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Post by Eros d'Avonderre on Oct 19, 2009 22:33:45 GMT -5
Eros's jaw tightened imperceptibly at Michael's ill-timed determination. Half an hour ago this would have been far more useful. "As you say," Eros ostentatiously conceded. "We'll be off as soon as the others arrive. I'll have Orenda contact them immediately. Orenda," he called, hoping Michael wouldn't argue. "See Michael to the guest room to freshen up, then send owls to Mano and Markise Sterling, requesting their assistance." If she could get Michael to lie down, everything could be in motion before the young man awoke.
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Post by Michael Blackwood-Hardt on Oct 19, 2009 22:43:37 GMT -5
Michael didn't want to go to the guest room, but it was harder to resist than it would normally be. He found the glass taken from his hand and he was taken to the room before he could start thinking clearly. Actually, it felt like his mind was getting more fuzzy as time went on. "Make sure they get here fast," he said before the door was closed.
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Post by Eros d'Avonderre on Oct 19, 2009 22:56:04 GMT -5
Eros withheld his sigh of relief until the door was firmly shut. Orenda returned when Michael had been coaxed into lying down, and he wrote the letters himself, assuring Orenda that his demand that she send them was only that. He'd simply wanted Michael to be assured that his time resting wouldn't be spent idly. When the letters were sent, he refilled his glass and sat back to ponder things.
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Post by Mano Berwyn on Oct 20, 2009 9:37:47 GMT -5
It was just starting to get cold in the evenings, and so when Mano had gotten Eros' letter he had grabbed his jacket and headed off. And what an odd letter it had been, with a mention of Michael and of Dare leaving Michael...but nothing more other than a promise for more information if he came directly to Hogsmeade. When he got there, he knocked, but barely paused at the door before swinging it open himself to come in.
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Post by Eros d'Avonderre on Oct 20, 2009 9:47:55 GMT -5
Eros looked up from his comfortable place on the couch, the pensiveness in his eyes fading and focusing into relief. "Ah, Mano, thank God, I was beginning to think the owls had died in transit." He leaned forward, setting his glass down to gesture for his friend to sit, then for Orenda to bring two more glasses, in the hopes that Markise would show as well.
"Michael is asleep in the guest room at the moment thanks to a bit of potion or I'm sure he'd still be brooding uselessly. Do have a seat." He gestured for Mano to help himself to the wine and cheese, barely restraining himself for now while his guest settled.
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Post by Mano Berwyn on Oct 20, 2009 11:00:10 GMT -5
Mano nodded and took off his jacket before taking a glass and a few pieces from the platter. "Your letter gave more questions than answers," he pointed out as he settled onto the couch. "What in the world happened?" He wanted details, even though Eros was usually the one digging for more information.
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Post by Eros d'Avonderre on Oct 20, 2009 11:38:01 GMT -5
"There are countless theories, which I will explain in due time, but the facts as presented by Michael are that Dare simply walked in a couple days ago and announced that he was leaving for a girl he'd mentioned in passing some weeks before. Then he left." Eros paused a moment for Mano to attempt to accept that, swirling his wine lightly in his glass, then taking a sip before he went on.
"And so my initial theory, that we had a case of a galleon-hungry halfblood who'd had his fun, awaited some clue. Much discussion and some questioning ensued, and Michael finally determined that he knows when something is amiss with the boy, and that there were no obvious warnings. To all accounts, Markise, who apparently knows Dare quite well and still fancies the boy, had insisted to Michael that there must be some noble reason, that Dare must be protecting Michael from something or someone."
At this Eros stopped. There was more, far more, but if he wanted Mano's thoughts and suggestions, which he unarguably did, he would wait for the man to form his own opinions, and perhaps to ask a question or two. He'd certainly condensed the story.
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Post by Mano Berwyn on Oct 20, 2009 11:56:01 GMT -5
Mano sipped at his glass as he listened and tried to think of some reason Dare would have left. "I don't believe Michael would need any protection," he mused, but would Dare think the same? It was hard to imagine that Dare would just up and leave, especially when Mano thought of the few times he had seen the two together. "And I'm not entirely sure that Dare was just in it for money."
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Post by Eros d'Avonderre on Oct 20, 2009 12:16:53 GMT -5
"I wasn't sure either," Eros said, "it was a theory, but either way, Michael said that last year some time, something occurred which gave him reason to believe the protection theory. He didn't say what it was, but my first thought would be, of course, that it had something to do with Soren. This might as well, in a way."
Eros took another sip of his drink before continuing. "If you'll recall the ordeal with the Somerses, back before Michael left us for this godforsaken place, apparently the younger sister has issues with our dear Michael. According to Michael, the girl, Ivy, attempted to convince Markise, Dare, and even Michael himself, that he belonged in Azkaban. At the mere thought of her, Michael seemed ready to avenge. Perfect timing, of course, for the sleeping potion to begin working," he added dryly.
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Post by Mano Berwyn on Oct 20, 2009 19:26:33 GMT -5
Mano raised his eyebrows in surprise at the knowledge that that little incident had come back to bite Michael in the butt. "I always knew that choice of his would come back to haunt him," he said. There was a reason he didn't make a habit of being around those outside their social circle, there was also a reason he had never taken any kind of vows.
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Post by Eros d'Avonderre on Oct 20, 2009 19:56:52 GMT -5
Eros had never confined himself as such, but when branching out, had always been infinitely cautious and done his best to declare no loyalties. His personal opinion on Michael's dalliance with the Somers girl was that it had been poorly executed. But then, when Michael's temper was roused, when was he ever subtle?
"And so," Eros said after some few moments, "we await young Markise, who knows Dare well, and perhaps this girl he has allegedly run off with. Whatever the young man knows, I believe it may take all of us to keep Michael in line if the Somers girl is involved. Heaven has no rage like love to hatred turned, nor hell a fury like a Hardt scorned," he quipped.
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Post by Mano Berwyn on Oct 20, 2009 20:07:50 GMT -5
Mano nodded and a smirk came to his lips at that, and he raised his glass in a mock toast. The Hardt males had horrible tempers, and an unbalanced Michael would be even worse than usual. "I believe that is an understatement," he said, then finished off his glass to pour another and wait on Markise. He hadn't seen the boy yet, and though it was probably improper, he was looking forward to it.
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Post by Markise Sterling on Oct 20, 2009 21:08:09 GMT -5
Markise was very impatient as he waited at the door for someone to let him in. He didn't want to talk for Michael, didn't want to tell them all things that Michael, at the least, should already know about Dare, that he wasn't a cheater, wasn't cruel or heartless, as oblivious as he was. He wondered how quickly he could get this over with and go back to Ariel.
A house-elf answered the door. A house-elf in an an apartment. Was it an apartment? As Markise walked in, he wasn't sure after all, and his immediate objections to being here faded. Mano's apartment was warm and comfortable, physically inviting, but this place felt like a museum. No, it looked like a museum, he corrected himself. Seeing Mano and Eros lounging around with their wine, it felt like a hedonist's dream. Which brought his mind straight back to Ariel.
Markise smoothed back a bit of hair as he followed the house-elf in and gave his greetings. As much as he wanted to walk through the room and just touch things, he wanted to get this over with more. "Where's Michael?" he asked, looking around. The letter hadn't said anything about waiting for Michael!
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Post by Eros d'Avonderre on Oct 20, 2009 21:14:06 GMT -5
"Ah, Markise," Eros said, welcoming the young man in with an easy smile. "Do sit, have a drink with us, we're presently waiting for Michael to wake from a brief respite. I'm afraid he was a bit overtired when he arrived." There was no reason whatsoever to mention the sleeping potion, especially when his most recent guest looked as dazedly distracted as he did. "Sit, and we shall answer all in time. Orenda, pour a glass for him, s'il te plaît."
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Post by Mano Berwyn on Oct 20, 2009 21:27:49 GMT -5
Mano's eyes slipped lazily over Markise, his mind taking a quick trip down memory lane to the few times he had had the pleasure of seeing the boy. He sipped again at his wine as his mind slowly turned over thought after thought. Just because Michael was in a bad way didn't mean he couldn't enjoy a few nice memories.
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