Apologies and Plans (closed)

[Quinn Ashwinder]

Looking at Markise, even though he had said thanks, and smiled, she still wanted to give him a hug, it felt right. However for once she decided not to give in to the impulse to hug Markise, more because she was trying to test out what was right, and what was wrong, what people found acceptable, and what they didn't. Instead she flashed a big smile at Markise, her hands twisting more strands of hair, "I don't know why you persist in having me try them on, they're always perfect. You could probably get a week's pay out of me, and I'd be happy with it." She looked at the clothes dancing away though and thought about how pretty she'd feel in them, "all right," she said as she headed off after the clothes.

[Markise Sterling]

Markise took the compliment with a grain of salt and waved Quinn on, following only moments later. He stopped at the room Jory was in and gave a light knock on the door. "Everything okay in there?" he asked. "If it doesn't fit I can get a different size." Or he could find something completely different, but Jory had focused on that one shirt enough that Markise figured he'd just want something else in the same style if the first was a bust.

[Jory Addison]

So maybe Jory had been stroking his ego by looking at himself in the clothes, something he desperately needed to do a little more often. When he stuck his head out to answer Markise's knock he shook his head. "It's great," he said with a smile, then stepped back and gave a little twirl to show off what he was currently wearing. "Just trying to figure out what I can get."

[Markise Sterling]

Markise watched Jory's obvious excitement with a light smile. By the look of him, he'd probably enjoy a massive shopping spree, but it sounded like he'd end up one of those customers who bought a shirt a couple times, then disappeared. Unless something happened at the Bloody Mary, but his hopes were a few hours of dancing and getting Jory to calm the hell down and enjoy himself.

"You look amazing," Markise said, and gave Jory a practiced look of appreciation. His smile widened. "You should really get that." Jory was cute and he knew it, but not his style. Still, it wouldn't hurt anything to boost his ego and maybe get Jory to buy more than just the one shirt.

[Jory Addison]

Jory nodded and looked back over at the selection. "I want to get some stuff, but I can't spend all my money." At least not in one time. He would be getting more in a couple of weeks, and though he hoped it would be a lot because of it being his seventeenth, he knew it still wouldn't be a ton. "I have to dress up for tonight," he said. It wasn't like anyone that would see would really care, but he would have fun.

[Markise Sterling]

"What do you think about the pants?" Markise asked. He stepped forward and gestured lightly that he was about to adjust things before doing so. The flirt was suspended for the moments where he checked to be sure they fit right on Jory. Not all clothes worked with all body types. "You'd probably look good in anything in the store," he observed. It annoyed him, but he reminded himself that Ariel wasn't around to see, and that Ariel was his, dammit.

[Jory Addison]

Jory's lips spread in a grin at that. "I like these, these two are probably my favorite." He had liked just about all of it, but a few stood out, and what he was wearing stood out the most in his mind. "So what's this club like?" he asked. He had heard people talking about it, but not enough to get an idea. The more he thought about it, the more excited he was, even if he was going to be going with the girl that was now with Lyric and a guy that was definitely taken.

[Markise Sterling]

Markise smiled brightly, but inwardly he was frowning. He'd lost it. Sometime between babysitting Ariel last spring and leaving New York, he'd lost any effect he had on guys, Ariel aside. He really hadn't meant anything but checking the fit of the pants Jory was trying on, but he still realized where his hands had been and that Jory was still concentrating entirely on the clothes. It didn't matter if he was taken, or if neither of them were the other's type, but most of his life he'd been noticed, and it was driving him crazy being locked up all the time, no matter how good Ariel was.

He had to force his mind to the question as he pulled his hands back and stepped out of the changing room. "It's just like I said before. It's small, but it's got a nice dance floor, a bar with no booze, it's nice." And he wouldn't get the attention he was craving there, either.

[Jory Addison]

"I don't want to be around a lot of people drinking, anyway," Jory said absently as he looked into the mirror again. "But there won't be any guys, right?" Well, there would be guys, just not guys that would ever be interested in him, most likely. While it would be very nice to find some secret hideaway of guys, he highly doubted it would be in the little club in Hogsmeade.

[Markise Sterling]

"Not at the Bloody Mary," Markise said, the words definitive. He knew of several clubs where there would be countless guys, guys of all kinds, of all tastes, all there to meet, mingle, dance, or hook up. God, he missed the adrenaline rush of it, missed getting fawned over and hit on all night. He missed the straying hands and looks of invitation, the pretty compliments and the occasional power struggle over who he was going to spend the next dance with. He missed it all. "There'll be plenty of girls, and guys that are there for them, but you go to the Bloody Mary to dance and talk with your friends, not to get picked up."

[Jory Addison]

Jory sighed and gave himself one last look in the mirror before he started going through and trying to figure out what else he would get. He told himself he was allowed to get three things, which meant he could pick out one more piece. "It sucks." So maybe he was kind of a little boy crazy, but he supposed he could enjoy himself without the possibility of finding someone. "You know," he said, rather than letting himself dwell on it. "This is, like, the first time I've gone somewhere like this."

[Markise Sterling]

"I figured," Markise said, checking to be sure his smile was in place. "It'll be fun. You don't have to meet guys to have a good time." It sure as hell helped, though. He had a momentary flash of a wish he could be single again and go meet guys, but it was immediately stoppered with an image of Ariel. There was no contest over which he'd actually choose, and he had to repress a sigh about it. He wanted to go out. To really go out.

[Jory Addison]

"Yeah, I figure it'll be fun," Jory said, shrugging as he picked up a shirt in each hand and stared between them. "It'd be great to meet guys, but I can't really do much about it." He would love to do it, but he supposed he couldn't beg right now. There would be time later to find someone. Tonight was about fun, though. "Which one?" he asked, turning to Markise and holding up the two shirts, one blue and one white.

[Markise Sterling]

"Blue," Markise said. "It'll make your eyes pop. You've got nice eyes." Close to the brilliant shade of Brindle's, and he knew what looked good on her. Jory's dark hair made a difference, but then, Brin had gone through a long goth phase. "You wearing that one to the club?" he asked, gesturing to the shirt Jory was wearing. "They both look good, but that one's more dressed-up and you may as well, right?

[Jory Addison]

Jory grinned and nodded, "Yeah. Thanks." A pleasant flush had rushed up his neck toward his ears at the compliment. "I'm going to be getting more money for my birthday, I hope, then I can come back and get more. Then maybe we could go again." It would be fun, especially if they made it a semi-regular thing. He was looking forward to it more the closer it got, even if it hadn't really been that long.