somewhere, we can. My last class is History of Magic, and if I don't fall asleep in class, I should be walking out of the castle about four."
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Post by Ariel Logan Callahan on Apr 8, 2009 20:57:30 GMT -5
"I can be in the Entrance Hall then," Ariel said, then refocused on the walk to the castle. There was no further need for conversation. Maybe once he got his project done and worked some on the upstairs he would relax some. He wondered absently if Markise expected him to ever work with customers. He wrinkled his nose at the idea. He didn't think he would do well with the public.
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Post by Markise Sterling on Apr 8, 2009 21:02:09 GMT -5
Markise had no intention of letting Ariel deal with customers, much less asking him to. He had few enough customers as it was and didn't need them getting scared off when they couldn't make up their mind and Ariel barked at them. He was the only one he trusted to talk with his customers. He'd find things for Ariel to do even if it meant cleaning the windows. It was quiet again, so Markise turned his attention to blowing bubbles.
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Post by Ariel Logan Callahan on Apr 8, 2009 21:08:42 GMT -5
Ariel didn't immediately notice what Markise was doing, but he caught a glimpse out of the corner of his eye when he looked around to make sure he wouldn't run into something....or something.... No, he wasn't glancing over there to look at Markise! His eyes went flat when he recognized the thing that had caused so much trouble on that first train ride. He looked determinedly away and quickened his pace.
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Post by Markise Sterling on Apr 8, 2009 21:15:21 GMT -5
Markise noticed Ariel's change in speed and adjusted his steps accordingly. He normally forgot about Ariel's near-obsession with watching him blow bubbles until he caught him looking. He popped the last one he'd blown and pulled the gum back into his mouth with his tongue. Then he started another, his mind focused mostly on the homework he'd be doing between curfew and bed. But he had to get it done some time before Friday.
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Post by Ariel Logan Callahan on Apr 8, 2009 21:19:52 GMT -5
Ariel scowled at the realization that Markise had just started walking quicker, as well. He stopped. "You can either walk with me, or blow your damned bubbles, you can't do both," he said, glaring at Markise. Then he started walking again, head down. Even if he couldn't see what Markise was doing, he could hear it, and that was enough to bring back memories of all the times he had seen Markise do it.
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Post by Markise Sterling on Apr 8, 2009 21:23:45 GMT -5
Markise blinked after Ariel, momentarily nonplussed. "Honest to God, you'd think I'm teasing you or something!" Not that he hadn't thought about it, but in his thoughts, Ariel had been a willing party. And they were just thoughts. Markise crossed his arms and stayed put. He'd gotten Ariel back to school, and that was what he'd wanted. He didn't want to fight. That would just make tomorrow worse than today.
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Post by Ariel Logan Callahan on Apr 8, 2009 21:29:12 GMT -5
Ariel's eyes narrowed and he made it all of three more steps before he stopped and turned around. Couldn't Markise understand that everything he did was a tease? Every motion sparked a memory, a remembered touch and sensation that Ariel certainly shouldn't be remembering. "It is a tease!" he said, glaring through narrowed eyelids. It was so bad, and he hated, hated that such little things could have such an effect on him.
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Post by Markise Sterling on Apr 8, 2009 21:39:50 GMT -5
Markise blinked wide-pupiled eyes at the anger radiating off of Ariel. He didn't know why bubbles pissed Ariel off so badly, but they always had, with the exception of a birthday he didn't need to think about. Markise pushed lightly at his hair, deciding it wasn't worth completely losing that one night of truce for an argument about gum. He dropped his gaze, then reached into his pocket, pulling out the empty wrapper to dispose of his gum. He tucked the whole back into his pocket until he could find a trash can, then looked back up at Ariel. "Is that better?" he asked softly.
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Post by Ariel Logan Callahan on Apr 8, 2009 21:43:31 GMT -5
"Yes," Ariel said, relieved. His eyes returned to normal. "Thank you." Then he turned. He put his hands in his pockets and let his head hang slightly with his shoulders hunched up toward his ears. He felt immediately vulnerable. He hated how he felt, how much control Markise had over him. And Markise didn't even know! That alone was enough to drive him insane.
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