|
|
Post by Dare Blackwood-Hardt on Sept 27, 2009 1:46:34 GMT -5
Dare blinked in surprise, and stared a moment before his brows drew together. "He forgot three bottles?" he asked incredulously. Cooking sherry. Was that stuff even edible without food? It was mind-boggling. How had no one noticed? Well, he knew how he hadn't, but why not one of his other friends? He helped me get over a lot, so I helped him. That was something Dare knew about, at least. It was how Ariel had gotten invited to the bachelor party and the ceremony.
|
|
|
|
Post by Ariel Logan Callahan on Sept 27, 2009 1:54:01 GMT -5
Ariel shook his head. He had no idea how Markise had forgotten three bottles. "He was pretty mad at me when I made him give me everything to begin with. But he had like...five bottles or something of wine and vodka that I poured out." He hadn't been too happy about getting his cigarettes flushed when he had just bought them, but he hadn't gotten angry like Markise.
|
|
|
|
Post by Dare Blackwood-Hardt on Sept 27, 2009 11:14:41 GMT -5
That was unbelievable. Totally unbelievable. Dare shook his head, trying and failing to imagine it. That was what he'd always been so anti-drinking for, for people whose lives revolved around alcohol. Markise had drawn close to the line so many times over the years, but it had always stayed contained to Friday nights. When had it gone further?
Dare lifted his gaze to look at Ariel again, trying to see things that weren't easily visible even on people he knew. He wanted to know how Ariel felt about all this, how he'd gotten Markise to fight alcoholism—alcoholism!—for cigarettes. He wanted to know so much that just wasn't his business, but he couldn't bring himself to ask.
"He says he's happy," he pointed out instead. He wasn't asking anything, not really, but the statement was loaded in possible questions.
|
|
|
|
Post by Ariel Logan Callahan on Sept 27, 2009 11:18:45 GMT -5
"I know," Ariel said quietly, flicking a glance over his shoulder down the corridor Markise had taken. "I heard him say that." He would never had thought it himself. As far as he had known, Markise still wanted Dare, still wanted to be loved, still wanted things that Ariel couldn't give him. What else would he call Markise's mood, though? Both of them seemed to be happy, or at least happier. Hearing it was so much different than assuming it.
|
|
|
|
Post by Dare Blackwood-Hardt on Sept 27, 2009 11:46:16 GMT -5
"Is he?" Dare asked. He'd noticed the way Ariel looked down that corridor, or maybe he'd imagined it; he didn't think he had. And Markise hadn't gotten nearly as defensive as he'd have expected. It was strange to think of Markise being happy after the last couple years. He'd been happy back at SWIM, back when they'd been best friends, but when they'd started going to parties, started going clubbing on Friday nights, there had always been that sense of desperation, of searching. It had come and gone, but Dare had noticed it. Had Ariel?
|
|
|
|
Post by Ariel Logan Callahan on Sept 27, 2009 11:51:54 GMT -5
"I think he'd be happier back in New York," Ariel said after a couple of silent minutes, before looking back at Dare. "But he's a hell of a lot better than he was before we left, or even during the first month there." He remembered Markise crying and remembered how he had looked so often before, and now Markise never looked like that. Now he smiled all the time and got that look in his eyes... Ariel blinked and tried not to think too hard about any of that right now.
|
|
|
|
Post by Dare Blackwood-Hardt on Sept 27, 2009 12:15:15 GMT -5
Dare's eyes had focused on Ariel's, trying to guess at his thoughts. It was strange seeing someone talk about Markise like that, and it piqued his interest. Kwami had always been careless and cocky, even when he was charming Markise into laughter. Ariel had been worse, by all accounts, but where had it all gone? He seemed just as careless, but it only seemed skin deep. The cockiness wasn't overpowering. Dare was silent for a moment longer before he asked, "What about you?" He wanted to figure this out.
|
|
|
|
Post by Ariel Logan Callahan on Sept 27, 2009 12:23:06 GMT -5
Ariel shrugged and reached up to rub at the back of his neck. "I'm not working the clubs anymore, haven't done anything other than smoke a few cigarettes and have a couple of drinks at your party since.....May 14th." He shrugged again and tucked his hand back in his pocket. What did Dare want to hear? Ariel was fine talking about the things he had done, but if Dare wanted to hear about anything with Markise, he would have to ask.
|
|
|
|
Post by Dare Blackwood-Hardt on Sept 27, 2009 12:42:16 GMT -5
Dare had been asking about Ariel. He'd been echoing the questions he'd asked about Markise; Are you happy? He didn't know what Ariel meant by working the clubs, but he could guess it had something to do with the drugs by the rest of what had been said. Dare's jaw tightened a bit. He couldn't just out and ask Are you happy with Markise? Why is it working now? Prove to me you're worthy! "I just want to know he's not getting jerked around again," he settled on.
|
|
|
|
Post by Ariel Logan Callahan on Sept 27, 2009 12:58:27 GMT -5
Ariel found Dare's eyes and finally nodded. "I'm trying not to," he said. It felt like his conversation in the locker room all over again. "I fully planned on not letting this happen, but it did, and I'm going to try to do it right." Was that good enough for Dare? He didn't know what Dare wanted to hear, he had no idea what the right thing to say was.
|
|
|
|
Post by Dare Blackwood-Hardt on Sept 27, 2009 13:10:56 GMT -5
Dare looked skeptically at Ariel. He didn't know how much of it he believed, but he didn't have any immediate reason not to believe it. Markise said he was happy, he was sober, Ariel was apparently sober, he hadn't seen or heard anything to make him think either of them was lying. He still couldn't evaluate people quite as well as he could before the potions, but he was close, and he wasn't getting anything. At last he nodded. "You do that," he said. I find out you're lying and I might forget that promise to Michael. "I gotta go. I've got class soon."
|
|
|
|
Post by Ariel Logan Callahan on Sept 27, 2009 15:45:21 GMT -5
Ariel could feel that there was more that Dare wanted to say, but still, he nodded. Saying something like see you later didn't feel right, so he gave a light gesture of his hand before he turned to head to the Great Hall. So if he messed this up, not only would he have muggles after him, but Dare, as well. Maybe if he found Markise soon enough they could at least spend a few minutes together before they had to split again.
|
|
