Is that the Headmaster? Wait nope, he's missing an eye.

A tall, good-looking man sat in a leather chair reading a book within the massive boarding school known as Beata. He was reading a book on mind related powers, hoping to learn a bit more about his power than what he'd already learned. He wasn't planning to stay at the school too long, he wasn't exactly fond of the memories that were prominent within his mind when he was here. His brother is the headmaster and his mistress his former roommate- he was desperately hoping he didn't accidentally run into one of them while he was here. He was too tempted when he was escorting the two teens he'd befriended to the school to not come back and look through the library to not, so he had come in search of a nice book or two. He was about 1/2way through the book before he was interrupted by the heavy wooden door creaking open.

OOC: Note, this is not Cyreen, it's Josh. My other one-eyed char. cx

"You can't stay here, you know."
The headmaster walked into the library, arms folded in front of him. While he was somewhat pleased to see hos brother, with the school year beginning, and a handful of new students, now wasn't the time for family visits - not even from his own family. "I don't know exactly where you found those two, but if you need someplace to be near them - Rosebury is just as safe of a place. Not here, though." Normally, it wasn't in his nature to be so stern, but with the history this place had; and the responsibility he now carried; sometimes, it was called for...

OOC: AMG IT'S NAAET ASDFf

The man holding the book frowned behind the pages he was reading and looked up, startled to see his brother. He raised an eyebrow, before dogearing shutting the book gently and setting it down on his lap. "I wasn't trying to be near them, I was just trying to read up a little more on, well." He picked up the book and showed the clearly engraved spine to the man in front of him, and set it back down in his lap. "If you want me to leave, I'll go, though."

Nathaniel didn't move, keeping on his professional poker face, "Still?" He inquired, looking at the binding book cover, "Out of a children's textbook?" He doubted whatever was in that older book would benefit his brother any at all; it might have twenty years ago; but not now... Surely his power had grown to the point where he wouldn't need to learn from references anymore, but to understand his gift for himself from his own experiences; that's how he believed things were supposed to work anyways. There wasn't a writing in the world that could tell Nate something about his gift that he didn't already know, and he knew more.

The question occurred to him if Joshua had changed in any way at all those last twenty years. Not seemingly, at least not from what the man saw in comparison. He tried to make something out of his life. After the tragedy of the school ended, the two of them went their different ways.

Nate stayed behind to help rebuild the place. He graduated from Beata. He went to college. He married the love of his life, (Who was in fact now his beloved wife, not his mistress, thank you very much.) with whom he had two sons that he couldn't be more proud of. And instead of running from his past, running from the haunting memories these hallways once carried, Nathaniel owned it; ... Literally. He came back and sought to take this place and make it better, to help shape it into the haven for gifteds it was always meant to be.

When he looked at his brother, though, Nathan saw nothing but a man mauled by the horrors of his past. He knew how Josh hated to come to the school, how his best friends both died in this very place; but he had big work, no family (aside from Nate, really), in fact, it quite puzzled Nate when his brother walked in with the two strange siblings. Maybe Joshua had good reasons or different ways of thinking, but Nate couldn't help but wonder what life he was living, or if he was at all.

The headmaster shook his head, trying to clear his thoughts. He was getting carried away with his own mind. "If there's no reason to be here, you should go." He said quietly, "It's a private campus. Visitors aren't exactly allowed."

The man's eye filled with visible dismay, and then with understanding. He got up, put the book on the pile of books that needed to be put back in their respective places, and turned to face his brother. Instead of like normal, when his mind was an impenetrable barrier, it was open. Free to be delved into. The emotion he was feeling filled the large library. He gave a weak salute to the headmaster and began his way out.

The emotion he was feeling?
Envy.

Normally, Nathaniel wouldn't even bother to try to crack into the heart and mind of his brother; especially since it always seemed that he was trying to be shut out. When the waves of emotion washed over him, though, at first he felt a bit guilty - but then the thought arose to his mind, why should he really be? In the back of his mind, he knew that Josh had felt this way for a long time, but one he never really cared to address. This was the downfall of that, he supposed.

"You shouldn't be jealous of me." He spun around to face his brother suddenly; instead of the normal, caring sheen, there was a hard to his golden eyes. "Never should've been. You think everything I have now came to me on a silver platter?" Nate hoped he'd stop his walk to hear this, pointing a hand at him. "My life? You think everything is always sunshine and rainbows with Melody? Think it's easy being a father? Do you think that I'm now Headmaster just for the hell of it?"

The young man shook his head in disgust, "I have to work everyday for what I have. And it's worth it. I love my life, but you..." Nate frowned and pulled his arm back, running fingers through his messy hair. "Nothing comes easy, Josh. Even when we were kids, instead of facing any of your problems, you went and hid on the roof or behind your gameboy - How could you expect to get anything good in the end living like that?"

Nathan took a few steps closer to him, his glare harsh, "Don't be fucking angry with me. Or jealous. Or anything. You have no one to blame for your life but yourself."

If there was one thing he'd put straightforward in this situation, it was that he was not angry. His mind became a wall again and he turned to face his slightly taller brother, looking slightly up to look him in the eye. "Don't you think I know that?" he hissed. "When she died, I just broke down. I wasn't able to function, and I still can't! It's not like I don't try, oh, hell no, I sure as hell try, but it just never happened. And the way things are looking for me, it never will." His eyes shone with something he hadn't felt in a while-- emotion. That's all he was feeling, today. Usually he just shut it out and didn't let himself, well, feel, but no, his eyes shone with something else- tears. He covered his face with a hand and shook his head. His tone was softer and he spoke quieter. "Nate, I know that it wasn't easy. I understand. I have nothing! I'm a failure." He turned around, shaking slightly, and wobbled slightly as he again began walking to the door once more.

Joshua could've put up that wall all he liked, there was one catch though, eyes gave everything away. He hadn't considered that this was the reason his brother felt so held up in life; he knew how badly the death of his friends had affected him, and it was understandable, but this much? 'Her'. That had to be the girl with the blue eyes he was always around - did he love her that much?
The man gritted his teeth and broke their gaze away, being overwhelmed by feelings of guilt, regret, and sadness - none of them his own. His anger faded as he was forced to consider, what if something had happened to Melody all that time ago, would he be able to take it?
Nathaniel sighed, crossing his arms. "So, that's it, then?" He muttered, "You're just going to give up again? Hide away until you die because of her? Give up more decades of your life just to feel sorry for yourself? Do you really think that's what she'd want for you?" This time, he wasn't making any motion to stop his brother, just calling after him.

Josh stopped dead, still wobbling slightly. "I-I... I don't know." His response was rather choked. "I don't know what to do anymore." He put a hand on the nearby wall to steady himself. "I-I mean.. I might go back to s-school, or something.. if I can ever find some form of motivation.." He turned to face Nate. Even though his face hadn't changed from before [sadasfd] there was something new in his eyes. Determination. "You know what? I don't think s-she would have."

To be honest, Nate was rather surprised that he had gotten through to him - or maybe Josh had been waiting a long time to hear the words for himself. He paused and looked down at the ground, giving them both time to gather up their thoughts - Nathaniel being a bit absent of words at the moment. "School would be a good place to start." Not this school, of course, but he'd get an education and be forced to meet new people.
Nathaniel wasn't sure what say beyond that. His brothers had his own issues that he had to sort out on his own, so instead he gently clasped a hand on Josh's shoulder, nodding his approval quietly. manleh comforting. /shot

Josh paused for a moment as his brother clasped him on the shoulder, looking him in the eye, before jumping slightly and pulling a smartphone from his pocket. He rolled his eyes and shoved it back into his pocket, before clasping his hand on Nate's shoulder. "Thank you."