Lone Watcher

From the moment he had died, it was agreed from the very start that this day would continue to be ignored and that there was no celebration. How long has it been since then? Six years? Perhaps it was. Six years ago, his body was left to rot on the streets by people clad in black with red ties, only to be found by his little sister, shying a little from the age of eight. Six years ago, he was revived and transformed into a demon, becoming a ghost that could only be seen by the same white-haired little girl and later, a red-eyed necromancer who could make him visible and pretend to be a human as long as she was around. But now, he was completely alone. Those porcelain lies that they had to craft with precision to get away, to find refuge at an elderly couple's cottage in the middle of the forest, had all fallen apart the moment they took their first into the academy.

It was from then on that he took the responsibility to be Nicola's guardian and watch over her for however long it was deemed fit.

Yet, as she continued to age and make new friends - which included a peculiar and shy girl who could summon hallucinations or a tall boy, one stretching his height perhaps a few inches above his, who controlled light at the tips of his fingers -, she continued to leave him behind. And today was just like every other day and Nicola didn't break her promise. They wouldn't celebrate his birthday. He was dead, there was no point. He had no feelings, there was no point. All it would be was a hindrance to others and a waste of their efforts. So he found himself up on the roof, staring straight into the sun that reflected off his glimmering crimson eyes and made them glow menacingly. Only a few months ago was he up here consulting his suicidal partner in crime who considered him a rather odd friend perhaps.

The sun was shining high that day - perhaps it was noon already, the shadow of the trees seemed to be at that angle - and the snow seemed to have capped every inch of the academy campus, turning it into the Winter Wonderland foretold by the popular event that took place at the end of December. A white Christmas. A chilly breeze seemed to be blowing in, fanning the ends of a vibrant red scarf away, turning them into the wings of a red robin. Many students were filing in and out, scrambling to get to the cafeteria before it was too crowded, some pacing themselves thoroughly to reach their dorms, while others continued to walk in groups, chattering about how difficult the last test was or what they had done throughout their brief Winter break. There was a bit of talk here and there about visiting home and family, but he wasn't envious. He wasn't allowed to be.

He had been leaning on a wall in Nicola's room, waiting for her to awaken for awhile and he would normally leave before she would notice; supposedly, his habits were rather creepy and stalkerish in her opinion and if other students knew, they would be disturbed by out. Of course, she would never bail him out. They couldn't do anything to a ghost after all. It was impossible to kill something that was already dead. But today? Today was different. Somehow, for some reason, Nicola managed to get up early enough and pushed him around, saying that he should try and do whatever he wanted instead of sticking to his stuffy and boring prefect tasks. "Get a life, Hieta! Sure, you might not be alive anymore, but today's kinda special 'ya know. Do whatcha want with it." Nicola certainly knew how to find loopholes in their little promises. She was a little too cheeky and observant that he left these things open-ended for her. At least they did not have a long discussion about this.

The footprints that were left like train tracks in the snow from when he walked up the stairs, leaving physical marks that he didn't normally leave on the ground, he could scarcely hear the chatter below him. Hieta moved his hand up to his scarf, adjusting it to cover his mouth. He took a deep breath for heaven know's why, silently wishing he could relish in the cool air that filled his lungs or show any signs that he was a human - not a single frosty billow left whenever he breathed and his eyes did not contain the lively shine of white that reflected off one's irises. He was dead. He knew that. But he could care less about living so long as Nicola was doing fine and would grow to not need him anymore. Perhaps he should find Destiny or Brant to converse with them - surely they would not know he was now eighteen and would surely not bring it up if they did know. Hieta sighed, shaking his head.

Grannie always wove him scarves for his birthday, but the one he wore now was a favorite. He wasn't sure if his sister knew, but he kept each and every single one of them. There was some doubt when Nicola first mentioned him to the elderly woman after her husband rebuked him, but she had accepted his existence, revealing quietly that she was a gifted in mediumship. Who would've known? It was pure luck and chance, and if anything, Hieta was secretly glad for it. Over time, they managed to win her husband's approval and they had grown close enough to be considered family. That was, until grannie believed it was best to send the two of them off to the academy that she used to study at. So here they were. They had stopped receiving letters a long time ago and Nicola seemed to have forgotten the kindness that their seniors shared to them. But why did it matter? He wouldn't care. The only thing he was grateful for was that they had taken his sister under their wing for awhile until she was old enough to begin taking care of herself.

Hieta had left the door open when came up to the roof, nestling into his jacket with his arms crossed. He was leaning onto a nearby wall, earphones worn without anything to connect the jack to. "What I want...?" Easier said than done. There was nothing in the world that he would want. A ghost could not want anything except to ask for the impossible. "Too naïve." The crunching sound of snow indicated that someone was trudging behind him. He scarcely moved an inch, turning his head a little over his shoulder to see the intruder out at the corner of his eyes, only to see his own carelessness.

Shit.

Students weren't supposed to be on the rooftop during lunch.

Students weren't supposed to be out on the rooftop during lunch.

But what about outcasts?

Were they counted as students?

Probably not.

The truth hit Iovita like a cold stone ever since she had been there. Entering the school at her age, with the insecurities of being a teenager it was already hard enough to fit in. Even though she had been at the school for nearly a month, heck, more than a month, she still felt like she didn't belong. She had came at the start of the new semester, and it seemed like it had been one of the worst times to come possible. But hey, she had discovered her gift at a time where it was one of the worst... That story made her shudder.

Sitting in the back of her middle school History class, Iovita had been minding her own business. A pen constantly tapping against the desk before her, her legs propped up upon the basket of the other students' chair. The teacher was blabbering on about a topic of little interest to Iovita, as honestly she couldn't care less. Grades weren't an issue in Iovita's mind, so long as she kept up a passing grade. Her parents didn't really enforce it onto her, ore or less just to pass. They were always too busy with paying bills, or worrying about other things. Heck, most of the time they were just bickering at each other.

Diverting her mind from the shitty conversation forming in her mind as a memory, Iovita glanced at the clock. Just ten more minutes, Vita. You can make it. Biting her lip, Iovita's feet shuffled silently on the metal cage as whisperings started forming around her. The classes she was stuck in were always chatty, and it made her annoyed. She wished they all would just... Shut up.

Suddenly, a sharp cry of pain escaped the young teenage girl as an overwhelming surge of a migraine hit her... Hard. She felt so many things around her, so many things were making her feel dizzy. She didn't like it, not one bit. She was in pain, and wanted to quickly curl up and die. But, she could just feel... Emotions. Boredem, mostly. What was that? Why could she... What the hell was going on?

Removing the thought of the memory of her gifts' discovery to the universe, Iovita shuffled her feet upwards as she climbed the stairs to the rooftop. She had wanted to stand out in the snow, look around her as to what had covered Beata in a soft blanket. The idea of just a perfect scene of the white powder around her was just... refreshing.

Ironic, it was. How she was a winter student, and how this was her absolute favorite time of year. Hands down, she loved being able to be greeted with cold air. It was just, crisp. Her hand clasped around the handle to the rooftop, and she pushed it open. She was then greeted with a blast of cold air, it's feeling being quickly welcomed.

The cold in her face was just one thing. It felt so free up here, and the snow covering the rooftop was just, perfect. Undisturbed,, perfect... It was honestly a bit of a shame she was going to remove that perfectness by walking to the edge of the roof. But, she'd pay that price. There was nothing else for her to do.

The satisfying crunch of snow beneath her feet had kept her gaze downwards. Not even noticing that there was another student there, she crossed towards the edge before hearing what she swore was snow shuffling. An eerie feeling creeped up her neck, she could have sworn someone was there. But, she couldn't detect any emotions... How strange.

Looking up, it took her only a second before she could spot what she was after. "Oh... Hello... I didn't know... T-That anyone else would be up here..." So much for wanting to be alone. Shaking away the feeling, Iovita shoved her hands into the pockets of the coat she wore. "I-I hope you don't mind it if I stick up here..." She was one of those people who knew that if someone wanted privacy, they wanted privacy. She'd leave right then and there, even if she had wanted to escape the crowd of the cafeteria.

Taking a hand out of its cloth prison to brush brown locks away from her face, her hazel eyes studied the figure before her. Something about him was definitely off, and she couldn't place her finger on it. Oh well... She'd ask questions later.

Destiny was walking along the span of the hallway, her books hugged close to her chest so she didn't drop them. Another full day of classes, and homework. It might have only been lunch time but she could tell she was going to have a lot of homework to do tonight, and it was going to be painful to deal with. She gave off a sigh, and shifted her books slightly to make them more comfortable to carry.

Just as she was reaching the stairwell, she paused. A familiar presence filled her mind, and she gave off a smile. A certain soul was in the area, and anytime he was her gift automatically went to making him visible. It had been a while since she had seen him. Sure they ran into each other from time to time while doing prefect stuff, but she hadn't stopped to chat with him ever since that weird day a couple months ago. She was a lot better since then, but she still had some issues with her gift. There was also the fact that she could control a large, and rather angry skeleton.

Glancing around for a moment, making sure she was clear, and she headed up the stairs, heading up towards her friend. She could feel the cold filtering down the stairs, telling her that the door was open, and there might have been a few students up there already. Well if there were students up there then she might have to scold them, or just let them have their fun. As long as nothing bad was happening she didn't care. Maybe that was why Hieta was up there, he was scolding some students. She gave a soft smile at the thought.

Finally she made it to the top, squinting her eyes at the bright light that welcomed her. She looked around catching sight of Hieta. "Hey Hieta. I thought I could detect you in the area. How are you?" She said in a bit of a cheerful tone, then another student caught her eye. Her red eyes looked over to the student. "Oh hello." She greeted keeping her cheerful tone. Wow she needed to tone it down a bit. She wasn't usually this cheerful.

The person in question managed to see him, somehow. A girl with chocolate brown hair and delicate features, dull, verdant green eyes to compliment it all. She seemed like the kind of student that people would consider pretty in a sense, her natural appearance mimicking the forest's evergreen beauty. Hieta's mind searched for a student profile that would've matched this description from when he spent hours upon end reorganizing them for the faculty. Ah, yes. Iovita. An initiate still, after perhaps a month or so - he had wondered if it was simply because she was one of those rebellious outcasts who refused to take the test to enjoy their freedom without a placement, but that certainly didn't seem to be it. After all, students who stayed unplaced had a protection that prefects could reach over to. But this was something he hadn't quite been expecting, if he could expect at all. His crimson, piercing gaze searched the girl for a few moments, and he had opened his mouth to begin scolding her for being on the roof - as he should be doing -, but Iovita had been quicker than he had.

Ah, she was one of those people. Too shy for their own good, often stuttering, and speaking in a quiet voice in hopes that something would be misheard along the lines or if they said something offensive by accident, it could easily be dismissed as someone's imagination. Her disposition seemed rather nervous and anxious, as if she was doing something that could be wrong... No, it was definitely wrong. She wasn't allowed up here. Neither was he, but he had been planning to jump downstairs as soon as he was down ruminating over what he was supposed to do. "It is fine," Hieta said flatly, jabbing his thumbs into the pockets of his jacket. The fact that Iovita managed to see him was rather questioning. Her gift was something along the lines of Empathy, not seeing the undead spirits. That meant Destiny was somewhere around.

Funny enough, the white-haired necromancer had walked up with a cheerful smile on her face. The last time she was here, it was an attempt at suicide by jumping from the roof and down to the ground like a certain resurrecting student well-known by the academy for her "406 soiree". Destiny certainly had improved since then; perhaps it was the Formal and being around Brant or it was just her boyfriend himself. He was known for being rather bright and hot-headed, but he was certainly a good influence - nobody could deny that.

Hieta turned his eyes scarcely to meet his partner, a hand raising up to signify a wave without actually moving it around much. It wasn't long before his fingers retreated back into the comforts of his pocket. He was right; Iovita could only see him because Destiny was coming up. How was he? That was an interesting question. Destiny knew better than anyone that, no matter what, he would always be doing the same. There was no change in his condition or how he was ever feeling, only empty thoughts reminiscent of his past that allowed him to continue thinking and have an independent mind.

He had the courtesy to give a decent answer, however. "I am fine. And you?" Nicola tended to tease him about his avoidance of contractions, but it was something that he couldn't help. His odd speech pattern had to do with the fact that he didn't learn English and didn't find it necessary; most of all, even after all of these years, he didn't like the sound of the consonants rubbing against each other. It sounded raspy and strange. That wasn't his problem, though. America was more tolerant than he would've expected of how peculiar some people could be.

Before long, Hieta addressed the situation at hand. There was no need to break the rules and cause disorder. Letting this situation slide was prone to allowing more and more students get away with trivial matters. "You should not be up here, however. It is against the rules."