Markus

Markus was the third child born into a well-off household, with her father being a successful lawyer and investor. Her mother was a painter who typically stayed at home and cared for the family while her husband worked. Her siblings, twins named Benjamin and Penelope, are six years older than her. They often teased Markus growing up, particularly Penelope, but she and Benjamin were still quite close and often played together. The three siblings did enjoy taking art lessons from their mother from time to time. Their parents ensured that they all had good educations, but Markus loathed her studies and much preferred to sit in her mother’s lap and paint. Her mother didn’t mind and was very patient with her, but her parents would often argue about her lack of focus, despite her young age. Markus’ father was strict on her and often removed her access to toys or paints when he fell behind, which heavily contributed to the tense relationship they still have today.

In school, her attitude towards her studies was largely the same, and she spent a lot of time drawing in her books and being scolded for it. If she had an opportunity to draw, she would take it, so she improved fast, especially with her mother’s guidance. Throughout her youth, Markus’ father encouraged her to study so she could become a doctor, lawyer or some other prestigious profession, but her mother encouraged her to follow her heart. Markus was a smart child, so she did well in school. But if she wasn’t interested in something, it was difficult to get her to pay attention or care for it much. Markus was quite different from the other children her age in a way she didn’t quite understand. She was very hyperactive and often deemed strange, so she would occasionally be excluded from activities and games. She was very hurt by this, since she loved to talk to people and make friends. As she grew older, she began to close herself off and mask her real personality and interests in an effort to appeal to others. In a sense, it worked, but she still felt very lonely.

When Markus was eight, she met her new baby sister, Colette. Markus doted on her constantly, and babysat her when she was old enough. When Markus was twelve, her parents would get a divorce. She was used to them fighting frequently, but never expected them to actually split, and it devastated her. To make things worse, her father didn’t want her mother to have any more contact with the children, and since he had the funds and legal expertise to ensure it, she disappeared from their lives. Markus was devastated, and the whole process was exhausting for her. She missed her mother dearly, not to mention her father had even more opportunities to restrict her. She was even more closed off and miserable than before, and lost the motivation to create art, instead deciding to dedicate herself to her studies and make her father proud. She and Benjamin grew apart around this time, but she remained close with Colette and tried to remain a positive influence on her.

As Markus reached adulthood, he was naturally expected to attend university and earn a degree. Markus had chosen to work towards law school, similar to her father. Though her studies had paid off, it didn’t take long for her to realize her heart wasn’t in it, and she was at the lowest point in her life. She felt trapped, and like she would never feel fulfilled in life no matter how successful she became. She lacked the confidence to drop out and disappoint her father, especially without knowing what she really wanted to do. Instead she decided to try and make some friends her own age, so she went bar-hopping with other students and attended parties. At one of these parties she met Satya. Satya was a self-proclaimed hedonist with a relaxed way of living and a knack for reading people. The minute the two of them met, he knew that Markus was pretending to be someone she wasn’t. The two of them talked for a long time, had a few drinks, and gradually Markus came out of her shell. She had never met someone who seemed to understand her the way that Satya did. Eventually, their mutual history with art came up and Satya invited Markus to a college art camp that summer. Markus was hesitant to get back into art at first, but it seemed like it might be exactly what she needed, so she decided to accept and see where it took her.

That summer, Markus and Satya attended the art camp together, and Markus met a lot of like-minded people her own age. One of those people was a woman named Olivia, who Markus ended up considering one of her best friends. Olivia and Satya hooked up while they were at camp, and Markus did some experimenting of her own with them during that time, though she decided to keep things platonic between them at the end of it all. Most importantly, being at camp reinvigorated Markus’ passion for art. She knew that one way or another, she wanted to make art her career, her life. Immediately after getting home, she decided to drop out of school and enroll in art college along with Satya, her new roommate. Her father was furious at first and they argued about it for months, but he ultimately accepted her choice and decided to reluctantly support her. Markus was overjoyed with the new direction her life was taking and decided to make the most of it, dedicating herself to her craft and basking in her freedom. She opened up a lot more, started to make more friends, and overall just enjoyed herself a lot more as she embraced the same hedonistic lifestyle as Satya.

After classes, Markus and Satya loved to attend parties to people-watch and have a few drinks. Penelope, who had recently started a somewhat successful modelling career, often hosted parties at her house, and the two of them would occasionally attend. On one of those occasions, when Markus was twenty-one, she and Satya noticed a young man stumbling around, intoxicated and seemingly alone. Since they had been to quite a few of these parties they had a good feel for the crowd, but they had never seen him around and had no clue who invited him. They decided to keep an eye on him for a while just in case, and pulled him over to chat, but he could hardly hold a conversation. They brought him to one of the bedrooms so he could sit and rest, but he insisted he was fine, only to throw up and pass out. With no other option and having no clue who he arrived with, they decided to bring him back to their dorm so he could sleep somewhere safe.

When the man finally woke up the next morning, hungover and confused, Markus and Satya introduced themselves to him and offered him breakfast. He introduced himself as Levi and thanked them for their help, though he was incredibly embarrassed by everything. He explained that he had been invited by Penelope and some of her friends, and that he was a model who worked with them, but he got separated from the others during the party. They got to talking over breakfast, and similarly to how Satya had called Markus out before, Markus realized that Levi was the kind of person to pretend to be someone else to please others. She gave him the same advice and encouraged him not to change parts of himself for others and to choose his friends more carefully. They ended up talking more and realized they had a lot of similar interests. They decided to keep in touch afterwards in case Levi ever needed help again, but in reality the two of them were both interested in becoming friends. Markus drove Levi home, and from that point on, they talked daily and spent a lot of their free time together. It wasn't long before she started to develop feelings for Levi, charmed by his genuine kindness and curiosity. They spent the next year falling for each other but shying away from their feelings.

Everything came to a head one day when the modelling agency Levi worked for suddenly declared bankruptcy and all of their employees were laid off. Markus saw how hard it hit Levi and decided to try cheering him up by spending the day out with him and treating him to all his favorite foods and activities. They both had a blast and Levi fully realized just how happy he was with Markus and how much the whole day has meant to him. The feeling overwhelmed him so much that on the drive home, he ended up blurting out his feelings for Markus. While initially embarrassed, Levi was overjoyed when Markus reciprocated his feelings, and the two kissed in the front seat while pulled over in a parking lot. They decided to make things official and start dating. Levi attempted to introduce her to his roommate, Fran, a few times, but it never seemed interested in getting to know her, much to their confusion. She always seemed oddly irritated by Markus’ presence, though Levi insisted that was just how she was.

Levi and Markus have been dating for two years; Markus is currently twenty-four years old. Markus has been doing very well in her classes, her friendship with Satya and Olivia is as strong as ever, and she and Levi are still deeply in love. Though oddly enough, Levi has begun to withdraw himself more and more lately, and Markus’ attempts to communicate have been ineffective. Levi also makes less of an effort to engage with Markus' interests compared to his usual enthusiasm. He still clings to Markus as his only source of support, leading to Markus getting a bunch of hot-and-cold mixed signals from Levi and wondering where his priorities really lie in their relationship. The insecurity in their relationship has affected her deeply, and she is trying her hardest to mend the rift between them without fully understanding the true cause.