If Memory Serves (Hadrian, Markus)

[Kendall Saarinen]

74th of Spring, 511 AV Behind closed doors, or some times curtains, Kendall and Hadrian were much closer than one would think when looking at the two walking down the street together. Now they simply walked beside one another as if they were simply friends. It was comfortable that way. It kept the closeness of the two more intimate and personal. Just being close to Hadrian was enough for Kendall though. Kendall smiled at Hadrian as they walked. He really enjoyed his company. He was quiet and intellegent, much like Kendall. He could see things past their physical sense, so to speak. It was a trait Kendll respected highly. At times it seemed the two could just walk without saying anything and it was completely fine. Today Kendall and Hadrian were planning on practicing magic. Hadrian knew much more about the arcane than Kendall could even imagine. The two seemed to be equally matched in the terms of their reimancy skills though. "Where do you want to practice today?" Kendall still felt a bit nervous about practicing his magic out in the open like this. He was always scared he might mess up or hurt someone else. Hadrian helped with that worry. His magic could douse Kendall's without much strain. "I was thinking we could work on Reimancy." He thought about it before speaking up again. He had forgotten about the new magic Hadrian had shared with him, shielding. He smiled remembering how he learned it. Hadrian's Djed mixing with his own. "Or we can work on shielding too. I'm sure we could take turns using both."

[Hadrian]

Hadrian smiled benevolently, more relaxed of late than he had ever been in recent memory with friends like Kendall, Cathan, Vizyous, Ethan, Sondra, and others. For once he almost didn't want to work magic, the thought of it tiring him out even though he had been more circumspect of late with how much and how often he did. There were too many cases of overgiving that he had seen, most since graduating from the University almost a year previous. Today he was content merely to walk with Kendall, but he was feeling generous as well. "Whatever you like, Kendall," he said. "I feel like we've been training for war all season, getting you ready for your trip to Ravok and then getting the both of us prepared, but we'll be of no use to ourselves or each other if we end up with some debilitating mutation or the like... Why don't we just walk. Find someplace to sit and talk. Or just... vegetate. Be like vegetables and do nothing but take in the sun." This was certainly odd talk coming from the magus who could not stop working, who flirted around the edges of overgiving almost all of the time. He was conscious of his limits because he tested them so often. "I just think enjoying the day with you would help fill my reserves so there's something to draw upon in the case of an emergency. My trip to Alvadas was so taxing that I spent most of the return trip sleeping on the ship... I had the strangest dreams, too. Ionu and Nysel must be siblings..."

[Markus Andres]

Markus had just visited the Soothing Waters, refreshing himself after a particular tough ten days of wilderness training and ordinary training as well. It had felt very good to get the dirt and sweat washed away. He stepped out on the busy hallway wearing his common cloth pants and wearing a simple white shirt that did nothing to hide his muscular body. He was wearing a belt, where his sword hung sheathed on the left side, his dagger hanging on the right side of his hip. "Phew, now what." Markus whispered looking around for something to do. His inner disciplinarian told him to go prepare for the next days training, but every other fiber of his body rejected that notion. He deserved a day off from his constant training. Markus turned to walk towards his dorm room. He could hang out with some of the other squires, if they weren't out training. Perhaps get something good to eat. His straight back and proud eyes revealed his affiliation with the Knights. He saw a duo of men walk his way. Neither of them ought to have brought any discomfort to Markus - the light haired one... Something about him struck a chord in Markus' pre-Knights memory. He gave the man an odd look of recognition and tilted his head. Before just shaking his head. Thinking it to be a play of the light or just his imagination playing a trick on him.

[Kendall Saarinen]

The chance to just relax with Hadrian was more than fine with Kendall. He actually preferred it to practice. ”That’s good too. I would like that better actually.” His eyes wandered over the streets in an attempt to find somewhere to sit with Hadrian. Of course sitting a cuddling would have been much more enjoyable, Kendall would be able to settle for just sitting like friends. He did not feel the need to show off his closeness to Hadrian like he had with Kay’lan. It was not necessary. He knew what he felt. No one else had to know. ”You never know I suppose. Dreams tend to be very illusion like.” Kendall enjoyed those illusions. In some of his dreams he was home and he was a girl again. Nothing seemed to be wrong in his dreams. That is until the nightmares came to him. The ones that showed him his accident happening right before his eyes. Sometimes it was slow and painful. Sometimes it was fast and detailed. In any event, they always caused him to awake with tears in his eyes. ”When do you think we will head to Ravok? No hurry of course.” As the two walked Kendall’s mind began to wander again as he sat next to Hadrian. He thought of Zeltiva and of his childhood. His favorite memories of his youth were with his friend Markus. He had been Kendall’s first boyfriend although it was more of puppy love than anything. It was funny. As he fell deeper into his daydreams he could have sworn he saw Markus walking right in front of him. He seemed to be ten years older though. Kendall was a bit surprised to see the man look back at him almost as if he knew him. It couldn’t have been Markus, could it? He had the same green eyes and dirty blonde hair. He even looked strikingly like him. Before Kendall could stop the words from coming out he did a double take to see the man again. ”Markus?” His cheeks flared up with a bright blush. Even if it was Markus he couldn’t talk to him. It would be too embarrassing. Quickly he turned to Hadrian. ”I think I knew that man when I was younger. From back in Zeltiva.” Kendall was too nervous to look over his shoulder to look at the man again. ”Do you know him? If he is who I think he is his name would be Markus Andres.” It couldn’t be Markus. What on earth would Kendall say to him if it was?

[Hadrian]

Hadrian settled to sit beside Kendall in the courtyard outside Soothing Waters where they had practiced blending their reimancy elements to impressive effect, he thought. He considered Kendall's question for a few moments before answering. Kendall's energy was much quicker than his own, and when he was around Kendall, he was quickened, and had to remind himself to be his normal thoughtful self when planning such things. "We could leave on the first of Summer if you like. Will you be finished with whatever you need to do in Syliras by then? We could still stop in Nyka, but that would be dangerous too. I suppose... well, I can leave on the first if that works for you and Cathan. Is Sondra coming too? I'll have to see if Ethan and Vizyous are coming too." He seemed to be picking up people. It wasn't so bad, after all. It just made up and leaving more difficult, logistically speaking. Perhaps someday he really would have his tower and could fill it with friends and colleagues. And lovers. Or one in particular, if he didn't ruin that as he did most relationships with other people. When Kendall pointed out an off duty knight emerging from the building, he was immediately and unaccountably jealous, even though he looked to be several years younger than them, and too young to be a knight. Even at that age, he cut a much more impressive figure than Hadrian did. He kept his face still rather than letting a scowl make him look worse than he normally did. "I don't know him, no," he said evenly. "Why don't you go ask if it's your friend? Can't hurt."

[Markus Andres]

Markus heard his own name get mentioned and then turned to look if someone was talking to him. But no one was looking his way. But he was sure that someone had said his name. Must be someone else named Markus in the vicinity, it wasn't such an uncommon name. Perhaps it was just because he was bored that he was hearing things. Then something else reached his ear. The common name Markus, put together with the far less common name 'Andres'. Also, he had asked if the dark haired one knew him. He wasn't sure anyone outside his family was called Andres. So they were probably talking about him. Markus averted his eyes when the dark haired boy looked his way. Were they talking about him behind his back? Trash talking him? Why? Perhaps that was why he recognized the blonde boy. He had done something to him in the past. When he had been younger and less disciplined? He turned to them and walked over to them. The last thing he heard was something friend and it couldn't hurt. He was a friend of Markus. But he couldn't recognize him at all. "Sorry to interrupt, but I couldn't help to overhear you were asking about me." Markus said. "Anything I can do for you?"

[Kendall Saarinen]

"I'm not doing much really. I am ready to go whenever everyone else is." He smiled softly at the thought of traveling with Hadrian. His time in the city had been nice and very exciting. The Wildlands would be very different though. He remembered the last time he was there. He had been ambushed by wolves and even threatened to be killed by a sultry cheetah kelvic out there. He would be okay with Hadrian there even if he was scared. He trusted Hadrian to protect him. "I don't know if Sondra is coming. We were planning to meet up at the Rearing Stallion soon to talk so I'll ask her when I see her." He would be safe with them. He wanted to believe he would be. He had never met this Ethan, Hadrian's kelvic friend. He wouldn't have been too bad though. Hadrian wouldn't think about getting close to a kelvic who was dangerous would he? "I am really excited to travel with you. It makes me feel a lot more secure knowing you will be there to protect me." He spoke quietly so only Hadrian could hear. He smiled shyly at him. He hoped this would be the end of his constant worry. At least for a while. Kendall nodded at Hadrian's words. "I'm just a little scared. I mean, I've changed a lot." If he didn't speak up and talk to the man now he would regret it. He knew he would. He stood up to go talk to the man but saw in shock the man was coming to talk to him too. A bright blush took over Kendall's face as he looked at the man. He wanted to turn around and run back to Hadrian's side. He couldn't do this! He would mess everything up. Kendall looked at the ground as the man talked to him, trying to hide his embarassment. "Uhhh..., yeah." Kendall's heart was beating out of his chest. He felt like he could hardly breathe. Looking at the man it was almost clear to see he was Markus. He looked so much like him. He was so much older though. So different from the little boy he used to be. "You aren't Markus Andres by any chance, are you?" Should he tell Markus who he was? It seemed like such a terrible idea. It could only lead to trouble. With Hadrian it didn't though. In fact his little slip up had brought him closer to the hydromancer. He tried to summon his courage as he looked at Markus. "If you are, we used to be friends, back in Zeltiva." This was it. He had to say it. "I'm Kendall Saarinen." His blush turned even brighter after he said it. "I know it doesn't seem like it but it is true. I... had an accident." He looked back at Hadrian hoping he would come to his side. He was so scared and with Hadrian at his side he felt more at peace, even if he could not hold him.

[Hadrian]

Hadrian let thoughts of the trip to Ravok slide as the squire in question came up to them, questioning them, but mostly Kendall. But it didn't take a psychic to sense the sudden tension in his friend, so he stood up and put his hand on Kendall's shoulder. He was tall, but not exactly intimidating. Still, he was there to support his friend in this meeting with an old friend. There wasn't anything he could say, because he didn't know for a fact that this was the Kendall he had known back in Zeltiva. In fact, he had hardly known her, only admired her from afar. He did believe that it was so, but he had no hard and fast proof. And so he remained quiet for the time being, a mere presence to witness and, if necessary, mediate. In his experience, squires and even knights weren't always as fair and reasonable as they ought to be, but they were better than the alternative to his mind.

[Markus Andres]

Markus saw the blush on the blond guys cheeks. There was something seriously strange about the boy. The way he looked down into the ground. When he asked if he was Markus Andres, the one and only just smiled and nodded. They had been friends in Zeltiva. That was odd. Markus couldn't remember having many friends in Zeltiva, definitely not anyone who would care to remember him if he couldn't remember them. What he said next, it was unrealistic. He just let out a small awkward laughter and looked to the dark haired man for support or any sign that it was just a very bad joke. But he saw no support. His eyes went from 'Kendall' to the boy he... she... He? Was with. It made no sense to him. Even her - his - explanation made no sense. Accident. What kind of accident? Had she gotten on the wrong side of a vengeful deity? It was really confusing. He was still thinking it was a very bad joke and that the real Kendall was hiding just around a corner. But why had 'Kendall' reacted like that when he saw him. He had been obviously nervous about something. Either a very good actor, but that seemed ridiculous to spend money on such a poor prank. But the alternative to it being a prank ... Unthinkable. "I... err... you... Wha... What? I... Don't understand... Err... I... ehhmmm..." - His tongue tied up and he looked around for anyone looking in their direction. Orchastrating this strange scene. He took a deep breath and let a couple of seconds pass. "You're Kendall? The same Kendall that I... In Zeltiva? ... No. Can't be. I... How? What? Why?!? ..." Markus was perplexed. His first girlfriend was a boy now? He couldn't, no he refused to believe that. He was a very trusting guy, but that was just too insane to believe. How could he test him. Her. It. Their first encounter. Yes, Kendall would remember that. "... How did we meet? If you're Kendall, you ought to be able to remember that. Yes." Markus, although perplexed, felt quite good about himself. He was quite happy with his little question. Unless well rehearsed, the actor wouldn't know that. He felt mighty clever.

[Kendall Saarinen]

Kendall would have fallen apart as he looked at Markus if it wasn't for Hadrian's hand on his shoulder. He had been trying to create an illusion of comfort for himself for seasons now but now it was real. He had something that seemed to calm him and at this moment he needed him more than ever.  A bright blush took over Kendall's cheeks when Markus began to stutter. He shouldn't have talked to him. What good would come from it? Even if it was Markus what would the pair say to one another? So much had changed. They were not the children they were back then. Quietly he spoke up trying to focus on Hadrian's touch. "Yes, the same Kendall from Zeltiva." He felt terrible that he had made Markus so uncomfortable but he was happy to see that the man was in fact Markus. "A man who was skilled in animation wanted to do a little experiment and I was in the wrong place at the wrong time." Kendall did not want to speak of the accident but he would for Markus. He was his first really close friend and of course the first boy he had considered his boyfriend. He owed Markus an explination if he wanted one. It was the least he could do for the confused man.  A small smile came to Kendall's lips as he thought of how he met Markus. It was his favorite memory from when he was a child. He turned to Hadrian and his smile brightened. He hoped the reminicing of his puppy love from when he was twelve would not bother him. Kendall hoped it was clear to see that his heart was already falling into Hadrian's hands. He did not plan to fall for anyone else. "I was walking with my mom to go shopping. Then a boy named Jimmy put a mouse in my dress and I saw you laughing." He blushed a bit talking about wearing dresses. It had to have sounded weird coming from his mouth. His eyes looked over at Hadrian again a little embarassed at his story. "I told you if you didn't help me find the boy who put the mouse down my dress I would have my brothers beat you up." He frowned at the mention of his bothers. He did not think of them as kindly as he used to. "You beat Jimmy up with a brick and then I told you I was your girlfriend. Then we went to the beach." It was a so odd recounting that day. It felt like a million lives away. "Does that sound right to you Markus?"