Nathaniel was bored. Nathaniel was always bored and today he sat next stream, throwing a pebble in it. Rolling his eyes, he sighed and looked for another pebble to throw in. Adrian was now becoming a right pain in the arse. What a stupid ghost; always creating drama. He was worse then Casimir who snogged whoever was in his sight. What a man whore. Well, at the moment Nathaniel basically hated everyone. The school was tedious even though it was his last year and his education was finally ending. his thoughts were opaque; constantly unclear and mixed up, so when he talked he always thought he was talking some sort of nonsensical gibberish. How tedious.

Leaning against some great oak tree, Nathaniel knew he should be doing some sort of work as now this was his last year he constantly got over-loaded by stupid, stupid homework. but frankly, he couldn't be bothered. laziness and procrastination plagued him constantly and it seemed these days that he didn't have the will to pick up a pen and write. In some moments he felt utterly lifeless; what was happening to him? He blamed his brother for all this unnecessary drama. why couldn't he leave the school alone? Always looking for trouble, always looking for some one to bother or haunt. Nevertheless, Nathaniel closed his eyes and allowed the sun to bask on his pale skin, before he heard a twig snap behind him and thus he knew some one was behind him. some was approaching.

Dexter had only come to the school a week ago. He didn't know many people and the grounds were still a little unfamiliar. He was exhausted after only a week, the long flight from Tokyo had worn him out, not to mention the climat change, time change and the new environment.
Dexter had decided to explore the grounds, he was walking down to the river when he noticed someone had beaten him too it. He observed the boy for a while the decided to approach. Dexter walked through the shrubs and into the open. The other youth seemed to be aware of his presence. "hi"uttered Dexter calmly, not certain how the youth would react. "I'm Dexter, I arrived hear a week ago." he spoke casually, then waited for a reaction.Trying desperately to absorb as much of the information he could from the youth.He looked friendly enough.But at the same time slightly irritated.
The last thing he needed was to make an enemy. It had been hard enough getting out of rehab.
The memories of the night his parents were killed flashed across his mined.Then the anger it hadn't been his fault, if his parents had taken him more seriously he wouldn't have...
He couldn't bare thinking about it any more he turned his attention back to the youth.He was determined to make a good inpretion and hopefully a friend.

Mist was sitting on the bank of the stream, her legs in the shallow water, watching it distort her skin so she could no longer see those scars that still sickened her with their unwanted presence. It had been so long since the chandelier incident that she sometimes forgot it had even happened, until she stumbled on the stairs or tried to dance that is. Now the weather was warm and she wore short skirts, albeit reluctantly, baring the marks of her injury and feigning pride. She needn't have bothered though, nobody noticed her legs. Nobody noticed her, full stop.
A male voice drifted downstream, alighting in her mind and arousing her curiosity. She stood up, temporarily being blinded by a ray of bright sunlight that flashed into her eyes. Walking ankle deep in the water, she followed the sound until she saw on the opposite side of the stream, two boys, one of whom she recognised as the boy who had saved her from a falling tree Davey had aimed at her.
Not feeling confident enough to cross the water and introduce herself, she was content to lie back on the grassy bank, basking in the sunlight while silently indulging in her habit of listening in on other people's conversations.

Nathaniel jumped at the voice and then looked at the newcomer through narrow eyes. he wondered how the school managed to get new students after all that had happened here. It surprised him frankly. However, shaking his head he forced a wry smile on his lips. During the occuring incident with his brother the ghost Nathaniel's sense of humour had become somewhat dry and cold. That was his brother's doing as he felt the warm, always-smiling Nathaniel slowly slip away from him.
"Hello, there Dexter," he said and then looked back over the stream. He could see a vague silhouette of some person but he couldn't be quite sure who it was. Shaking his head he turned back to Dexter. "New here, huh? I'm surprised you wanted to come here as you've probably heard what happens around here." A little sly, dry smile curled on his lips as his eyes gleamed in the pale sunlight.

The youth seemed cold and bitter. Dexter was all ready beginning to regret having decided to explore the grounds of the school. They were so big he would only get lost or forget where he was. Could he even fined the way back to the dorm? He had wondered quiet far and the woods were thick, to be honest he had not even expected to meet anyone, the youth was a chance for friend ship, one that wasn't going so well at the moment. He should have just spent the day in the dorm. Why did he have to be so curious, or rather why did he always have the impulse to know every thing around him? All these thoughts ran through Dexter's head as he looked at th youthes gleaming eyes.

What was the youth talking about, when he had said:I'm surprised you wanted to come here as you've probably heard what happens around here.? Dexter was confused. What happens that would deter him from... From where exactly the school? By the look on th youthes face it couldn't be anything good. Dexter suddenly felt a rush of blood run through his veins, he felt a drive in him that wanted to know, wanted the answers.
The youth had looked over his shoulder, what had court his attention? Dexter glanced in the direction that the youth had, someone was in the distance, but they were shadowed by th trees so no features could be seen only their silhouette.

Dexter realized that the youth hadn't introduced himself and that he still remained nameless. "No I haven't actually, what happens around here? Oh and what is your name?" he asked carefully. Then waited fore the youthes reaction.

Rays of sunlight distorted her vision, so bright that everything on the earth seemed so much darker by comparison. The figures across the stream seemed like shadows. Through those translucent streamers that hung down from the sun, she could still see that face she recognised. Nathaniel, was it? She couldn't remember much about him, he was just a heroic older boy with a grave face. In response to the look he sent in her direction, she waved vaguely. She couldn't tell if he had recognised her, he might have just been blinking in the sun and just happenned to be facing her. She half got up to go over to them, but faltered as she thought of this, not wanting to appear foolish.
"Go on, show some guts for once," she muttered to herself and began to walk through the stream towards them, quietly so as not to disturb their conversation.

Nathaniel chuckled as the boy’s ignorance. Was he being too cruel? He doubted so. Compared to what he had been through he being a God to this newcomer, Dexter. “Me?” he said in mock ignorance and then he leant against the oak tree, folding his arms. “I’m Nathaniel. Nate, if you want. I frankly, don’t care,” he muttered. He looked across the stream and saw someone he recognized coming this way. Oh, yes that was the girl who he had saved from under a collapsed tree trunk. He frowned suddenly as he tried to recall her name. What was her name? Nathaniel, frankly, had a poor memory but finally, ever-so slowly it came to him. He had to think of weather first of all. It was Mist. He grinned scornfully, before turning back to Dexter, prepared to answer his other question. He raised an eyebrow, his brown eyes wide and gleaming in the dying sunlight. “This school is…well…unique. But I’ll just get to the point, shall I? I’ll cut the crap. This school is haunted by actual ghosts.” He said bluntly, not bothering about the fact that his younger brother had died here and was now one of the ghosts. Shrugging, he looked back at the blond girl who was walking along the stream. “Believe it or now. I don’t care. But I’d watch your back, mate,” he muttered under his breath.

Dexter was taken aback by the sly tone of the answer. He was beginning to hate this boy; Nathaniel, who spoke of ghosts. He felt like throwing him in the stream so he would be dragged away by the strong current. He looked to wards the stream a girl was crossing the stream and coming towards him. What was she doing she would be washed away by the current anyone could deduce that. Flashes of his training with the monks went through him. He remembered he him self had been dragged down a mountain in a ferocious freezing river. Dexter felt his blood pump with more vigor, adrenalin seeping in to his system. But he controlled it. He looked at Nathaniel, he had looked in the same direction just before. Dexter thought he had seen a glimpse of recognition on Nathaniel's face as he had looked at the girl. But he kept all his emotions hidden. He was determined to make this work.

Dexter ignoring the rudeness of th previous answer asked with calm curiosity "You know her?" and nodded in the direction of the girl.

Nathaniel turned to look at Mist and shrugged. "Yeah. Saved her life once. Haven't really spoken to her since then," he mumbled and waited for Mist to come and join the conversation that was already becoming somewhat uncomfortable. However, to be frank, he couldn't care less about this newcomer. People seemed to arrive daily in this school and well, new people were now becoming tiering and unoriginal.

Mist almost gave in and fell into the water as the strong current pulled at her weak limbs, but she managed to steady herself, her arms spread out wide like a tightrope-walker. She still retained her dancer's gracefulness, even if she had lost her skill.
She clambered onto some nearby rocks and made the rest of her way across the stream by jumping from rock to rock. She alighted in a cat-like manner on the soft grass, looking up and smiling pleasantly. She wasn't sure how to act now she was actually here. It had seemed like a good idea at the time.
"Hi...um...Nathaniel," she said, taking a moment to remember his name again, despite having been saved by him a few times.

Dexter watched as the girl as she gracefully struggled over to Nathaniel. She seemed shy yet strangely attractive. "is the water nice?" Dexter asked jokingly, hoping that it would make the conversation less dry. "I'm Dexter by the way?" he kindly offered his hand. Dexter wounder wether the conversation was actualy going any where, did Nathaniel have any kined af ralationship with the girl. He couldent read the girl much, nor did he think there was much between the two. He decided to probe, his curiosity unstoppable. "So you two know each other much?" his question was mainly directed at the girl, but he was shore that Nathaniel would also have something to say. He waited patiently for the answers and the opportunity to fined out as much about these people as possible.

It was not that he was looking to fined faults but rather to be aware of the situation, he did not like to be in unknown territory, but some times ti was necessary. For his own safety.

Mist shook the boy's hand awkwardly, trying her best not to laugh at the stiff formality of the situation. Her small hands and child-like fingers looked ridiculously fragile against his. She had been petite all her life, but it felt slightly worrying that she couldn't even shake someone's hand without fearing that her bones would snap.
"I'm Mist Rhianne Yhamghata," she said, instantly regretting the use of her full name. The atmosphere was so staid and polite it felt like they were at some sort of dinner party. It felt wrong that she wasn't holding a glass of champagne or being accosted by waiters bearing volevons.
"We don't know each other much," she said, referring to Nathaniel, "Apart from that he saved my life a couple of times. But that's not really that big a deal around here. It feels like everyone I know has saved my life at least once. It's becoming a bit of a trend," she said in a way that could have been mistaken for casual. Really she was quite proud of not having come across as an idiot yet.

Dexter shook Mists hand, he noticed how soft and delicate her hands were they seemed lost in his larger firmer rougher hand. She seemed unbelievably calm as she answered his question. Maybe she was accustom to it. He observed her once more taking in as much about her as possible without being noticed. She seemed unbelievably fragile yet very attractive. However she seemed slightly unnerved even sad, it was in her eyes, her deep eyes a pool of emotion.
These feelings were similar to the ones Dexter had had with a girl at the monastery, but that was past and he did not wish to dwell on it. However the look was the same and it spooked him.
Dexter stood slightly dazed for a few seconds then deciding to unformaliz the meting.
"sit down enjoy the peace" he offered as he simultaneously sat himself down on the grass.

Mist sat down on the grassy bank, tucking her legs underneath her so they were lost from view, underneath her floral, hippy skirt. She was still wearing the school shirt and tie, which gave her a quirky appearance. She had been so desperate to get down here in the sun, she hadn't bothered to change properly. She couldn't stand the feeling of tartan against her bare skin though, so she had donned something a little freer.
Now, listening to the sound of the stream, attractive boys on either side of her, she felt pretty much perfect. Almost too perfect.
It had been so long since she had felt like this, the emotion started to get to her. Despite her attempts to quell this bittersweet tragic-joy, a choked feeling lodged itself in her throat. And then before she could do anything to counter it, tears started to well up in her eyes. One of them escaped and fell in a salty rivulet over her cheek. She turned her face away, but she couldn't be sure they hadn't seen.
She was in a very, very strange mood today.

Dexter admired the perfect moment, it was so calm. Nathaniel seemed to have tuned out. However the girl seemed overwhelmed, the girls eyes glisend, but before a tear droped she turned awy avoiding his gaze no dought.

Dexter became slightly confused, was the tear one of sadness or of joy, he simply could not tell. Beginning to feel slightly awkward he suddenly found himself slipping his arm round her shoulders to give her a comforting hug.

Mist felt the warmth of someone's arms around her, and instinctively sank back into them. She didn't turn around to see whose they were, she still couldn't face to show her spontaneous tears. It was enough that someone had reacted. Someone had seen her and had sympathised. She no longer felt invisible or blank.
For some reason she assumed it was Nathaniel. He had saved her every other time. She had grown used to feeling Nathaniel near her in a moment of panic. Although before there had been real danger, this time it was just emotional.
And yet Nathaniel had never seemed to care. He had saved her out of duty and normal human decency. Whoever the owner of these new arms was, he seemed to feel for her. She could tell just by listening to the sound of the blood rushing through his veins as she rested her head against a foreign shoulder.
"You don't even know what's wrong," she murmurred, the tears having now dried, leaving salty tracks from her eye to her chin.
"Then again...neither do I," she added, looking straight ahead now at the running water, and smiling like a child.

Dexter tensed as the Mist leaned her head on his shoulder, but relaxed again almost instantly as he knew there was no danger. She felt limp as though she were collapsing into his arms. It was a pleasant feeling of control, of stability.

"It doesn't matter why,...sometimes its just enough that someone cares." he said sincerely as he rested his head on hers."The important thing is to just hang on and eventually things will turn out o.k."
Dexter let out a breath of content and then glanced at Nathaniel who had been quiet for a while. He didn't seem to be paying attention so Dexter looked over the cool water of the stream.

He seemed perturbed, this strange but oddly lovable boy, as if he spoke from experience and so understood all this spontaneous emotion. There was something about him that seemed somehow damaged, and as whenever there was the slightest hint of complexity in someone's character, she was intrigued.
She sat up straight and turned round to face him, a curious but empathetic light in her eyes. It felt colder now she was out of his arms, but she it was still reassuring having sympathetic eyes to look into. Her head at a slight angle she observed his face, looking for signs of any emotional scars. She met his eyes and smiled so as not to unnerve him.
"How do you know? What have you had to hang on to?" she asked, glancing up at Nathaniel for a moment, wondering if he was still listening to their conversation.

Dexter met the light filled eyes and smiled teasingly back. He seemed to have lightened Mist's spirit.However he had arisen her curiosity and know she wanted to know about him and his past.

Deciding that it was about time he to reveal some of his past he told her. "Well my parents died... in a fire, ...so that kinda messed me up. Then when I was at this monastery studying the sole and stuff I realized what I needed... well just some one to take my mined off it. There was this girl there and well she did that." he said with slight repent, then to make up for it he added, "A bit like you are know."

Dexter looked deep into Mist's eyes letting the few strands of emotion left in him flow into her. He felt brilliant just as he had with Kiro, his girlfriend in Japan.
He moved his head and went to place a kiss on Mist's forehead.

Ooc: How soppy! =)

Nathaniel was watching the moment, with a little smirk curled on his lips. This moment was such a cliché it nearly made him vomit. He had seen many of them and they all somewhat disgusted him. Love basically was one whole melted chunk of chocolate. Chocolate because it tasted nice and love was nice and all that pathetic whatnot. And melted because it all became dangerously sticky. Yes, Love was a melted chuck of chocolate and at the moment Dexter and Mist were sinking deeper into this sticky substance. And Nathaniel had to get them out of it.
“Does anyone want beer?” he spontaneously proposed, arching an eyebrow.

Dexter turned his head removing his lips from the soft skin of Mist's forehead. He looked up at Nathaniel the spectator seemed to think something was funny, judging by his smirk that was.
The question was, what was he jeering at? The kiss, the sensitivity of the moment, the fact that Dexter's parent were dead. Dexter felt a rush of rage in him. Worst of all he offers beer, as if to calibrate.

Dexter bottled away his annoyance, and answered politely, "No thanks." He did not think alcohol was appropriate at this particular moment.

The moment had been broken, and although it had been completely out of this world, Mist was sort of relieved. It had been so intense, and she wasn't used to expressing emotions like that. She wasn't used to expressing emotions full stop.
She looked at Dexter, he seemed put out. She wondered if he could tell that something had been broken. What he had just told her seemed to have been something very personal, close to his heart, and now she felt she couldn't reply, find out the information she needed to be able to comfort him, due to Nathaniel's interjection.
His parents were dead, and she couldn't say anything about it. It was too painful for words. She reached her hand out and wrapped her little and ring fingers around his thumb. She didn't smile because it didn't seem appropriate, but she hoped he understood. It was what he had said "...sometimes it's just enough that someone cares."
Nathaniel had spoken, and considering he had saved her life twice, she felt obliged to be civil.
"I don't drink...Well, I haven't before...Not properly," she said, mumbling slightly, not wanting to reveal how innocent she was. And failing miserably.

Dexter was touched both emotionally and physically as he felt Mist's fingers wrap round his thumb, it was the sign of understanding that he needed.
Dexter also got a glimpse of how pure she was, it didn't seem as though she drank. He also was not a drinker, he had found other ways to punish himself .

Dexter acknowledged his appreciation by giving her a small sensitive smile.

"Great then," The teenger said and put his hand in his pocket and took out a can of beer and tossed it to Mist. "I'm glad I'll be able to witness your first drinking moment. It's always good to try." No, he wasn't trying to be evil, but he did think it was time she should actually have a taste of alcohol. After all it was awkward for a teenger not to have tasted alcohol. Wasn't that the whole philosophy behind adolscence; rebellion? That Casimir was good example of how stereotypical adolscence took a human form.

"Drink Misty," he said, arching an eyebrow and completely neglecting Dexter who seemed to be now glaring at Nathaniel.

Dexter glared hard at Nathaniel, he couldn't stand his pushiness. What was he thinking, that if Mist should start drinking to be a normal adolescent. However it was certainly a rarity that an adolescent hadn't tried alcohol. Dexter drank but not for the sake of it and not veil beer. Mainly Saki on special occasions, and he had never gotten himself drunk.

Dexter turned to Mist, "You don't have to drink if you don't want to." he said in a reassuring and firm tone.He did not want Mist to destroy her innocence unnecessarily. "If she doesn't want to drink she doesn't have to." he also said firmly to Nathaniel.

Mist was unsure as to which opinion she should go with. On the one hand she had definitely had more of a connection with Dexter, felt like she knew him better. But Nathaniel had saved her life. It looked like that fact was going to hang over her for a long time. Nathaniel practically had a infallible means of manipulating her. Oh well, at least it saved her from making the decision herself.
"Okay. But I'm not getting drunk, it's just to try," she replied, smiling as she stood up and walked over to Nathaniel. She thought she'd be more nervous than this, but it actually felt quite natural.

Dexter let Mist go, it was after all her decision and what harm would it do. He lay down on the grass and stretched. He felt quit at peace just listening to the flow of the stream and the natural surroundings.
It was soothing and he was quiet exhaustedly at the end of this week.
He watched Nathaniel as Mist went to him. Dexter wondered what had happened for Nathaniel to have to save Mist's life, his curiosity getting the better of him again.

Mist picked up the beer can, feeling its cool metallic surface against the heated surface of her hand. The bright, familiar colours emblazoned on its front along with the "Mahou" logo reminded her of the countless times she had seen them in other people's fridges, on posters in bus stations or in desirable boys' hands.
She'd had sips of the stuff before, obviously, been offered it by slightly tipsy parents or her outrageously drunken older cousin. This was different though. This felt proper. This felt real.
She opened the can, listening attentively for the pop of the metal giving way, the hiss of fizz escaping and then the gentle bubbling sound, already coming to the conclusion that it was the best music in the world. If she were a percussionist she'd never use anything else.
Raising the metal to her lips, she took one long, greedy gulp, waiting for the pleasure to arrive.

It didn't. She became aware of a bitter, sickening taste in her mouth. She tried to swallow, not wanting to seem too prim and innocent to be able to cope with one mouthful of beer, bit she was unable. She convulsed, her torso was bent suddenly forward as she spat the yellowy fluid out onto the grass.

"That is foul!" she gasped, staring incredulously down at the fizzling liquid as it sank into the earth.

"Creates a good effect though. have more and then you'll begin to like it," he said, his eye brows raised as he beckoned over at the the bottle. "You get used to it.Trust me."

(( Alternative post: " And then he became a GIANT tortoise and stalked off. Reminds you of anything, matt? ;))

Mist took another tentative sip. It still tasted pretty foul to her, but she resolved not to spit it out. He was right, as she drank more she got used to it. She still wouldn't call it pleasant though.
Bottle in hand, she sat down again, halfway between Dexter and Nathanial, able to talk to both of them without taking sides. Somehow she had got the impression that they weren't going to be the best of friends.
"Do you not drink, Dexter?" she asked after a rather uncomfortable silence. She was curious as to why he had reacted so coldly when Nathaniel had suggested.

Dexter hated the question, he did not drink he had a good reason but not one he liked to share. At the monastery during his rehabilitation one of the monks got really drunk and tried to molest him, he had not succeeded but Dexter had vowed never to touch the veil poison that turned the most honorable people into monsters. His alternate answer for the question was a lei, however most people accepted it.

"No." Dexter answered hoping he would not be followed up with the usual why.

There was a tense atmosphere and it was making Mist nervous. She felt like she had somehow offended Dexter, but wasn't sure how to make it up to him without making a fool of herself in front of Nathaniel.
"Okay," she replied simply to Dexter's brief answer. Obviously she was curious about his reasons, but there had already been enough emotional revelations between them for now, she didn't want to push it by prying.
Empty can in hand, Mist got up and danced in a fluid motion down to the water's edge. She was starting to feel a bit light-headed, but it was a nice feeling, different to the dizzy sense of exhaustion that usually took control of her when she was nervous or overexcited.
She danced around in the shallow water, her arms spread out. Under normal circumstances she would have been quite self conscious, but in the last few minutes her insecurities seemed to have walked off.
It was only when she stopped moving to a tune that she gently hummed to herself that she realised she had splashed quite a substantial amount of water onto the two boys.
She clapped a hand to her mouth and giggled sheepishly before apologizing profusely.

Dexter watched Mist get up and start dancing around in the water humming a tune. One can and she had totally changed, not that he could really judge he had only just met her. She had been shy and hidden an enigma he wanted to try and solve but know she seemed a free spirit.
Dexter got a splash of water as the dance got more frantic and arms flew around wildly, more splashes and he was becoming a bit damp, but he said nothing just gave a disapproving glare.
Mist apologized, but she seemed to think it was funny, it wasn't so funny to Dexter. But he showed nothing he ignored the fact thinking that maybe only he could not see the funny side, he could be quiet stiff sometimes.
Dexter gave Nathaniel a nasty look as though it was his fault he was wet.