A New Outlook

[Markise Sterling]

"If you don't mean it, it just zaps them, but when someone's got hold of your arm, you mean it," Markise said. He glanced over at the door that led to the stairwell, then came out from behind the counter, his tongue sweeping lightly across his lips. "Don't tell Ariel I'm showing you this," he said. He wasn't entirely sure if Ariel would be happy he was sharing or pissed that the spell could end up spreading around the school. Speaking of which... "Don't teach this spell to anyone else." He hoped that was enough as he showed Jory the wand movements and told him the nonverbal spell that went with it.

[Jory Addison]

Jory promised not to tell Ariel, though he didn't know why Ariel wouldn't want to know, and then he promised that he wouldn't teach anyone else. He locked away the information for future reference and practice. "So everyone else doesn't know it?" he asked, tilting his head at Markise. That was the only reason he could figure that Markise would tell him not to teach anyone.

[Markise Sterling]

Markise shrugged. He didn't actually know, but it had felt pretty exclusive when Ariel had taught it to him. "They don't expect it," seemed like enough of an answer. If everyone knew it, there would be fewer people trying to grab onto other people, wouldn't there? And anyway, Jory hadn't known it and Markise hoped Jory's previous schools hadn't only taught theory, too.

[Jory Addison]

Jory's previous school had taught more than theory, but that didn't mean he had spent time practicing his wand work more than he needed to. "I hope I don't ever see them again, I don't want to have to use it." He would if he had to, but he would much rather just stay away from any situation. "It'd probably be a bad idea to go to the Bloody Mary again, wouldn't it?" Markise had gone, but he didn't have to live with any of the guys.

[Markise Sterling]

"They can smell fear," Markise said matter-of-factly. "If they know you're afraid, you're easy prey. Don't be easy or it won't stop. If you want to go to the Bloody Mary, I'll go with you." As much as he'd rather stay at the shop and entertain himself with Ariel all night, he couldn't in good conscience let Jory go wandering around Hogsmeade alone at night. In fact, it would be a good idea for someone to walk him to Gryffindor Tower. "We can get Quinn to come, too," he suggested.

[Jory Addison]

"Too bad there's not anywhere else to go," Jory said, sighing. He didn't mind the idea of going with Quinn and Markise again, but even with the new spell he wasn't sure he wanted to take a chance of something happening. Still, he wanted to go out and have some fun, because that would be better than nothing, right?

[Markise Sterling]

Markise turned back toward the counter, rolling his eyes while Jory was out of view. The heavy sighing, combined with all the determined depression Jory was usually in, just sounded like more determined depression. "There's nothing wrong with the Bloody Mary, it's the safest place you can go, and you had fun, remember?" He gave his wand a swish and flick and sent the stack of clothes he'd been working on floating in a somewhat precarious stack back toward the shelves.

[Jory Addison]

"Yeah, it was fun," Jory said. "It was fun dancing, thanks for going." He probably wouldn't have gone by himself, or with just Quinn. The safety of the place was questionable at the moment, but only because he was thinking about the twins again. He had learned to dance, though, or at least started the process, and he supposed that getting better would be worth going there.

[Markise Sterling]

"Mhm," Markise hummed. "So we'll go again. And we'll get Quinn so you don't have to worry about walking to your dorm." And maybe Jory could have some fun and grow a little self-confidence. If he'd stop dragging himself around like a wounded rabbit he'd probably get picked on less. "So when do you want to go?" Markise asked, throwing a friendly smile back at Jory. He hated feeling like an effing role model.

[Jory Addison]

Jory wasn't so sure about going back to his dorm with Quinn, but he supposed it was better than going back alone. "Whenever, as long as I get out of the school. I'd rather get away from all the kids period, but going to London alone would be just as bad and I really don't want to go to Diagon Alley." He had thought about Eros, and more than once, since the last time he had visited, but he wasn't any closer to letting himself go see him.

[Markise Sterling]

"There's nothing to do on Diagon Alley anyway," Markise said. He didn't know a thing about Jory and Eros, and even if he knew that he was just a notch on Mano's headboard, it'd gross him out thinking that Jory was a notch, too. So he wouldn't recommend the cafe as a place to get away from school. If Jory was fishing for something, it didn't sink in. All he heard was that Jory wanted to get away from the kids at school, which made perfect sense. "If you want to go to London, we'll go on the weekend or something. As long as you're back before dark it'll be fine." He'd have to either close the shop or leave Ariel in charge, but he knew he was a sucker for helping out people who needed it, and Jory needed all the help he could get.

[Jory Addison]

"We could?" Jory asked, his eyes brightening. He hadn't been looking forward to the weekends, which would mean just more time for the guys to do something to him if they wanted to. If he could be away for just a few hours, that would be just a few hours less he had to be around the jerks at school. "What all is there to do?"

[Markise Sterling]

Markise paused in what he was doing, his eyes momentarily blank as a thousand memories vied for attention. Then he blinked and tried to give it some real thought. What had he ever done in London during the day? Get coffee and be lied to, he answered himself, though he forced that thought aside. He didn't need to get pissed off for no reason. "I don't know, I haven't really been there during the day. There's like, a pride shop I think..." Dare had mentioned it once, though he'd never ever ever been interested in going.

[Jory Addison]

"There's a wizard that does, like, tattoos and piercings there, I went with Lyric, I thought I'd go there on my birthday," Jory said, though if he didn't have anyone to go with he would put it off. He was looking forward to becoming seventeen, though it really didn't mean much when it came to new freedoms. At least while he was in school there wasn't much he could do. "What do you do if you don't go in the day?"

[Markise Sterling]

Markise had no interest in being Jory's bestest friend and holding his hand during a tattoo, and though the chances were slim, he wouldn't take a chance that the wizarding tattoo artist might be someone he knew. He chose not to comment on that. Of course, the other question wasn't much better. "I don't go anymore," he said, putting forth real effort to keep a tinge of bitterness and longing from his voice. "I've got Ariel now."