the beach: monday afternoon

[halfbad.livejournal.com]

Nathan had fallen into a fairly new routine of sleeping against a tall tree in the preserve at night and then heading to the beach in the morning. The cool, salty water made for a better wake up then the suffocating walls of a shower. He still had to take a shower after swimming, of course, but still. He could take his time out here while he made sure he kept things short in the shower.

Nathan rolled the legs of his pants up and took off his shirt, wading into the water to his knees and then bending down to dunk his head and arms into the water. It immediately cooled him off and he slicked his hair back and shook it out before continuing to wade in the water.

"You'd like this place, Gabriel," Nathan murmured to no one but the waves and the wind. "Where are you?"

No one answered. He shut his eyes tightly and shook his head. Thoughts of Gabriel danced through his head for a moment longer before he pushed them away. He opened his eyes and was alone again. No black witches, no white witches, no fain, no nothing. Just himself and the water.

Nathan sighed and moved a little closer to the shore, not brave enough to go deeper right now. He'd made one attempt at swimming and wasn't sure if he was ready to do it on his own. He'd just wade and walk and cool down before he went back to the dorms.

[Open]

Comments

[doesnotkneel]

"Ah, getting in some practice without me?"

Edward'd gone for a stroll because he felt restless hanging about the dorms all day. And when Edward went for a stroll, that stroll usually took him here.

He was now sitting on a rock, watching on merrily.

[halfbad.livejournal.com]

"Cooling off more like," Nathan said, giving him a brief wave. "It's hot. And this is refreshing. I haven't thought about giving swimming a try."

Okay, he'd thought about it but he'd quickly dismissed it.

[doesnotkneel]

Edward grinned and yanked his shirt off before barging into the water, because hey, why not? "Ah, good idea," he said. "It's been boiling my head off."

[halfbad.livejournal.com]

"The only thing I like about being inside is the air conditioning but even that feels fake," Nathan said, wading slightly closer and tossing some water onto arms and chest. "Something I'll have to get used to, I suppose."

It made him want to whine but he managed to refrain from doing anything like that. "Guess I could spend this entire week here though. I don't think anyone would care."

[doesnotkneel]

"They do manage to keep it strangely cold," Edward mused, dipping his arms down into the water. "Ah, if you've no trouble with your hands turning the texture of rotting fruit, that seems like an excellent plan."

[halfbad.livejournal.com]

"I've probably looked worse in my time," Nathan said lightly. "And my hands already aren't things anyone should wanna look out."

He took his hands out of the water and gave his fingers a wiggle.

[doesnotkneel]

"Bit of ink's not going to put anyone off," Edward said merrily. "It is the weather to be swimming though, mate. Sure you don't want to give it another try?"

[halfbad.livejournal.com]

Nathan took a look at that 'bit of ink' and sighed. He almost started to explain it but decided against it. It was enough for people to just be comfortable with it.

"Wouldn't that take away from what you might wanna do?"

[doesnotkneel]

"I have no plans to speak of," Edward said, wading past him towards the deeper areas of the bay. "Might as well have some fun."

[halfbad.livejournal.com]

"I think you might be the only person who classifies teaching me do to do something as fun," Nathan said though he waded out a little deeper, careful to keep his footing.

[doesnotkneel]

"Is that a spot of self-loathing I hear?" Edward asked, flipping onto his back so he was drifting on top of the water.

[halfbad.livejournal.com]

"No." Maybe. "Just that I know I'm not easy to teach. That's what you're hearing. Because I know I'm not. My grandmother could barely teach me."

[doesnotkneel]

"We'll see about that," Edward replied. He didn't sound too concerned. "Remember how to float?"

[notacokeperson.livejournal.com]

Karina, well, didn't have anything to do. So a walk had seemed like a good idea and the beach had seemed like an even better one.

She shaded her eyes with one hand as she wandered down the beach. "How's the water?" she called.

[halfbad.livejournal.com]

"Refreshing," Nathan said once he realized she was talking to him. He even gave a brief wave. "Cold but not freezing. It's nice."

[notacokeperson.livejournal.com]

She waved back and picked her way down to the beach until the water was just brushing her sandals.

"Cold but not freezing, huh?" Karina smiled even though she knew he'd have no idea why that amused her. "That doesn't sound so bad. It's warm out today, huh?"

It wasn't like she really felt the heat after all.

[halfbad.livejournal.com]

"Really warm," he said, peering up at the sun and then blinking a few times. He knew he should have brought his sunglasses out here with him. But, his guard was falling slightly each day. "I don't know if I like it that much. Makes it hard to sleep at night sometimes."

[notacokeperson.livejournal.com]

"Oh?" Karina studied the water, then kicked off her sandals to walk in it. It was nice feeling. "Is it cooler where you lived before or something? Or is the A/C not working in your room? I bet you could get someone to fix it, if that's the case."

[halfbad.livejournal.com]

"It seemed cooler," Nathan said though maybe he was just used to the heat of England and Wales. "And it rained a lot so that might have helped. But, I also don't like to sleep in my room. I sleep better outside."

He could thank his father for that one.

[notacokeperson.livejournal.com]

"...Oh."

Probably not the most graceful response ever, but it was what she had.

"So, like, camping?"

[halfbad.livejournal.com]

"Guess so," he said, splashing some water on his shoulders. He slanted her a glance at that tone and answer. "That a bad thing?"

[notacokeperson.livejournal.com]

No, no, it was more that Karina was just going to silently judge him.

“No,” she said, after a moment of judging. “I mean, I guess it’s weird to me,” because it was, “but it’s not like it’s hurting anyone, so I guess it doesn’t really matter?”

Karina and tact were only sometimes on speaking terms.

“I guess I was just surprised.”

[halfbad.livejournal.com]

"For what reasons?" Nathan asked, tilting his head. He didn't much care what she thought of him but he was still curious. "Because I sleep outside? I doubt I'm the only one. Maybe I am here but not the only one in the world."

[notacokeperson.livejournal.com]

"Well," she said slowly and wondering how to--no, maybe she should just suck it up and admit it. "I guess because you're the first person I've met who sleeps outside for reasons other than 'going away on a camping trip'."

Karina shrugged a bit. "That probably makes me sound like a bit of a spoiled brat, huh?"

She was totally a spoiled brat.

"But it was the same for everyone I knew growing up. I guess I never really thought about people who might sleep outside."

[halfbad.livejournal.com]

"If I sleep inside, I get sick," Nathan told her, deciding to just be honest. "Violently ill. I can manage it if I sleep near a window but it's not a good night's sleep. So, I don't sleep out there because I'm some mountain man. I do it so I don't get sick."