not one but a million | hunter

[KENNEDY LYNN BEAUFORT]

backstory: hunter douglas ulrich has recently moved to maple hollow and is currently thirteen years old. kennedy lynn beaufort is twelve years old. they are both attending a gala under the supervision of their parents. it is a wonderful display of just how rich and powerful those of the upper-class are in maple hollow. this is the scene where the two first meet. this is where our story commences:

OUTFIT

If one took the moment to settle down and actually take in the scene around them, they would have been wowed. This month's gala was absolutely extravagant. The room was vast and open, painted a nice champagne color. Round tables were set up around the fringes of the room, all with pristine white table cloths and white calla lilies in crystal vases. Set up at the back of the room was a long banquet table which had various items for snacking, which were also brought around by sharply dressed waiters with a towel over one arm and a tray in the other. A glass chandelier hung at the apex of the room, casting the room in a sparkling white light that brought everything to life.

Kennedy shifted awkwardly in her pink and white polka-dot dress, tugging at the collar that was buttoned tightly around her neck and pulling at the fringes which seemed far too short to somebody who was used to wearing trousers. Her hair was pulled back into a ponytail, tied with a bright pink bow, and her feet were adorned with white flats. Why her mother brought her to these things were beyond her. It was Cassadee who liked the lime-light, who enjoyed dancing through the crowds and impressing everybody that she came in contact with. Her sister had recently started attending the Academy as well, which meant just one more thing that she held over the younger sister.

There was never anybody her age at these things. Kenny had to settle for being patted on the head and talked too like she wasn't worth the conversation. Of course, all the older people respected her father, but they didn't see a twelve year old girl has having any sort of intelligence worthy of acknowledging. She was kid. It probably didn't help that her mother insisted on dressing her like she was eight, trying to make her appear younger than she really was.

There were a million things that she would rather be doing than moving about and acting polite to a bunch of elderly people who were way too rich for their own good. Hanging out with her dad at the gym, going for a run... Heck, she'd even eat dirt again if it meant that she could skip this torture. Unfortunately, Janeane had not offered her any of those options. So, here she was. Sitting with her legs crossed at the table designated for the Beaufort family, watching the scene with distaste that she hardly tried to disguise. It seemed today would be no different. No rich families had suddenly acquired a child her age that they believed would behave enough to come to the gala.

Wait... Maybe she spoke too soon. There was an unfamiliar face in their midst, somebody that appeared to be within a few years of age of her. Knowing well that the evening itself could not get much worse even if the boy turned out to be a snobby rich kid, Kennedy made her way across the room, her stride confident. When she had closed the distance to about five feet, a polite distance for those who did not yet know each other, before she curtsied like her mother had drilled her to do. Though the action was well-rehearsed, it was obvious that the young girl did not like it.

"Good evening," she greeted, standing up straight again and playing with the edges of her dress which seemed to not be to her liking again. Then, as her training only stretched so far, she gave a smirk. "Where have the Ulrich's been hiding you? I've never seen you before." Kennedy glanced around to make sure no adults had heard her being so rude before turning back to the boy, looking at him expectantly for a response. "Do they hide you in the closet or something?"

[HUNTER DOUGLAS ULRICH]

OUTFIT

Stupid people, stupid fancy clothes, stupid snotty rich folks who went around tossing money left and right at each other to further fill their pockets with. They went around tossing chump change at charities as if that was going to make themselves feel better at night. Hunter’s scowl was firmly set for the past few weeks since he had been uprooted from his real home and stuffed into this new terrible life. He would choose poverty over this any day. Two brand new bratty kids his father claimed were his brother and sister. They boy was glad to ignore Hunter, but the young girl followed him around wide-eyed and full of questions.

Thankfully the family nanny was keeping them at bay for tonight. After exiting the limousine his newly reunited father and step mother rushed indoors without a second glance at any of the children. Even his grandmother decided to stick around for a moment or two before ushering away the nanny and other kids away from Hunter. Stuck in an unknown environment, the blonde wandered aimlessly, his false bravado slowly getting less and less believable as he observed all the looks cast his way. A lot of people here apparently had heard rumors about Hunter, reinforced by the fact that they were whispering whenever the boy walked by a group of adults. Curiosity mixed with disgust.

Hunter tried to pull at the bowtie practically strangling him with no success. He felt stupid dressed up in clothes he would normally never be caught in. The stupid bowtie probably cost more than anything he had ever touched in his life. Already pissed off that the event wasn’t even close to being over, he slumped down into a chair at the table for the Ulrich’s. His eyes glared at the stupid little piece of paper at his plate. Ulrich Guest. Guest… not even a name? His father had briefed him not to cause a scene, but who was he to give him orders? For thirteen years he didn’t even know Hunter existed, so Guest seemed like a fitting titled for him.

A flash of pink and a not so polite voice drew Hunter out of his reverie. Who was Minnie Mouse over here? Hunter was surprised that anyone would actually be talking to him, but of course it was just another kid. The parents were all treating him like a leper. ”Hey,” he said simply. Formalities were not his strong suit. His brow furrowed as the girl hit a sore spot. He was hidden back in his real home, with his mom and all of his friends, not some closet like Harry Potter. So far he was removed from his ideal home and placed here instead. ”No they don’t hide me in a closet. Thank God they didn't hide me in yours,” he replied back, ”I’m not from here.”

What he really wanted to say was that he wasn’t like everyone else here. This girl was probably just like his new half brother. ”They made me move here to make me go to the Academy…” It wasn’t his fault that he hurt that boy in his gymnastic class. If he hadn’t been making fun of his mother Hunter probably wouldn’t have been found out. Again, it was his father’s family that passed down his freaky new powers. Most boys would be excited to find out they were like some sort of superhero, but so far it was more of a hassle than a benefit. ”Do they serve real food at these stupid things or is it all fancy crap fish eggs and weird frog legs.” Hunter’s perception of these events was completely skewed, but he was getting hungry.

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[KENNEDY LYNN BEAUFORT]

OUTFIT

These gatherings were so boring. It wasn't even like there was anything entertaining except for the music. Even that, though, was easily covered up with the swelling of the voices and footsteps of the outside world. She was glad that her mother hadn't decided that it would be a good time for them to perform. It would have entailed more dolling-up and an even more ridiculous outfit! Hence, the young Beaufort was only truly pleased by the fact that she could listen to somebody else draw the bow across the violin, dance their fingers over the piano's keys, or make the air swell with a tune from the flute. Nobody really got recognition at these things anyways. Quite unfortunate, but it paid well.

Kennedy took in the boy who was before her. His clothes were neatly pressed but, like her, he didn't seem to belong in them. She noticed a super-hero bracelet on his wrist. Yeah, he was definitely new to these things. Everything about him was a bit off, which made her smile. She decided that she liked him. Any kid who didn't absolutely adore these things and wallowed in their riches like it was a pool was fine by her! The Beaufort couldn't help but remember what she was wearing and wonder what he thought of her right off the bat. Probably what she thought about him, no doubt. It was a kid-eat-kid world at these things, after all.

Ouch. Did he seriously just insult her wardrobe? "Obviously, you're not," she replied as he explained that he wasn't from around here. Sure, it really didn't actually offend her that he didn't like her dress. She didn't either. However, the horrid outfit she had been forced to wear today did not have a space in her closet. It would probably find its way into her older sister's before the week was up. Most of the clothes in her closet consisted of jeans and cargo shorts mismatched with various tee-shirts that she had collected over the years. Add in a few dressier variants, which were deep in the closet, and you had the younger Beaufort's closet.

But his next statement caught her attention. He had come here to go to the Academy. Now, you didn't have to be too sharp to put two-and-two together. He was older than her. If anything, the boy was about the same age as Cassadee. Kennedy's powers, if she got any, wouldn't be coming in for another year. She was instantly envious of the boy. "My sister's a Fire. But I think I'm going to be a Thunder next year," Kennedy replied, giving a smirk. She wondered if this boy hailed from a strong line of Elementals. Maybe older siblings or something she had seen around.

As a response to the food thing, she gave a laugh and tugged on his suspenders. "You don't get around much do you?" she asked, snapping the material back with a devilish grin. "The real food is at the back table," Kenny continued to explain as she took a few steps in that direction before glancing over her shoulder. "I'm Kennedy Beaufort, by the way. But you can call me Kenny," she acknowledged, adjusting the bow that was positioned askew in her hair. "What's your name?"

[HUNTER DOUGLAS ULRICH]

OUTFIT

His eyes narrowed as the girl gave him sass. What else should he expect from someone brave enough to approach him in the first place. It didn’t mean he was impressed or anything. ”Yeah, well…whatever…” Clearly lacking something better to comeback with. He shoved his hands into his dress pants pockets and shuffled his feet a bit. Why was this girl still hanging around him? She should have hurried off or someone should have rescued her from the clutches of the new kid. ”Why are you here?” he asked, curiosity beating out his good sense to just stay quiet. Hunter didn’t even fully understand what the hell a gala was anyway. Maybe it was some charity event or they were celebrating something to do with business. As far as he could remember it wasn’t a special holiday.

”Fire?” This whole elemental world was completely new to Hunter as well. His mother and half siblings were living quite the normal life until Hunter’s mishaps. Other than that time he hadn’t seen any evidence of other powers. His father was a Wind, which sounded very boring, his step mother a Water, and his Grandmother a Thunder. She wasn’t too warm on the boy so dear old Grandma wasn’t open to explaining to Hunter this whole ordeal. Still Fire sounded pretty cool, way cooler than Thunder. ”You get to choose?” he asked. Why didn’t he know that? Hunter would have gladly picked Fire over Thunder, but Thunder was a pretty cool second pick. Hunter could have pretended to be Thor for his brothers and sisters, blonde hair and all.

Hunter scrunched his face a bit when the younger girl reached for his suspenders and snapped them back. ”Ow! I get around just enough,” he said defensively as he adjusted his shirt. Of course that was only kind of true. He walked himself from school to his apartment and now he found himself in Canada. Part of him wanted to say screw this and leave Kennedy to her own devices, but his stomach was audibly protesting. Beaufort was just the kind of name someone here would have. Ulrich wasn’t any better…This girl was the devil the boy concluded. She held the key knowledge to stopping his stomach from growling. ”Fine…” he gave in. ”My name’s Hunter… Ulrich obliviously…” he said pointing towards the surname on all the table’s name cards. Something inside Hunter drove him to keep pace with the younger girl instead of trailing behind her. The things a boy did for food.

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[KENNEDY LYNN BEAUFORT]

OUTFIT

It wasn't that Kennedy was brave to approach the boy. She was going through that phase that parents would coin "the reckless phase", though she wasn't nearly as self-destructive as her sister was before her powers settled in. Dee had started arguing with their parents more. Kennedy didn't really understand why. They were good parents and were just looking out for her when they tried to keep her from doing all the things the other kids were doing. Though Kenny doubted that too. Her sister wasn't normally somebody to follow the crowds so if she was trying to do something new, it wasn't what everybody else was doing.

His eyes narrowed at her, but she shrugged it off. She was used to being disliked for one reason or another. This boy could take a number. Obviously he wasn't too upset or he would have said something better than just whatever. Well, that was good. At least she didn't make an enemy right off the bat. As the boy asked why she was here, she made a scrunched-up face as if to illustrate her displeasure at the idea. "My mom makes me come. I think she's just upset that she can't dress Dee up as much so she has turned her attention on me," Kenny explained, giving a shrug. "I would rather stay home and play video games, but apparently that isn't 'lady-like'," the brunette continued, putting air-quotes and an annoyed tone around that last part of her statement.

Kennedy nodded as he questioned her statement about Dee being a Fire. However, when he asked if they got to choose she couldn't help but laugh. "I wish you could choose! But no, from what I've heard, it goes around personality. Fire's tend to be stubborn and quick to anger, Water is usually really bubbly and happy, Earth's are really calm and pacifistic, Thunder is usually quiet and enjoys exacting revenge. Then we have Wind, where you're a little bit of everything," Kenny explained. Hopefully, the boy didn't think of her too cocky for that spiel. Of course, she used the broad description for the matters, but she thought she portrayed it in a way that was easy to understand. It was still intriguing to her that some people didn't know about their powers.

Obviously, the boy didn't take kindly to teasing as he exclaimed "ow" and addressed her defensively. She decided that he was probably lying when he argued that he did get around. She smirked as he agreed to follow her as she started for the food table. He introduced himself as Hunter Ulrich, a name that was not familiar to her. Well, that was, his first name. She didn't know that they had another son. She had originally entertained the idea that he was just lucky enough to stay with the family while he was attending the Academy, but apparently not. A son of the Ulrich's that she hadn't heard about. Her sister would definitely be interested in meeting him. Of course, if Kennedy could help it, she didn't want Dee snatching away one of her potential friends. She was a lot more interesting than her, after all.

"It's nice to meet you, Hunter," she acknowledged, weaving her way expertly around the small congregations that always seemed to occur during the galas. As they passed into an opening where it seemed to be a straight shot to the table, she started to move through the room as if to approach behind it. "They don't really like the kids taking food for themselves. They think we're uncivilized or we're going to drop it on the nice white table cloth or something," Kenny explained, ducking behind one of the family tables that rested close to the main table. "So, we can either try to play the cute-and-adorable card and have the monsieur get us a plate," she offered, though her tone of voice illustrated her distaste in this option.

"Or we could get under the table and sneak some food. If you would rather have it that way," Kennedy smirked, looking Hunter over quickly. "Which would also be the most reasonable way. I don't think you can exactly pull off a cute-and-adorable attitude," the brunette pointed out, giving a quick laugh before looking back at her possible new partner in crime. "What do you say?"

[HUNTER DOUGLAS ULRICH]

OUTFIT

Hunter interrupted Kennedy before she could finish explaining the whole elemental business. ”Dee?” he asked, not really interested, but more so confused. Oh right, the sister. ”Why aren’t you hanging out with ‘Dee’? Since I’m Thunder and you just said I was grumpy or whatever, maybe she’d be more fun for you.” Hunter had his reasons for avoiding his family, but he wasn’t about to ask Kennedy what was keeping her from hers. She had already chatting him up about her mom. Sucks to be stuck here though. All but one cell, full now, with party goers. Housed like an animal in rags and forced to mingle with egos unfit for the hounds that roamed even the most prestigious of families. Hunter felt as if he had been forced to his knees before the regents on a daily basis before he had simply disappeared from the radar of his new family. The humiliation and degradation had finally sunk in through his stepmother carefully veiled walls until it broke her.

Kennedy’s little snap at his appearances didn’t go unnoticed. ”Funny, I could have said the same for you,” he replied back dryly. Food was food though. This place had too many rules if it meant kids had to sneak around for food. Hunter walked carelessly, with shoulders hunched, to the food table where the means to end his hunger awaited him. Amidst the chaos of the room sat his new ‘sister’, curious and as excited as ever, as she sat off to the side and below her grandmother, a single reminder that the kid had yet to attain any other worth than her bloodline. They would shush her soon enough, the incessant babble the young girl had indulged at their own house broken with a single word, and ordered to be seen by their visitors but never heard. It was the same for the brash blonde, his own blood the only saving grace between himself and further abandonment. The eldest Ulrich having become a burden on the family tree due to his inexperience and lack of knowledge in the ways of this world.

Meredith Ulrich, his grandmother, admonished Grace’s utter lack of decorum with a stern look. With an extended finger, she ordered the young girl into her own seat, to the left of her. Like Hunter, Grace was always shushed accordingly, though no sound made it past his throat, having learned from instances in the past when his opinion was not needed nor required. The former Californian had failed to comply with the unwritten rules of the house by expressing his own displeasure with the move. While Meredith wasn’t looking, Grace slipped a piece of bread from her plate and chucked it at another boy. This caused Hunter to actually smile pleasantly, surprised by the action. Maybe he should have hung around Grace instead of Kennedy. Then he’d just have to duck bread and not her sarcastic remarks. ”So Sherlock, what’s the plan? I want to eat and you have the know how, so let's not make this anymore complicated than it has to be.”

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[KENNEDY LYNN BEAUFORT]

OUTFIT

Kennedy didn't like being interrupted. It didn't happen often, of course. Most people were scared of her at this age, where she wasn't very restrained when it came to her temper. Maybe that was why she was taking a liking towards the blonde. He didn't know who she was. Kenny could be anybody that she wanted. Of course, she wasn't truly aware of this. Plus, why would she act like somebody else? She was who she was and nobody was going to change that. If only this pure will would have stayed with her as she grew older.

As he asked why she wasn't hanging out with Dee, she rolled her eyes. Cassadee was much too "cool" to hang out with her little sister. Almost everybody knew that the Beaufort's didn't get along. It wasn't their fault. Despite their slightly similar appearances, even as young kids, they never really got along. They were opposites in almost every way except for doing well in school. The only thing they really had in common was their temper but even that was varied. It was a wonder that the house was still standing at all.

But he wouldn't know that.

So instead of giving him some smart-assed retort about why she wasn't hanging out with Dee, she gave a shrug. "I don't see you hanging out with your family." She figured it was a good response. Not too snappish but definitely something that he could probably understand. He was probably not hanging out with the other Ulrichs for similar, if not the same, reasons that she was not with Cassadee.

As she supplied him the information about their scenario, she gave a smirk as he flipped her comment about his inability to look adorable back on her. Alright, maybe she deserved that. He definitely had guts. He wasn't a pansy like all the other rich boys.

She saw a smile flicker on his face as he glanced back. She followed his gaze just in time to catch something flying out of the youngest's--was he name Grace?--hand. Kennedy had never really talked with the other Ulrichs. She tended to keep to herself. Today, though, she was feeling a lot more adventurous. As Hunter turned back to her, asking her to cut to the chase and just let him get some food, she smirked. She had an idea now, and it was thanks to his little sister.

"Alright, so here's what we're going to do," Kenny started, glancing back at the food table before looking at the nearby tables. She picked up a breadstick which had been expertly placed in one of the baskets. "We need a distraction. So I'm going to throw this piece of bread and get the guy looking the other way. You," Kenny gestured towards him with the bread. "Are going to go to the table, grab one of the bigger plates, and snag whatever looks good. You'll have about thirty seconds," she continued to explain, ripping a fairly decent sized chunk off the stick. "Meet me back at the Beaufort table."

With that last instruction, Kennedy darted to the wall next to the server and chucked the piece of bread at the server. He looked around bewildered, quickly finding the young Beaufort and starting towards her. "Now little lady, you know you shouldn't be throwing things," he scolded, moving away from his post and approaching her. "Let me take you back to your family. They must be worried that you are no longer at the table." Perfect. Hunter had until the server got her back to the table. Hopefully he wouldn't fail his task.

[HUNTER DOUGLAS ULRICH]

OUTFIT

Hunter scrunched up his nose. ”They’re not my family,” he said defensively. No matter what the court or school said the only thing he had in common with them was his last name. Which apparently meant a lot in this world. Legally Hunter was the first born and entitled to a shit ton of responsibilities and money. He had more interest in the money than responsibilities. His father tried to explain what it was that he did, but Capital Investor was a completely different language.

So they silently seemed to agree to disagree on the family front, which was fine with the young Thunder. Instead they focused their attention on the retrieving on the good stock of food. Kennedy’s plan seemed to be low risk on her end and all the blame would be placed onto Hunter if they got caught. He eyed her skeptically. Thirty seconds to pinch as much food as he could? The odds were not in his favor. But before he could argue Kennedy she was off and he had to act fast.

Scrambling low behind the food table Hunter stared down at all of the options. Why couldn’t these fancy pants have something recognizable like a cheeseburger? Blindly he picked up a fancy silver platter that looked edible and rushed to duck under the clothed long table. What had Kennedy said after steal the food? He was supposed to meet her at the Beaufort tae but the little genius had never told him where the hell that was. Popping his head out from under the white cloth, the blonde checked to see that the coast was clear.

Keeping low, the boy scurried around almost like a chicken with his head cut off. The girl could even give him a simple direction. His eyes landed on her at the far table towards the left of the room. Hustling as much as he could he finally reached her, very much out of breath. ‘Buaefrot’ the label on the table read, but that couldn’t have been it. Placing the platter down on the table Hunter finally found his voice, ”Thanks for just bolting on me. What if I couldn’t find you?”

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[KENNEDY LYNN BEAUFORT]

OUTFIT

Kennedy almost argued that against the boy as he argued that the Ulrich family was not his. In her world, family was family. It didn't matter if she didn't like them or didn't care whether they were around, you were related and you had to deal with that. But obviously, this boy was a lot different than her. She wondered what it was like where he was from. Maple Hollow was the only world that she had known and things were pretty straight-forward in the tiny town. There were the rich, the poor, the middle-class. There were good families and bad, though she had personally never seen a "bad family". Kenny had lived a fairly sheltered life.

Maybe this was the force that kept her mouth shut from arguing with him. Maybe, deep down, she knew this boy would eventually become a good friend.

He was fairly receptive to her instructions. She had a feeling he would be as the server led her back to the family table. She added a skip to her step, trying to make herself appear a lot younger than she really was and harder to scold for misbehaving. Kenny even allowed herself a few twirls, if only to glance back and make sure that Hunter knew what he was doing without being inconspicuous.

The server sat her down and told her to keep in her seat before he returned back the way he had came. It wasn't too much later afterwards that the blonde boy came padding up to the table and pushed the plate onto it. She smiled. He'd definitely got one of the better platters. Hunter made a somewhat upset remark about her bolting on him. She gave a shrug.

"You found it, didn't you? I thought your were a smart and I was right," Kennedy argued back, snatching a shrimp from the plate. She gave a smile, settling back into her chair. She felt as if she needed to repay the boy for helping her, as well as helping himself, but she wasn't a hundred percent how to do that. But, of course, he didn't want to be here. He'd made that obvious.

After a moment of silence, she turned back towards him, arching a brow at him. "How bad do you want to get out of here?" she queried. Though she tried to keep her tone nonchalant, it would be obvious that she was offering him a chance to get kicked out--and hopefully never be asked to come back--to a gala.

[HUNTER DOUGLAS ULRICH]

OUTFIT

Smart. No one had ever used that word for Hunter. Sure people sometimes said he was crafty, but when he left his middle school in California he was failing almost all of his classes. His mother wasn’t too educated herself and struggled to keep Hunter even interested in his studies. Hunter was forced to spend an hour each school day in a small room with a few other students who were deemed unmotivated to keep up with the ‘normal’ students. Crammed on tiny children’s stools at a round table with dumbed down dittos and more individual time with an extra teacher. Leaving his normal class felt like a walk of shame while all eyes were on him. So the compliment helped lighten the boy up around his partner in crime.

Reaching for the platter he paused for a minute before picking up a strange looking…thing. It was light pink, shaped in a strange hook of sorts with a slight rubbery jiggle to it when Hunter gave the foreign food a shake. Bringing the food towards his nose he noticed it smelled weird. His first reaction to putting the food in his mouth was to spit it back out, but he pushed through. It tasted all right, but the texture of it was off putting. ”What did I just eat?” he asked after swallowing. Hunter went for another one, but this time ventured to did it in the red sauce. Having the sauce made him enjoy it a bit more without having to question the weird rubbery feel of the fish.

Hunter dropped the food in his hand at the proposition of leaving this stupid party. ”You knew how to get out of here and you were holding back on me? Was getting this food a test? Did I pass?” Hunter eyed the food with a slight misgiving. He heard about things like this in upper crust lifestyles: secret societies with pledging and tributes. Of course all of this was just from movies he watched. The likely hood of a young girl in a pink dress conducting such tests quickly snapped Hunter back down to Earth. ”Does the Earth revolve around the sun? Of course I want to get out of here. This place blows.”

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[KENNEDY LYNN BEAUFORT]

OUTFIT

Compliments were not something that Kennedy easily handed out at this time. She was usually the type of person to be condescending in the best of moods and typically trying to get the upper hand. She tended to be judgmental and quick to a fight. So the fact that she had taken to Hunter was something of a milestone. But at least she was trying to make friends. Her mother would be pleased. Even if it was with the Ulrich child that had just appeared out of nowhere, the fact that Kennedy had taken to socializing was something that they were proud of. She needed more friends.

She watched as Hunter picked up a piece of shrimp, watching with amusement as he went through a normal reaction to trying something new. She was impressed, if that was the proper word, that he didn't just spit it back out. Most people did with things like that. As the blonde asked what he just ate, Kennedy smirked. "It's called shrimp. It's a type of shellfish," she explained, taking a bite out of her piece. "And that's cocktail sauce," the brunette continued, motioning towards the platter with her other hand. "It feels funny but I still like it," she added nonchalantly, giving a shrug.

Kenny was somewhat surprised, however, at his almost instantaneous reaction towards her offer. It wasn't exactly how she had expected. "It wasn't a test. You said were hungry, I helped you get food," she offered, arching a brow at him and giving a smirk. "If you get kicked out of the gala, that usually means you don't get food later. Parents are pretty mean about that," Kennedy pointed out, rocking back in her chair and looking up at the ceiling. She would help him. What kind of person did he think she was?

"If you really want to get out of here, we need to 'disturb the peace'," she explained, putting quotes around the last part of her statement with a roll of her eyes. "We could throw some food, but that just puts us in the corner to sit for the rest of it." Obviously, the brunette had a bit of experience getting kicked out of galas. Unfortunately, her mom continuously brought her back. Hopefully, Hunter would have better luck. "The last time I got in a fight with somebody, I wasn't 'allowed' to come for a month. It was the best punishment ever," Kennedy offered, giving a smile. "Or we could think of something else."

ooc: trying to have kenny talk more like a twelve year old, lol. this is difficult.

[HUNTER DOUGLAS ULRICH]

OUTFIT

Oh, so this is was Shrimp really looked and tasted like. Hunter’s only experience with shrimp was the flavor used in his instant noodles. It certainly didn’t taste like the real thing. Watermelon was like that too. Artificial watermelon flavors never tasted anything like the real fruit. ”Shellfish? Why can’t it just be a fish? Jeez, you guys have to go an make everything fancy pants.” Even his pants were fancy. They had some snazzy looking label he had seen on a commercial. It had a bunch of men in black and white doing slow motion modeling to music and his mom seemed to pay attention to the commercial every time it was on. ”It does feel funny, but this cocktail sauce takes care of it I guess.” Hunter reached for another shrimp and ate the whole thing in one bite this time.

Knowing he wasn’t being tested made the food taste even better. Still there was a serious issue that needed to be addressed. Pushing the platter away from him, he needed to focus his attention on busting out of here. Normally he didn’t like the idea of working with others. All of his budding interests were solo acts: gymnastics, drumming, skateboarding. Kennedy did deliver though when she promised him food. Even if he did what he believe to be the grunt work. His stomach was filling up thanks to her.

”Whoa,” Hunter’s hand went over to cover the shrimp. He was quickly getting attached to this rich seafood Kennedy exposed him to. ”Nobody touches the shrimp or else they get hurt.” It was part hungry, part ‘poor kid’ mentality that drove him to get serious. One, this shrimp thing was good and two; there were family’s like his that went weeks at a time without anything more than a jar of peanut butter in their cabinets. Hunter was not going to stoop to wasting food when his mother struggled to feed three growing children still in Cali. ”I don’t feel comfortable fighting a girl…” But Kennedy did steer him in the right direction for food. ”…but if fighting Minnie Mouse is going to get me home free, then I guess I have no other choice.” He of course just had to throw in a reference towards her dress, but Hunter didn’t mean it as harshly as he meant it when they first met this evening.

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[KENNEDY LYNN BEAUFORT]

OUTFIT

Kenny laughed as Hunter asked why it couldn't just be a fish. "Fish have scales and don't have legs, right?" she asked, arching a brow at him. "Shellfish have shells and usually have legs." In her mind, this made shellfish and fish completely opposite creatures other than the fact that they lived underwater. "You wouldn't call a lizard a snake!" she concluded, trying to make a comparison with something that he would probably understand. In fact, she hadn't really considered the difference between shellfish and fish before. It had simply been something obvious to her.

She laughed as Hunter suddenly became protective over his new-found food. She withdrew her hand before snagging a cracker and dipping it into small bowl with a dark colored paste. Tapenade. It definitely would not fill her for the night, but it would be something to eat before she helped her new friend get kicked out of the gala. Her parents would definitely not be too happy with her. Why she couldn't behave more professionally like her sister was far beyond them.

As he called her Minnie again, though it was not as harsh as it had been earlier, she gave a smile. "Just don't throw a fit if I beat you," she finished, sliding out of her chair and quickly snagging a piece of shrimp from Hunter's guarded bowl and dipping it into the cocktail sauce before darting back a few steps. She dangled it from her finger tips, waving it at him. "Come and get it!" Kenny challenged, giving a daring smile and arching a brow at him. Of course, any good fight wasn't complete without some stains on clothes you never wanted to wear again.

[HUNTER DOUGLAS ULRICH]

OUTFIT

Fish swim, shrimp swim. What did it matter now that Kennedy took one of the dangling pink ‘shellfish’ and dipped it into the cocktail sauce? Knowing that the shrimp was going to land somewhere on his body he reached for his own artillery. Kennedy coaxed Hunter into the fight by questioning his ability to keep up and ultimately beat the young Beaufort in the food battle. ”Oh you’re going to get it!” Locked and loaded chucked his first shrimp towards the brunette. Now he was never one for team sports like baseball, but his aim wasn’t too bad for a thirteen-year-old boy. No one was going to ask him to be a MLB pitcher that’s for sure.

They were going to need more of an impact than just chucking shrimp at each other if they were serious about getting thrown out of here anytime soon. A shrimp came flying towards him and made contact with the blonde. Hunter stared at Kennedy in shock as the cold cocktail sauce dripped down his face. He did his best to wipe the small amount of sauce trailing down his forehead as he in turn dipped his hand inside the dipping bowl, getting a large handful of the sauce and throwing it at her. Hunter intention was for it to land on her face in a sickening splat, but it found home near the nape of her neck and the rest landed on the floor. Hunter didn't know what to do next, so he began to run hoping the girl would chase after him.

Running towards the food table, Hunter quickly tried to stop, but his shoes caused him to slide and bump into the corner of the table. The contents of the dishes and bowls all jiggled for a moment before settling once more. The Thunder looked at her, then the goopy looking yellow pudding on the table, one that had probably been made for dessert. Like a cornered animal, Hunter held on hand cocked back with the pudding as a warning as Kennedy drew closer. Their was a beat of silence were he just looked at her before he attempted to smeared it on her face. Hunter let out a laugh and pushed at Kennedy's shoulder as she retaliated, trying to get away from her as food blurred his vision. His feet slipped out from under him due to the mess, and he grabbed onto both Kennedy and the table to steady himself, but only succeeded in knocking them both to the ground.

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[KENNEDY LYNN BEAUFORT]

OUTFIT

Truthfully, though she had given Hunter credit on being smart, she had not been expecting him to pick up so quickly on the challenge. Most people didn't. So she was not prepared when he threw the first piece of food in their fight, where skimmed the side of her face. Now her face was not only red with a sort of childish excitement, but cocktail sauce was smeared from her cheek back into her hair. That would be a pain to get out, but it was good for their mission. Plus what was a fight without getting a little bit dirty?

As she threw her weapon, she was happily surprised as it hit him on the forehead and splattered the red sauce onto his face. Kenny laughed delightedly and as he scoped up the cocktail sauce into his hand, she knew he was going to throw it. She tried ducking away, avoiding her face, and it landed perfectly on the neck of the dress. Her mom wouldn't even be able to get out that stain. She grinned triumphantly and Hunter turned tail, chasing after him as if she were going to exact revenge. "Get back here!" she yelled, though she wasn't expecting him to stop. Of course, the only way this plan would work is if they both looked like this had sprung out of bad behavior, and not simply because they wanted too.

Hunter made a bee-line for the main food table. He was a little devil, wasn't he? He bumped into it before he looked around at the table as she closed the gap between them. He was going to go for something on the table, he looked ready to throw something but she couldn't exactly see what it was. Curse her shortness. She faltered in her steps just as he pulled his hand back and tried to smear the pudding on her face. He hit the side of her face as she lunged for him, hoping to catch him off guard and get to the bowl. Kenny managed to get her hand into the bowl before he pushed her away, which earned him a handful of pudding launched at him.

It wasn't long before the floor was messy and Hunter, in an attempt to stay upright, pulled her down with him. By now they had created quite a mess and drawn a bit of attention. She scooped up some of the mess beside her and half-tackled him as she rubbed it into his shirt. All this time, the brunette had been laughing delightedly. It was the most fun that she had experienced in a long time. "I'll see you around," Kennedy commented in a sort of farewell. Not too much later, she was pulled off of the blonde by a strong hand. Kennedy glanced behind her in time to see her father looking at her sternly and her mother looking rather disappointed.

She allowed herself to look ashamed, though a quick glance back towards the blonde with a bright smile was allowed, as she turned back and scuffed the ground. They would definitely be going home. Even if their behavior was excused, their clothing was in no-way acceptable for the company that they were in. Kennedy figured that she wouldn't be seeing the boy for a while, which brought a tinge of sadness through her as the Ulrich family came through the crowd. He was in the grade above her, of course. She probably wouldn't see him until she went to the Academy and even then, it wasn't guaranteed. Her dress was absolutely ruined, "is that a tear, Kennedy? This was a very expensive dress!", and Kenny smiled.

As her parents led her away, her dad holding her hand as if she might go and run off, she turned around as much as she could and waved towards Hunter. Hopefully he would be looking and he wouldn't get in too much trouble. He was new to the area so she hoped that the Ulrich's weren't going to be too hard on him.

After all, it wasn't every day you made such a good friend as this.

occ: hope you don't mind me closing it up like that.