|
|
Post by Markise Sterling on Oct 20, 2009 21:37:30 GMT -5
Markise was too distracted—by his surroundings, and by the speed with which he found himself seated with a glass in his hand—to notice how Mano looked at him, and so there was no apology or confession of the boyfriend waiting for him. God, the wine smelled so good, but Markise's lips pressed tightly together as he leaned forward slightly to set the glass on the small table in the center of the small gathering of furniture.
Is this going to take long? he wanted to ask. He didn't want to be outright rude, though. Mano had always been nice to him, and he didn't have anything against Eros. "So we're waiting?" he asked instead.
|
|
|
|
Post by Eros d'Avonderre on Oct 21, 2009 0:20:31 GMT -5
"We have plenty of time, Markise," Eros assured the boy. "You are refusing a Languedoc-Roussillon, vintage nineteen eighty-six. It is at the height of quality, I assure you." He gestured airily for Markise to take a sip, certain he would enjoy it. It was rather strange seeing him so reluctant again. That first meeting at Mano and Carolynn's had been understandable, but he'd thought they were beyond that now.
|
|
|
|
Post by Mano Berwyn on Oct 21, 2009 19:59:41 GMT -5
"Eros always has the finest at his disposal," Mano said, giving a nod toward Eros before looking back at Markise. He wouldn't mind Markise having a few glasses, and he was sure Eros wouldn't, either, even with a drugged Michael in the guest room. He took another sip, as though to prove the quality.
|
|
|
|
Post by Markise Sterling on Oct 21, 2009 21:53:37 GMT -5
Just one glass," whispered a voice at the back of Markise's mind. He shook it off. "If you're not ready for me, I could come back," he tried, immediately hating how pathetic it sounded. Why couldn't he just tell them he wasn't drinking anymore? And why did he suddenly feel horrible for more or less asking if he could leave? Markise picked the glass up again just in the hopes that they wouldn't get angry or hurt. He could hold it and talk and never take a drink. There were enough times at the club when his drink had been little more than decoration. He could do it again, right?
|
|
|
|
Post by Eros d'Avonderre on Oct 21, 2009 21:58:08 GMT -5
Eros glanced from Markise to Mano, pausing a moment before he returned his gaze to the exceedingly nervous-looking blond. "Are you quite all right, Markise?" he asked. "I assure you, we'll be looking for Dare the moment Michael awakens." Perhaps the boy needed to relax as much as Michael had. "We have a possible lead already—do have a drink, and we'll enlighten you."
|
|
|
|
Post by Mano Berwyn on Oct 22, 2009 21:29:54 GMT -5
Mano eyed Markise, raising an eyebrow curiously at the way he was acting. "You look like you need a drink," he said, shifting slightly and crossing one leg over the other. He didn't know what could have Markise so worked up, unless he still had his little thing for Dare that he had admitted to so long ago.
|
|
|
|
Post by Markise Sterling on Oct 22, 2009 21:39:45 GMT -5
You need a drink. It wasn't exactly what Mano had said, but if he did, he'd be able to relax. And Ariel will find out. Ariel would know just by kissing him, even if he only had a little. But if it's just a little... Would he let Ariel have just a little smoke? No. "I'm fine," he lied. "I just want to know what's going on." Maybe that would work. Maybe they wouldn't even notice he wasn't drinking.
|
|
|
|
Post by Eros d'Avonderre on Oct 22, 2009 21:53:17 GMT -5
Eros looked at Markise a moment longer, then shared a look with Mano before speaking. "Michael has come around to your little foul play theory. Apparently one Ivy Somers—I believe you've met the girl—has, shall we say, issues with Michael. If he hadn't been so weary, likely from days of fasting and refusing sleep," he suggested, keeping his gaze diverted from Mano for the moment, "I'm sure he would already be out, wand drawn, hexing everything in sight." He eyed Markise's glass, wondering idly if the boy was ill.
|
|
|
|
Post by Mano Berwyn on Oct 22, 2009 22:09:03 GMT -5
Mano didn't know what was keeping Markise from drinking, but there was certainly something wrong. He didn't press the matter, instead choosing to focus on Eros. "The last thing we need is an exhausted, wronged Hardt running around waving his wand." There were always rumors of the Hardt men's tempers getting out of hand, though he had never seen it himself.
|
|
|
|
Post by Markise Sterling on Oct 22, 2009 22:32:26 GMT -5
And Michael was sleeping. If he hadn't slept for days, it could be hours, couldn't it? Why had they called him? Did they expect him to fight with them? To keep Michael under control? Did they even know this girl had actually done anything? He had too many questions to make the connection between Ivy and Dare that they had likely made. "So what do you want me to do?" he asked. Maybe if he just took a sip they'd stop watching him. He didn't do it yet, but it was incredibly tempting.
|
|
|
|
Post by Eros d'Avonderre on Oct 22, 2009 22:36:35 GMT -5
Eros had half a mind to have Markise drugged as well. Between him and Michael, the tension was quite unpleasant, and he was beginning to wonder how much wine he'd need to drink simply to keep from giving in and joining them. "Any input you could give would be appreciated," he said after a moment. "Whether Dare would have gone after Ivy, his skill with a wand perhaps. Where he might hide, if forced to do so." Eros was beginning to feel rather put-upon by the boy.
|
|
|
|
Post by Mano Berwyn on Oct 22, 2009 22:45:27 GMT -5
Mano nodded, "Do you really think Dare would have left to protect Michael? Considering Michael's skill with a wand..." Unless Dare was better than Soren himself Mano didn't see any way that Michael would be better off with Dare running off to try to protect him. He took another sip from his glass and gave a light shrug as he looked back over at Eros.
|
|
|
|
Post by Markise Sterling on Oct 22, 2009 22:56:49 GMT -5
"I don't think he'd leave to fight," Markise said, shaking his head slightly. "He doesn't fight." Because he's not much better with a wand than I am, he finished silently. But there was his thought about the potions, too. What if that was it? What if Ivy hadn't done anything, and Dare had gotten on potions again and freaked out?
It didn't feel right telling that to Mano and Eros, so Markise held it in. "I don't know where he'd hide, either," he admitted. "The Room of Requirement? The Leaky Cauldron?" He and Ariel had run into Dare that day—he didn't want to think about it—but there was always the Room of Requirement. He shook his head. "He wouldn't fight unless he had to." God, he wanted a drink. He began to eye his glass. Just one, he told himself.
|
|
|
|
Post by Eros d'Avonderre on Oct 22, 2009 23:00:19 GMT -5
"If he wouldn't fight, why would he leave?" Eros wondered aloud. "What could possibly be accomplished by such a brutal let-down for Michael? How certain are you that he didn't simply leave to be with this girl? This Lalita?" None of this made any real sense. There were too many gaps. Eros began to hope that Michael would awaken soon, if only so they could leave and discover for themselves.
|
|
|
|
Post by Michael Blackwood-Hardt on Oct 22, 2009 23:26:36 GMT -5
Michael didn't know what had made him sleep so suddenly, though he had a strange suspicion about his glass of wine. He was a little dizzy and confused when he woke up and stood to find his shoes and search for his wand. Soon enough, he was coming out of the guest room, wand in hand, to see that Mano and Markise had joined Eros.
|
|
