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Post by Markise Sterling on May 15, 2009 18:27:42 GMT -5
"I never paid you," Markise said softly. He'd refused to give Ariel even a little money if he was just going to keep whoring anyway. He paused, considering telling Ariel to wait for him, but if Ariel panicked a little, it was so much less than he deserved. Markise turned and headed into the shop, grabbing a soft, pre-washed tee shirt, then wrote a quick note that it was missing, sticking it in the cash register drawer.
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Post by Ariel Logan Callahan on May 15, 2009 18:36:03 GMT -5
Ariel nodded and when Markise left relaxed just a little. Yes, there was a moment of panic, a moment where he was afraid that Markise was going to leave anyway, but he had agreed to go to the hospital, there was no reason for Markise to just leave right then. As he struggled to get his muscles to stand, an act that was so much harder to do from his position on the floor, he tried to make sense of all that had happened the past 24 hours. Nothing made sense.
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Post by Markise Sterling on May 15, 2009 18:46:02 GMT -5
Markise returned to find Ariel attempting to stand, and stopped just inside the room. Part of him said that it wasn't right not to offer some help, but another, insistent part of him said that touching Ariel, even injured and even to help him up, was dangerous. He tried to stand his ground, but it was too painful watching, so he laid the shirt over the back of his chair and braced himself to offer a hand.
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Post by Ariel Logan Callahan on May 15, 2009 18:51:27 GMT -5
Ariel paused when he saw Markise offering to help him and his eyes flickered up to Markise's just to be sure he wasn't seeing things. Only after he had convinced himself did he let himself accept Markise's help. He refused to think too hard on the physical contact and avoided Markise's eyes. He felt like he had done enough damage already. He mumbled a low thank you.
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Post by Markise Sterling on May 15, 2009 19:03:13 GMT -5
Markise shook his head slightly, pulling his hand back the moment Ariel let go. He was feeling far too much to even make sense of it, so he didn't try, but curled his fingers tightly into his palm. After a moment, he remembered himself and turned to pick up the shirt, holding it out to Ariel without so much as looking at him.
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Post by Ariel Logan Callahan on May 15, 2009 19:08:36 GMT -5
Ariel took the shirt, keeping his head down enough for his hair to cover his eyes. He barely picked his head up to slip the shirt on and tugged it down to meet his pants, smoothing it down with his hands before he flicked his hair out from the back collar. He said another soft thank you and slid his hands into his pockets. "How far is it from here?"
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Post by Markise Sterling on May 15, 2009 19:27:18 GMT -5
"I don't know where it is," Markise admitted, "but I have a fireplace and Floo powder." He suddenly realized the likelihood that Ariel would come out standing, but it was that or the Knight Bus, and Markise wanted nothing to do with the Knight Bus. Besides, Floo was faster. "Come on," Markise said, and headed for the front of the shop.
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Post by Ariel Logan Callahan on May 15, 2009 19:29:36 GMT -5
Ariel followed Markise silently, refusing to say that he hadn't used floo powder more than a couple of times in his life. By the time he had needed to go anywhere, his brother had been able to apparate. While he didn't like the idea of using the floo network to go anywhere in the state he was in, he couldn't say that any other mode of transportation sounded any better.
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Post by Markise Sterling on May 15, 2009 19:35:58 GMT -5
The Floo powder was behind the counter, since Markise never used it, but he'd figured he may as well have some around in case he ever needed it. He went to the fireplace and opened the jar, setting it beside its lid on the mantle. "You know how to use this?" he asked, glancing over his shoulder at Ariel. He intended to go first in case Ariel needed catching, though he was trying not to think of that, and he didn't want to wait around an hour panicking if Ariel never showed up. He'd rather know that Ariel had ditched him on purpose.
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Post by Ariel Logan Callahan on May 15, 2009 19:46:01 GMT -5
"Yes," Ariel said, nodding, though he eyed it with near-suspicion as he went over in his mind again how to use it. Traveling by fireplace wasn't exactly the most popular form of travel in Australia. He stopped a few steps away from Markise, a distance he felt was safe enough, and his eyes hovered on the fireplace.
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Post by Markise Sterling on May 15, 2009 19:53:10 GMT -5
Markise's gaze dropped and he was silent a moment before speaking. "What are we going to tell them?" he asked softly. Ariel had been upset about Markise using his brother's name, so maybe he'd rather they just pretend they were someone else. Though if he did get in trouble, they'd try to find out, wouldn't they?
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Post by Ariel Logan Callahan on May 15, 2009 19:57:40 GMT -5
Ariel immediately shook his head, "Not what I was doing." That was all he cared about. "I think...we should just tell them I was mugged," he said in a low voice. "There's no reason they should need anything else about that. I'll...give them my name, you...you do whatever you think is best." As long as Markise didn't leave immediately. Ariel didn't think he could stand being in a hospital by himself. It would just cement in his mind how very alone he was.
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Post by Markise Sterling on May 15, 2009 20:08:46 GMT -5
"I didn't tell the last Healer what you were doing," Markise said. "I told him what happened to you and that's it. I'm not stupid." Nor was he a mind-reader. "If you don't care who I am, then it doesn't matter," he went on. He paused, then his voice dropped low, nearly inaudibly. "They only let in first-degree relatives if they admit you," he said softly. And even then, they could keep someone out if they thought it best.
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Post by Ariel Logan Callahan on May 15, 2009 20:19:31 GMT -5
Ariel shifted and looked up at Markise, then nodded. "If you want, you can say your my brother." He wouldn't assume that Markise would want to, but he would hope. "And I wasn't saying you were stupid, I was just thinking out loud.." he said then, dropping his eyes. Did everything he said have to be turned into an insult?
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Post by Markise Sterling on May 15, 2009 20:57:06 GMT -5
If you want. How gracious of him. Markise clung to every chance he had to find fault in Ariel. He had just begun to bring his walls back up, and damned if he was going to let them slip again as long as he could help it. "Let's just go," Markise said. He didn't want to fight, either. He just wanted to get this over with. He picked up a palmful of powder and tossed it into the fire, which burst up emerald green before he stepped in. "Saint Mungo's," he said, hoping that not having a British accent wouldn't screw things up. In a flash, he was gone. magikal05.proboards.com/index.cgi?action=display&board=streetsofdiagonalley&thread=4186
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