[Flashback] A Summer Manhunt (Markus)

[Kendall Saarinen]

Timestamp: 32nd of Summer, 501 AV "Oh darling you look beautiful!" Marie, Kendall's mother tended to over react with her daughter's dressing. Kendall blushed a bit and showed off her purple skirt. "Thank you Mommy. You look beautiful too!" Her mother a smiled and handed her a list of foods. "Sweetie, can you go out to the store with me? I'm going to get us some bread and vegetables for dinner. I'm sure the rest of Zeltiva would love to see your pretty outfit!" That was all Marie had to say to Kendall. She loved to show off her clothing to other people. She loved to dance and spin in Syna's light to show off how her skirts caught the ocean breezes. She saw herself as the perfect princess of Zeltiva. Outside the sun was bright and there was a nice breeze blowing through the air. Kendall clutched her shopping list tight as she walked through the streets of Zeltiva. As they walked she stuck close to her mother's side. She had heard about people trying to snatch up pretty little girls who strayed to far from their mothers. "You aren't getting me you creeps! I am Kendall Saarinen! My brothers will beat you up!" The girl had high thoughts of herself. It was only natural though. Her family treated her like a princess and she came from a wealthy family. As the two walked Kendall began to sing a song. It was not a real song. She was pretty much making it up as she went along. She liked to do this to impress her mother. She had done it once accidentally and her mother was overjoyed to hear her coming up with rhymes on the spot. Since then she had taken to doing it whenever she was bored around her mother. I am going shopping with my mom today And with Mizas she is going to pay She will get carrots and peas And maybe an apple if I please I wonder what we will eat tonight I'm sure we will eat without a fight I know what I really want but it is not a meal I want a puppy that is real He will be brown or black with spots And he will... She stopped in her tracks as she tried to think up an ending to her song. "Mommy! I cannot think of another line!" She looked up at her mom with her big blue eyes and tugged at her skirt. "I wanted to sing a beautiful song for you!" Marie smiled and reached out for Kendall's hand. "Don't worry honey, I thought it was beautiful. You will be a wonderful poet and singer someday, I know it!" This made Kendall happy. All she wanted was to make her mother happy. Well that and find a cute boy to send time with. All the important girls had boyfriends or husbands! Little did Kendall know that those important people were much older than her twelve years of age. They would have nothing on her though! She would start her man hunt today she decided. She would find an elegible suitor and make sure he matched up to the standards of a noble Saarinen! Where to find this handsome young buck though? There were sadly such slim pickings in Kendall's opinion. Twelve year olds were just so... immature. She wanted a manly man. Like her father! Now it was just a matter of waiting for him to find his way to her.

[Markus Andres]

Markus small hands viciously caught the small creature. Holding it by its long tail. Holding it up into the air, watching the pathetic creature squirm and try to wiggle its way free. Markus gave a small chuckle to the futile struggling of the creature. The mouse squeaked loudly and a little mean kid got annoyed with the sound and chucked the critter into a small pouch on his belt. Later when he came home, he could have his fun throwing the mouse into his mothers bed or his older siblings rooms. But those ill thoughts suddenly vanished when a voice broke the long line of mischievous thoughts in Markus' nugget. His young blue eyes looking around for the origin of the voice. Watching the girl walk by with her mother. He had seen that girl before! He fought the urge to run out and pull her in the hair or push her into a puddle of mud. Especially because her mother was there. Markus looked to the pouch by his side and before he knew of it, he was out on the street, stealthily following the couple. Considering his options before him. He looked down to the pouch, making sure the mouse wasn't gnawing its way out of it. Then he noticed the dark blue shirt he was wearing. Markus was the child of a fairly wealthy merchant. So his clothes were appropriately expensive too. Markus moved up behind the duo. His hand quickly moving down and scooped the darned mouse up and held it by the tail. He took a couple of quick steps forward pulled the backside of the daughters clothes out a bit and put the mouse in under the clothes. Watching with a gleeful smile as the mouse moved around. Waiting for the reaction from the girl when she realized a mouse was running around in her clothes. Markus gracefully danced away from the two. Not wanting to be anywhere near the mother when the commotion would begin.

[Kendall Saarinen]

The Summer air felt so good blowing through Kendall's skirt. She giggled as she felt it ruffling her clothing. There was something wrong though. The wind didn't have little claws! It didn't have soft fur! She began to wiggle around trying to find the culprit of the feeling until she heard a shrill squeak. "MAMA!!! MAMA!! THERE IS SOMETHING IN MY DRESS!!" She slapped and tugged at her dress, trying to find the thing crawling through her clothing. She started crying and screeching as she continued to try and find the elusive little mouse. "MAMA! HELP ME! IT'S CRAWLING ALL OVER ME!!" Her mother pulled at Kendall's dress and shook the cloths until a grey mouse tumbled to the ground. The young girl looked at the little creature with wide eyes and started bawling again. "Ewwww, it touched me!" She sat on the ground and cried, trying to think about how the animal found it's way into her dress. Once Kendall had calmed down she looked around angrily. Someone was going to pay for putting that little mouse down her dress. Her green eyes caught a younger boy grinning and she scowled at him. "What are you smiling about you little dork?" She was fuming on the streets of Zeltiva and if one didn't know better they would think she was about to explode all over the city. She was angry and someone was going to pay. "I'll wipe that stupid little smirk off your face!" She prowled up to him and grabbed him by his collar. She might have looked like a prissy little girl but she had two older brothers who loved to fight. "Tell you what, you help me find the person who put that mouse down my dress and I won't get my brothers to kick your stupid little butt." Kendall meant business, even if she was a little twelve year old girl in a flowery dress.

[Markus Andres]

The bully roared with laughter when the girl went nuts. Her screaming and yelling only fueled Markus' laughter. The scene was just too rich. He should have done something like that before. It was hilarious. Markus watched as the girl freaked out and then watched as the mouse ran away. Markus' laughter stopped soon after, not because the girl was crying. But because he knew he would have to get out of there before her mother found him. Markus surprise was complete when it was the girl herself, and not her mother, who went to Markus. Especially when the girl went physical on him. His admiration for the girl increased a bit but also his annoyance with the girl. She had been alright when she had provided him with amusement. But threatening him? Yea. That wasn't going to roll with him. Perhaps he should plant his forehead in her delicate face and watch as her nose exploded in a geyser of blood. But that would certainly put him in trouble with his mother. Markus didn't like that. Not at all. What then? Pretend to help the silly girl finding himself? Oooh. Or he could blame it on someone else. That would be fun. Very fun! Markus eyes went wide with feigned horror. "Please don't tell them" He said quickly in a scared voice. Unless she had half a dozen brothers, Markus' family would outnumber hers. But a family feud was perhaps not the brightest of ideas. "I will help you find them. Just please, don't hurt me." The last part was only partly a feign, since he was a bit concerned with her tight grip on his blouse. "Please lemme go!" Markus pleaded. Wondering what direction he should lead the girl. Perhaps he could stick the girl on someone he didn't like? Have the girl beat up Jimmy. That would be rich. Jimmy would be ridiculed forever if he was beaten by a girl. Markus did well to hide the grin that crossed his lips by lowering his puny head. Hiding from her mean gaze.

[Kendall Saarinen]

Silly boys, they were so easily scared. Kendall tried to keep her scariest face she could but she could not help but feel a littl soften when looking at the young boy. "Keep strong Kendall! Boys are nothing but trouble and they do nothing but play in the dirt! You are better than him." Her green eyes glared into his eyes and she dropped the boy on the ground. "Follow me... uh, and try to clean your face a little. You look like a little rat." She stuck her tounge out at him and grabbed his hand, forcing him to follow her. Kendall dragged the boy down the streets of Zeltiva talking aimlessly to him as they walked. "So what is your name you little brat? How old are you?" She knew the boy couldn't be a student of the university. He looked too grubby for that. Although, he could have looked perfectly fine. Kendall just had an extremely high opinion of herself and she was going to let the boy know that he was dealing with a Saarinen, the best of the best. To Kendall, there were no better people in all of Zeltiva than her family. "So tell me who put that little mouse down my shirt. I am going to give them a piece of my mind. Then you will beat them up for me. I don't want to ruin my dress." She smiled at him sweetly and then glared at him. "You don't have a problem with that, right?" She glared at him for a few more seconds and then smiled again, pulling him toward the university. Kendall smiled, looking up at the large building. "My mom and dad work there. They are scholars. What do your parents do? I bet they clean the bottom of the boats. That is gross." Kendall stuck her tongue out as she pulled Markus up the stairs. "I will attend classes here when I am old enough. I will know more than you will ever know." She looked up at the sky and then back to Markus. "You are lucky you saw what happened to me. Now you get to fight a bully and protect me!" She smiled at him sweetly. "I'll try to forget that you laughed at me. You'll pay for it later though."

[Markus Andres]

Anger gripped the young Andres, listening to the berating words of the pretentious little brat. He tried to ignore the girl. Tried to block out her berating words, but every time her stupid mouth moved, Markus felt his already poor willpower get zapped away. "M... Mar... Markus.. I'm ni-ni-ni-nine." he stammered as if still afraid. It sounded much like how when Markus bullied his two brothers who were twins. They were a year older, but very afraid of their rebellious little brother. "M-m-me fight?" Markus exclaimed. Wanting to jump on the girl and ruin that dress of hers completely. Tear it off of her piece by piece. A weird warmness appeared in his cheeks at the thought. "N-no of course not." Markus quickly added. "Go to the" Markus waved with his right hand and just pointed at the street. Not being very good with left and right direction yet. But judging from where the girl had dragged him, Markus wasn't far from where Jimmy lived. He usually played in an alley nearby. Markus ignored the question about his parents. They didn't matter in this, at all. "Scholars? Ish that magic?" Markus said with real fear in his voice. He had never liked magicians. Never liked the mortals who wielded powers best left for the gods and goddesses. Markus gulped and feared that this girl would hold a grudge, for if she was going to become a magic too. The girl had led them to the place Markus believe the bully to be. The girl was suddenly sweet. Something that confused the young boy. "S-stop. He oftn plays in there." Markus said, making a roll with his wrist, forcing the girl to let go of his hand. But doing so gently. Not wanting the girl to start crying because he might have hurt her. "Markus stepped over to a corner into the alley and smiled, for he saw Jimmy leaning forward as he was playing with something. "He is much too big for me to take alone." Any one could see that Jimmy was older and larger than Markus, by a good deal in both aspects. He needed some sort of plan and with the idea of danger so close. The excitement of attacking the boy grew in Markus' guts. He wanted to teach this brat a lesson for bullying Markus earlier that season. "I.. I think I have an idea..." Markus said. Thinking that the girl couldn't beat this boy up on her own, she was a girl, after all. He did have an idea. "I pretend I am giving you to him, to make peace. When he goes for you, I hit him in the head with the stone." Markus pointed at a loose brick on the ground, that he was standing on. "Tha... that way your dress won't get dirty." Markus whispered. Thinking his plan mighty clever.

[Kendall Saarinen]

Kendall looked at the boy skeptically. "Funny, you look a little scrawny to be nine." She strugged it off though. It was not really too important. As long as the little brat could fight he would be of use to her. When he told her he was not going to fight an angered look took over her face. "Of course you fight. You are a little boy aren't you. Boys always fight. They are like little animals. Nothing like little girls. They are little princesses." He would fight, she would make him. He really did not have a choice in the matter. A girlish giggle bubbled from Kendall's lips. "Silly little boy. Not all scholars are magicians. My daddy doesn't let us learn magic. He says it is bad and unnatural. When I go there I am going to learn about writing just like my mommy!" Kendall beamed with pride. She looked up to her mother a lot. She was such an amazing writer and all she wanted was to be able to tell stories to her future daughter like her mother had done for her. "When I go there..." She stopped midsentance when the boy pointed to where her asalant usually played. She glared at him when he tried to pull his hand away. She liked holding his hand. It made her feel like a big girl with a boyfriend. Nodding, Kendall listened to the boy's plan. Scoffing she placed her hands on her hips. "I am a Saarinen and Saarinen girls are not gifts to be given away as a peace offering. How dare you even think that you stinky little rat!" She pouted and looked off at the boy who she was supposed to be "given" to. She didn't want to degrade herself to being a offering to a boy but she also did not want to ruin her dress. It was her favorite. "Fine, I'll do it. On one condition though! You have to take me on a date like all the big girls get to go on. You are not giving me away for nothing." She had always wanted to go on a date like her sister had been doing for a few seasons now. She grabbed his hand and smiled at him. "Okay kid, let's get this over with so you can take me on my date!"

[Markus Andres]

Markus listened to the girl's terms. But he didn't want to do that. He groaned loudly. But his plan was so perfect. But a date with the girl. It would make him the laughing stock of all the other boys if they saw him. But if he didn't do this, then Jimmy would just continue to harass him every time he was out playing. Markus stomped on the brick and stared at the delicate looking girl angrily, but it seemed not to phase the girl at all. Plus, he hated Jimmy a lot more than he hated "Fine... A big girl date." - 'what the petch is a big girl date?' - "... I'll give you a date you will never forget." Markus exclaimed then and reached down for the brick and slid it up his sleeve. He really hoped this plan would work. Markus reached out and grabbed Kendalls hand and walked around the corner. Pulling her with him, should she not get the idea that they were going. "Come on" He whispered to the girl with confidence in his voice - while preparing to act the complete opposite in front of Jimmy. "Hey Jimmy!" Markus said with his voice trembling with fear. Half of it fake, the other half real. Jimmy was, after all, 13 years old, and thus, larger than Markus. Jimmy got up and looked down at Markus. His fists already clenched and his stupid face covered with a confident smirk. But when his eyes went past the young boy, and saw the girl in tow. Jimmy eyes changed, from confidence to insecurity. Markus eyed him oddly. "Ple... please. Stop hunting me. I... I.. Please. I br... Bring you a gi... gift..." Markus didn't let go of Kendall. Instead, pulled her a little closer to him. "Please stop hunting me in in in return." Jimmy eyed Markus suspiciously for some seconds. Before the insecurity and lust returned when he looked at Kendall. Two feelings Markus barely knew and didn't recognize at all. Jimmy walked up to Kendall and would reach out for her. Markus had already let go of the girl then and had stumbled away from the physically larger bully, but intellectually smaller. 'Get out of here runt!' Jimmy said to Markus, without bothering to look at the 'runt'. Clearly believing Markus' deception. Markus had been waiting for that opportunity. To blindside his opponent. Markus unleashed the anger that had been boiling in him and jumped up on the larger bully's back. Causing the bully to stumble past Kendall into the wall. Shoulder first. Markus, slammed the bottom of his fore arm into the thick skull of the bully. A part of his arm covered with a brick. There came a soft thud sound and the bully roared in pain and fell to the ground. Clutching his head. Markus quickly recovered from being slung away from the bully when he had fallen. Quickly ran in and kicked the bully in the chest. Markus went one hundred percent berserk on the bully. Raining punches and kick down at the boy's unprotected back and sides. Markus suddenly stopped and crouched next to the kid's head. Prying free the kid's protective hands and whispered something into his ears. "If you ever try to touch me again Jimmy. I will end you!" Markus stepped away from the bully and looked around for Kendall. Hoping that the girl had run away and thus freeing him from the second part of their deal.

[Kendall Saarinen]

"Don't groan. I am doing you a favor by going on a date with you." Kendall stuck her tongue out at Markus as she grabbed his hand. Her catty behavior toward Markus seemed to cool at bit when she felt the boy's hand in hers. "So this is what it is like to be with a boy. I am just like Suanna and Mama!" She let out an excited squeal but quickly halted the noise when she noticed that the boy would probably hear her excitement. He couldn't know she liked holding his hand. Then he would boss her around and that was definitely not going to happen. Kendall tried to keep up her adorable little girl look to help trick this Jimmy kid. He looked a little scary in her opinion. She was not sure that little Markus would be able to fight him off if he decided to start some funny business with her. She shot Markus a quick look. ”This better go well. If I get hurt my brothers will murder you.” She held tight to his hand as they walked forward and even offered a smile to Jimmy when she and Markus got closer. When her hand was released she walked slowly over to Jimmy with a smile. ”Hey handsome.” She thought she was being sultry although she was clearly too young to be talking like this. She did not have too much time to flirt as she saw Markus shoot forward knocking the bully past her. ”Yeah! Get ‘em Marky!” She watched in joy as she watched the bully getting beaten down by her new friend. ”He is so tough. He will be a great boyfriend. He can protect me while I am at the docks!” When Markus stood victorious over Jimmy Kendall did not take too long to jump into his arms. ”My hero! You are so strong and brave!” She giggled as she hugged him and gave him a kiss on the cheek. She could not wait to show her new boyfriend off to her friends. They had kissed so that obviously meant they were now dating. She grabbed Markus’ hand tightly and stormed over to Jimmy’s side. ”Don’t ever put a mouse down my dress again! If you do my boyfriend Markus will beat you up again!” She glared down at the boy lying on the ground. She did not waste too much time trying to make the boy feel bad though. Now it was time to go on her first date! ”Come on Marky! You are going to take me to the docks and we can look at the sea birds! Maybe we can see some turtles too!” She held his hand tightly in excitement. ”You are going to be the best boyfriend ever!”

[Markus Andres]

Markus' hopes were crushed when Kendall jumped into his arms. For a moment he felt like a great hero who had vanquished a great foe and won the woman and half the kingdom. Then she kissed him on the cheek. Markus had gone from insane rage, to great joy to utter humiliation in less than a chime. His cheeks turned very red and he tried to take a step away from the girl, but she had her arms wrapped around him. Markus put a hand on his cheek and started rubbing it viciously to get her saliva off of his cheek. "Arrrrg- whoa" Markus hand was grabbed and he was pulled along to stand by Jimmy. Markus was still rubbing his cheek when Kendall said they were going on their date now. Markus still had no clue what to do. But she said they were going to the docks. What could they do by the docks? He would have to figure something out. Her words made his cheeks ever redder. Best boyfriend ever. Of course he was! He was Markus! He was the best at everything. "As I promised." He gave her hand a squeeze and began to go towards the docks. Going through his brain. Trying to think of what his father said to his mother. That sounded endearing. They rarely spoke and when he said something nice he usually ended it on... darling! "A date to the docks, darling."