- Fluffy white clouds in the shapes of ducks and spam containers were floating over head in the bright blue sky. Today was a very nice day, slightly warmer than the weather everyone was used to, a really nice mood raiser. Except for the smap, yu-uck! Anyways, a soft breeze was blowing, creating circulation which was very nce becuase no one likes stale warm air. The sun was happy, shinning down, and who could be enjoying the sun more than the residents? Rain of course. He was very cheerful that day, full of smiles and laughter, it was the sun that did that to him. Raised his spirits, yes it did. He was off of work this day, nor did he have any classes so free time for playing! He was singing rather loudly, his voice wasn't unpleasant to the ears but he certainly could never become a singer -

"Who dropped the bomb during Rham-a-dhamadhan? Who dropped the bomb during the fundamental sing song?"

- The song was not made up by him, it was playing in his ear phones curently, from a cd called 'Capital Steps', a funny cd where they make fun of politicians, you know? This song was probably his favorite. One could easily tell he was enjoying himself by the way his mouth was in a goofy, half-way open grin and the pleased sprakle in his blue-grey eyes. The sun was giving a goldish glow to his tan skin and an even more blinding glow to his hair, cool. He weaved through a crowd of people easily and stopped at the very place he worked part time. But remember, he was off this day, so he simply skated on in the place and up to the counter, beating a group of old pople by a few steps. The person at the cashier looked at Rain with an irritated glare but kept a fake smile on his face. A freaky image actually -

"Welcome to The half-Baked Bean, what do you want Rain?"

- Rain smiled charmingly at the young man, keeping up his friendly appearance. Speaking of appearance, he has fun with today's outfit, as much as he could get! His hair was in it's usual styled dissaray and just for fun he had added a black clip to pull his left lock out of his face. His shirt was a tight satin one with a bright violet body that was tight against his bust with black and white striped sleeves. The sleeves were quarter length and had exactly thirteen stripes on each one. Too long dark blue boy's carpenter jeans were on, with his emblem of a green heart with white wings on the butt pocket. Hanging from the pants almost anywhere but not quite so everywhere were little neon colored streamers that would lift up whenever he moved. Fun! The lower legs had been rolled up so you could now see the top of his skates. Very nice indeed -

"Well Derek, I'd like a raspberry smootie, all fruit and ice and if I catch you putting anything else in there I'll be sure to let the boss know how you treat customers! Oh yes, it's bad enough just to look at you, so best not glare and smile like that or you'll make the children cry even harder!"

- Well...he didn't mean for that to slip out, at least he had been speaking very quiet. But sadly the next thing he saw was a fist flying at him. Ten minutes and a free, strictly raspberry and ice jumbo smootie later, he was sitting on a table swinging his feet around outside. Taking a long sip, he eyed other people walking in, a few gave rather amused compliments on his nicely forming shiner that was decorating his left eye. It had hurt momentarily and it was rather numb feeling now. Lovely. He hadn't a chance to hit him back, he was sent flying backwards onto his ass. Many people were horrified at the sight of this 'violent boy' attacking a 'helpless girl', Rain's pride had taken a major hit so he didn't bother to stop anything. That's why he was here now and derek was jobless for a month, suspension, more mortifying than being fired -

"Who dropped the bomb during Rham-a-dhamadhan? Who dropped the bags full of ham-and-spam-and-ding dongs?"

- Oh no. He was singing again, that goofy grin back on his mouth and all grumpiness forgotten. He could never stay angry at anyone for too long. Lucky, huh? A few people were giving him weird looks but who the hell cares? Not him that's for sure... -

((may I join? I'll deleat this if not))

To him, the clouds didn’t resemble ducks and Spam containers. To him they were masses of white semi-solid forms of moisture that would eventually become so full that they would split open and poor down rain on the unprepared citizens of Bayfield, drenching their pretty clothes and dampering their good sunny day and moods. That soft breeze might any moment take that chilling turn and become a raging hurricane or a twisted tornado that will destroy anything in it’s path, sucking up all of Bayfield and everyone in it.

Jess wasn’t cheery in the slightest. In fact, he’d taken depressed and mopping to a whole new level today. Fuck the world. Yeah. Right. How about just not fuck the world and pointedly ignore anyone and everyone on it’s face. Oh yeah. Because he’s at work and it would get him fired to ignore a customer. That’s right. Oh well. Plenty of time after work to ignoring and damning people to hell.

One could tell just how much this young man was enjoying himself. (think antelope having it’s leg chewed on by a lion and you’ve got it.) He too had music on him. Only his music wasn’t funny. Nor did it have anything to do with politics. Rather, it was a slow, monotone, rasping of Corey in the band ‘stoned sour’ singing about masochism and dying angels. He was enjoying his music without a goofy smile on his lips or humming the tune. He was lucky enough to get away with having the damned thing at work in the first place. Instead, one earphone was hanging limply at his shoulder, the other was plugged tightly into his ear, destroying his hearing slowly but surely.

As for appearance while we are explaining them, Jesse is wearing the Coffee shops uniform, dark slacks that hang on him as though there were nothing beneath them (which there hardly is), a black belt holding them to his waist, a baggy white tee shirt, tucked in, accentuating that tiny waist, and black loafer shoes and of course, the green apron with the ‘half-baked bean’ logo on it. Beneath the white shirt he wears a blue long sleeved one, baggy on his arms with a hole in the left sleeve. His hair falls to his eyes and mid-neck, layered, raven black highlighted with natural streaks of premature gray, his eyes are blue and stand against the paleness of his skin, and his face is so serious it makes one think of a crypt keeper. His name tag reads ‘ESSEJ NIKEAL’ instead of Jesse Laekin. And his eyes, which are usually dull and ignorant to care or manners, look over this new customer with one black brow twitched upward.

...know how you treat customers! Oh yes, it's bad enough just to look at you, so best not glare and smile like that or you'll make the children cry even harder!

Jesse nearly laughed. Nearly. He doesn’t laugh and he hardly smiles, so rather then smile or laugh, he makes of soft snort sound that is the blowing out through the nose accompanied by a semi-grunt of the throat and one corner of his lip rises in spiteful mercilessness. See...he doesn’t usually like people. But he likes rude people even less. And his co-worker liked him as little as he liked his co-worker. Almost as much as his boss disliked him.

When the strangely clad man entered, Jesse had been crouched behind the counter stocking back up on his ‘apron supplies’ but as he was served and seated himself, Jesse stood to his tall height of six feet two inches. He looks taller because he’s so much thinner. There was a cramp currently chewing the inside of his stomach and he pressed a hand to his abdomen. Time for a break.

Jesse walked to the back room, clocked out for a fifteen minute break, returned to behind the counter and began to fix himself a coffee. Once through, he planted himself on a stool near the storage room door, leaned his head back against the wall, and let the music wash over his mind, brainwashing. Mmmmm.

(( Not at all! This is an open topic, you are more than welcome to ^.^ Oh yes, and be on the look for Desporia, Rain's best friend, I might post her up soon >> -dun dun duuun-))

- Rain blew a few strands of hair out of his face and grinned at the group of girls he was chatting with inside the shop. They were friends from the college and had witnessed his little one round smack down with Derek. His badge of honor on his eye was being prodded mercilessly every few minutes much to his annoyance and he even smacked on of the girl's hands. All were in a very good mood and laughter though, unlike the young man that Rain had seen in the back. Jesse was his name if he remembered properly. didn't work the same shifts so he rarely saw him. Looked like he was having a sulking fit actually. Phht. He laughed, startling the girls around him, and in reply to their shock he immediately stopped laughing and looked at them. Someone broke the silence with a snort and everyone was laughing, bent over at the waist. -

- When they finally made their way over to the counter, most of the shop was staring at them and the worker's were adding them to their list of freaks they've seen. That is one of the 'fun things' about working at this shop, you see plenty of, ahem, 'interesting' people and such come here. Very fun. Rain can usually tell the difference between the 'interesting' from the 'normals', many of them are actually friends and ex-lovers. Ex-lovers. Phssh, his relationships never got to the 'lover' level. Always studying in his beloved books or outside doing something. Anyways, back to the counter. Yes, they all were standing there giggling like girls and ordering sweet things. All except Rain of course, when he was offered a peice of chocolate he made a face and a gaggin noise. -

"Eck! Disgusting! Haven't you learned that I hate chocolate? No sweet things Desporia!"

- A lovely laugh was heard, a silver bell laugh, and was quickly silenced when he stuffed her chocolate into her mouth. Satisfied, he leans against the counter as the girls chat and wait for their disgustingly sweet treats to be ready. Behind him, someone prodded him, the boss. Unlike some, he rather got along with the Missus and they talked oftenly. She looked at him with serious eyes and pulled him near the back where they started to talk. It was a rather quick chat, when he was going to come back to work, the whole mess and with a nod and a charming smileshe left and he retuned to his group of giggling girls. -

- They all placed themselves at the table and while they talked about how Desporia was the pimp in this group and they were her hos, he looked around. Learning about things and studying things were favorite past times of his, though he needs to impove his attention span. He was currently focused on one group of young males, his eyebrows raising higher into his hairline as he did. The girls had seen this and their conversation warped into an odd mix of pimps and young male whores. Odd. Mildly disturbed by the treatment of his gender by the fairer sex, he stood up and glided over to the counter to wait for the last bit of their sweets to be finished so he could pay for them. As he did, he looked at Jesse, who looked to be rather at peace, nearly oblivious to all that had been going on, a grin formed on his face as he watched him. Cute. -

Jesse’s eyes followed the strange man’s movements from counter to group of girls to counter again from the bottom of their sockets, since his head was tipped back. Maybe it was the close that got him swarmed with ladies? Maybe someone else should test that theory someday. But not Jesse. He would rather be caught dead then in that man’s clothes...actually, come to think of it. He’d rather be caught dead opposed to anything. But that’s beside the point. Jesse doesn’t even care about girls...or guys anymore for that matter. So why was he so interested in watching them? He threw it off as colorful pants and man with boobs.

He didn’t like chocolate either. Wait. Why’d he think that? His eyes followed the girls ordering sweets and unhealthy food that they shouldn’t because later in life they’re going to complain about being fat and blame it on the sweets when really, it wasn’t the sweets fault at all. They were the ones that ordered it. They were the ones that ate it. He frowned. His co-worker was getting behind because of all the sudden orders. He liked watching Derek struggle. But his boss would kill him.

Ivan put both hands on the stool seat and dropped his feet to the ground. Picking up the coffee cup from where it was on the counter beside him and draining the scalding drink, he dropped the garbage in the trash bin and lumbered to the counter behind the register.

“I can help someone.”

It wasn’t spoken enthusiasticly or loudly, as if hoping they’d ignore him. And to his satisfaction, everyone was so focused on ordering and receiving their sweets that he went ignored. Hm. The boss was in the coffee shop instead of the back office. With the other boss Stanly, this usually meant one of the employees was going to be picked on. And usually this meant Jesse. He began to make himself look busy by stocking up a box full of condiments and carrying the five pound box as if it weighed ten around the counter to the condiment stand and began to replenish the stacks.

His movements were slow and calculated, meant to stretch out the small task until his boss was gone. When she left, he returned to the counter, disappearing into the back room to clock back in on the time card, then came back out. His eyes fell on the group of girl talking about pimps and raised his black eyebrows. His eyebrows, unlike his premature white streaked black hair, were solidly black. He shook his head and noticed the colorful panted guy was back again at the counter. And Derek was fixing up the girls sweets, and the boss was gone. He stepped behind his register again.

“Can I help you?” Again, spoken in a softly quiet baritone voice.

“Can I help you?”

Rain automatically assumed Jesse was talking to him, so he looked to him with his usual lazy grin and scratched his neck. He had been rather shocked but succeeded in not showing it, the boy had managed to get up to the counter without him noticing...Wow. Lazy grin still on his face he looks at Jesse and bites his lip as if thinking. His higher, low tenor voice was different than the younger's baritone, as if Rain had skipped puberty. He did not mind you, so don't tease him. He'd probably say something rude...

"Well...Actually I don't-"

Bop!

"Ow!"

He looked around in annoyance, his little clique of girls were laughing at him, Desporia had a sling shot out, a sling shot of all things, immature females. He shook his head as they yelled at him to hurry up with their food. They call that crap food? He laughed and gave them the finger, and in reply they laughed back and gave him their fingers and by that point he was back facing Jesse.

"Change my mind, could I have a jumbo smoothie..." He had raspberry last time. "Strawberry please, just strawberries and ice."

He liked strawberries, almost as much as raspberries, he did not like cherries unless they were real ones and not those nasty pink sweet ones. Monaray or something like that, hell if he remembered. He leaned forward, resting his arms comfortably under his breasts, why do people like sweet stuff? He looked to Jesse, wondering breifly if he liked sweet stuff, the boy was tall and rather thin. Taller than Rain, who was barely taller than the girls in the group. Des was the shortest and Europa was the tallest at 5'11". He stopped himself from shuddering, Des always had freaky girlfriends. This particular girlfriend was the freakest so far, Goth, now mind you there is nothing wrong with Goths...they are sexy, but this girl took Goth to the max. Awesome hair though. Jesse had awesome hair too, blue-grey eyes flitted over it, looking over the design. Was it natural? Would Jesse mind if his hair was questioned? Ah hell, Rain asked him with real interest.

"Is your hair naturally that way?"

His eyes followed the stripes down and then looked back up into the boy's face, he spoke softly, mainly to himself.

"That is so cool...."

Cool? He said the word cool? Well, it did describe it...pretty might have insulted him and awesome wouldn't have had the right ring. Cool made him sound like a surfer from Cali...well he was but why was he freaking out over a word? He gave a quick breath through his nose, not really a snort. He could blame it on the fact he's trying not to insult people, intentionally or not, anymore. He is trying. Suppose you have to give him credit. His eyes managed to find their way back to the boy's hair. He was a hair person he supposed.

The man looked at him and he inwardly groaned. He should have just remained on break and kept his mouth shut. Mentally he shrugged this off and put both of his thin hands on either side of the register, thumbs up as if ready to punch in a new order to the cash register at the others request. And he was interrupted. By...Ivan turned to see that one of the girls had used a slingshot to hit the other. He scowled, which really looked more like a slight twitch of one eyebrow then a scowl.

“I’m going to have to ask you not to use that in the shop.”

He didn’t particularily want to be on his hands and knees, cleaning up some glass from a mug or shelf or the big window because whatever they were shooting flew off course and hit something. He returned his attention to the man with...breasts in front of him. This was weird.

“Sorry about that,” he apologized as if his being his had been his own fault. He wasn’t really apologizing on behalf of himself so much as scolding his friends. The apology was spoken flatly and without much emotion. His thoughts about the food was along the same line as the other’s. This shit is called food? At the though of food, he was suddenly reminded that he was hungry and his stomach cramped tightly again. He’d only fooled his body into believing he was eating by dumping that scolding coffee down his throat. He pressed his stomach against the edge of the counter trying to suppress the pain.

“Right.” He punched in the order into the cash register and turned his back to the other to prepare the order. He personally didn’t like raseberry. Strawberries were good, but not in smoothies. They should be eaten picked right of the bush with just a little salt sprinkled over the skin. Like watermelon. Except strawberries didn’t have any damned seeds.

Once the machine that churned the mixture shut off, he lidded the cup and turned to find the other staring at him. No. Not at him. The other was staring at his hair. And inquiring about it. Jesse lumbered to the counter (it’s no wonder he’d made it to the cash register from the stool without the other noticing, his foot falls were silent) and set the cup down.

“That’ll be three forty-seven.”

From his apron pocket he pulled out a straw and a napkin and pushed it across the counter with the cup.

“Yes.” It is defiantly natural.

A slight smirk ran across his face when the boy basically scolded Des for her toy. Des simply pouted, but did put it away, much to the delight of the hirls at the table. And Rain himself. He shook his head when the boy then apologized, waving his hand as if dissmissing it.

"No problem at all, good thing you told her, she'd 'ave never listened to me."

His friendly grin returned and out of the bottom of his eyes he did notice the other pressing himself up against the counter, he breifly wondered if the other's stomach was upset or something but he simply ignored the thought. He watched the other prepare his food and nodded in satisfaction when the other brought it over.

“That’ll be three forty-seven.”

"Right."

He nodded and pulled out his wallet, a simply black leather wallet, male's of course. Flipping it open his fingers flicked through a few 20s and finally he found two ones. Two ones? He sighed and pulled them out then moved to the change section, pulling out four quarters to set on the dollars and beside that pile he set his change. One quarter, two dimes, and two pennies. He scrunched his face, he hated it when he had to do that. He pushed the money forward and took his slushie, the straw was stuck in it and he sucked on it, smiling.

“Yes.”

"Cool! These," He poked, yes poked, one of his breasts, "I cannot say are natural to this body but I can truthfully say they are real..I've already forgotten how many years I've had them."

He smiled cheerfuly and took another long drawn out sip as the girl's 'food' finally started to turn.

((Oooy >< short post, sorry ><))

He’d expected a pout from the girl he’d scolded her (as polite as he had) about her toy. And he’d received a pout. But he’d also expected a typical ‘why don’t you mind your own business’ or ‘the customers always right’ sneer tossed in his face. But he didn’t get it, much to his delight. He nodded his head slightly to her.

“Thank you.” No real emotion, maybe just a hint of relief that he didn’t have to put up with some snot-faced sneer.

He continued to lean against the counter, looking as though he was simply leaning there, feet sored from standing half of the day. Which was true. His feet were sore. You’d think that the only busy time in a coffee place is in the morning. Not true. Very not true.

Jesse wasn’t watching him count out his money. Once upon a time he’d been crowed at for an hour and accused of contemplating stealing a woman’s money because he’d watched her pull out and count out bills from a wade of money. Needless to say, after that little experience, he made a point not to watch people count out their money. Change on the counter, he put his thin finger on the counter and slid to change over the edge of the counter and separated it into the change slots, gave the drawer a shove, and pulled his receipt off to hand over to him.
He smiled at the reaction to his natural colored hair. You’d be surprised that with such fair skin, he blushed but no pink showed on the pale cheekbones. His face warmed and his eyes instinctively fell to the breast and then quickly rose up to the man’s face again.

At least he wasn’t embarrassed about himself right? How could he be if they weren’t natural? He put them there! Now Jesse isn’t one to judge but you can’t help but find men changing themselves just a little strange. Especially when your only nineteen, out in the world for the first time on your own, and used to the strict military customs.

The girls didn't hold anything against Jesse and by now had forgotten about that little thing and instead were munching on their food. Their food had been grabbed by Desporia but Rain was forced to pay for it. Didn't matter though, he had plenty of money left over. Money had nevre been a problem for him, he didn't know what it was like without it.

Rain on the other hand, came from a very rich, very open-minded Innish family that had no real structure to it. It had been simply kept together by love, pure and simple. Another sip and Rain smiled at the other's reaction, the blush may not have shown on his face but it had shown in his eyes. A wink was given and another sip of the delicious drink.

He grinned, his face almost glowing with contentedness, "My name is Rain, Rain Sharlamey."

A tanned hand in the friendly gesture, if the other didn't take it, Rain wouldn't be insulted, amybe a little dissapointed but none of it would show.

He regaurded the offered hand for a moment.

Jesse is still just a confused teenagers, regaurdless of what he would like to make you think. So please excuse him while it takes him a moment to figure out that just because the dude wanted a boob job doesn't mean he isn't still a human. Strange human he may be. Besides not being used to such things as men with breasts, he's also unninitiate and thinks magic and such things is complete cock and bull, so needless to say he's a little less accepting then an innish person would be as well.

Finally a malnurished hand with spidery fingers and chipped and chewed back nails creeps farward across the counter top and then swings upward to accept the hand. Weak grasp for such a big hand. Thin hand. All the time, his sulky blue eyes never left the others.

"Jesse Laekin."

Pale hand in the tan hands grasp. Jesse's already pale enough on sight. You put him beside someone of even relitive darker color and he's become ghost white.

Ah lovely, sounds just like a lot of the girls though actually the girls Rain knows are very accepting and open minded about things. But they are also his age or just a few years younger. Rain would understand Jesse's position even thoguh other's might be offended. That whole magic thing, Rain accepts it but he doesn't bother to learn about it. He came from a line of powerful Mages and Witches and whatever but he didn't seem to have the same gifts as his family. He loved science and the Unnish world a little more, though he knows the Innish world is very intriuging and mysterious. He loves mystery. But he loves the earth more.

He smiled while the other looked at his hand as if it was some sort of creature and the smile turned into a grin when he took his hand. Unlike the other's hand, Rain's grip was extremely strong from all his years of gymnastics and martial arts but he didn't crush the other's hand. Tanned and with a fresh new manicure that he and the girls all got. His bright grey-blue eyes looked back into the other's sulky ones, not with a challenging look but a simple friendlyish look.

"Nice to meet you Jesse."

Indeed, especially since Rain is about as tan as one can get without looking foreign or fake. Jesse's skin was paled even more and would make a vampire's skin look healthy, my goodness.

A handshake then he lowers and let's go of the other's hand. Some people were a lot slower and he was glad Jesse took his hand, other's weren't so...willing I guess you could call it. He wasn't sure what to say, he didn't want the other to get bored with him and wander off...Umm, an idea popped into his head, stupid as it may seem or whatever, it was still better than nothing.

"Are you a student up at the college too?"

Simple inquiring tone with real curiosity, he was very curious, he wondered what the other thought about learning or if he was like a lot of young teens who thought it was a waste of time. Rain certainly didn't. He loved learning new things. Things that are useful mind you.

Lets say that even with the initiate world sitting right in his face, Jesse fails to acknowledge it’s existence. His sister and one brother had taken the talent of being Mages, though, both had chosen to follow their father’s example and join the military. Jesse would have nothing to do with the military and would know nothing of the magical world, even as it stared him in the face.

The firm grip was expected. It came as no surprise to Jesse. Even coming from a man with boobs...sorry. Breasts. Most men felt that when they shake another man’s hand, the shake should be firm, a signature. A way of saying ‘I’m stronger then you’ or ‘here is how strong I am.’ All men do it. Not Jesse. He’s too weak to start playing power games. He knows it. And somehow, he didn’t think that was what Rain was all about either. He smiled. Manicure. It shouldn’t surprise him but it did, mildly so.

Nice to meet you Jesse.

He nodded. It meant ‘I only just met you and haven’t passed my judgment yet.’ For all he knew, meeting Rain could end up being the worst thing to happen to him in the end. But he wasn’t trying to push the man...er...yeah. Man away with the nod. Simply being smart enough to keep his mouth shut.

Wander away? Anywhere else, Jesse might walk away if he was bored with you. Actually, anywhere else and Rain probably would not have even gotten a chance to talk to Jesse in the first place, Jesse doesn’t offer such opertunities very often. But seeing as he was at work, he wouldn’t wander off. For one, he’d rather talk to Rain then to his co-workers (a bunch of saps they were), though he’d rather stare out the window then talk at all. And two, he’s not allowed to just walk away from a customer.

Student? “no.”

Jesse didn’t have the money to be a student. That’s why he’s working his arse off. To earn college money. Only problem is, to maintain money, you must keep working. Even if he wanted to go to college, he had no time for it. Waist of time, no. Learning wasn’t a waist of time. But you don’t get paid to sit and learn. And your land lord doesn’t accept knowledge as payment for rent.

“You?”

((Argh! :bow: I'm sorry for not replying in lke...forever!!! >< ))

The nod was gladly accepted, it didn't surprise nor dissapoint Rain, it was better than the boy just going 'uh...yea...uh..sure, nice to um met you...too' like some people have done before. Hmph, mean people. A smile was on his face, no Rain didn't compete for strength, speed yes, or maybe smarts, he loved proving himself but strength wasn't too important to him. As for the 'Innie world', it interested him, but he never really wanted to be a part of it, perfering to study it from afar, he was the scientist, not the magician. He has imagination, but he puts it through use of inventing things and teaching himself things.

"Ah...."

Rain nodded, so he wasn't? He looked about the age though. Maybe he was still in highschool, kids today looked older than he did. Phsh, like he has any right to call teenagers kids, he is practicaly a kid himself.

“You?”

"Yup, I'm studying to be a GeoPhysicist. Earth science, yay!"

He grinned, there was no trace of sarcasm in his voice, he truly enjoyed his future job.

"I love it, learning about it, learning things is a favorite interest of mine, I was one of the weird nerdy kids at the school, the one who got straight A's in math and science and read all the time. I love reading books, especially ones that have information I've never learned, ectcetera, ectcetera."

He waved a hand and then rested it back under his bosom.

No. Jesse’s already graduated highschool, with bare minimal grades though he probably could have surpassed the smartest kid in his class with ease. Jesse hadn’t seen reason to apply himself. What reward would he get? And why should he make his parents happy if they were the ones that had made him so unhappy? They didn’t deserve it.

But Jesse really didn’t look his age. Well, he did if you could get past the premature white hair in the black mop, the sunken blue eyes with dark shadows all around them, the blue eyes them self being the only lively feature in his face. The pale skin and sickly thin look that only anorexic kids or dying old men can maintain. All of this seemed to make the nineteen year old boy look closer to seventy, minus the wrinkles and hacking coughs.

Geophysicist. Hm. Jess had always wanted to be a doctor. At first he’d wanted to be a pediatrition. Now, after he’d begun his cutters phase, well. He wanted to be a different sort of doctor. He pressed his stomach to the counter again, harder. Less pain. Less pain. His stomach ached something wretched.

Time to be pessimistic.

“I was one of those nerdy kids who sat alone and passed classes with D’s and C’s.” He dropped his eyes to the counter. He read a lot too. What else would a lonely kid do? “I wanted to be a surgeon. Not like a heart surgeon. Just...one that does up stitches when the surgeon is done. Maybe a little bit of surgery, like organ transplants.”

No wave of his hand. His hands hadn’t moved from the counter.

((S'ok I've been busy too.))

How unhealthy Jesse looked was the thing tht irked Rain. He didn't like it when anyone he knew, even strangers, didn't take care of himself. But he was smart enough to not comment on such a subject, it is horribly anoying when someone starts to nag at you for how you take care of yourself. Des had no shame in that, he'd have to teach his dear friend manners some time.

But still, Rain didn't like it. He was a very healthy young man, like the complete opposite of Jesse. With his darkly tanned skin, slimmed and toned body, and no sign of fatigue. Rain liked sleep so he even took a nap every now and then, sleep restored lost energy and he needed plenty of energy with all the activities he did. He was an extremely active person.

His eyes looked donw at the other's waist, he noticed the movement. Why was he doing that? Stomachache? No...people usually don't want to cause their stomach any more pain. A slightly worried expression flitted across his face before he shook it off, replacing it with a grin. It wasn't his place to ask, not yet at least.

“I was one of those nerdy kids who sat alone and passed classes with D’s and C’s."

A smirk flitted across Rain's face, "A nerdy kid who made D's and C's? I think know what you mean by that...you were on of the kids who could pass the smartest person in school easily but were too lazy or didn't want to, eh?"

"I wanted to be a surgeon. Not like a heart surgeon. Just...one that does up stitches when the surgeon is done. Maybe a little bit of surgery, like organ transplants.”

"Wow...then you could do something I can't. While the health department fascinates me, dealing with situations that could result in death, organ transplants for instance, make me nervous. I'm not afraid of blood or cutting things open, just the thought of accidnelty killing someone doesn't suite me well. But I will say, that is a very interesting goal, cool. It'll take a bit, but I think if you press yourself you could make it...I don't really know." A shrug.

"Hey..." He looked back up at Jesse's eyes, he had been looking at the boy's mouth, after all, the kid spoke rather quietly even if the other didn't realize it. "Do you mind me asking why you want to be a Doctor or surgeon of sorts?"

It was a good thing that Rain didn’t comment on Jesse’s ill appearance because well, he’s a moody teenager and he’d react in relitivly the same way any moody teenager would react. With annoyance, sarcasm, and a tinge of anger. Besides, friends nagging is one thing but complete strangers is a whole other story (Not that he had any friends anyways).

As for sleep, Jesse doesn’t like to sleep. Often he works from five am to noon and then again from two pm to twelve midnight. And then again if he can get away with it, from two am to four am. Though that morning shift is a rare one. He’s resolved to taking naps rather then sleep. They’re called power naps. Every two hours you sleep for ten minutes. It’s actually refreshing if you really sleep that ten minutes. But if you spend eight of those ten only pretending to sleep...well, you start looking like Jesse.

Yes. Stomachache. That would be why he’s doing it. Of course, he hasn’t realized yet that his stomach acid is beginning to eat away at his muscle tissue, causing those sudden, random, spastic pains. Jesse’s eyes followed Rain’s. He noticed him noticing and idly leaned on his hands, tipping his waist back from the counter in a comfortable position, eyes back on Rain.

”I wasn’t lazy.” Flat voice. Moody Teenagers. They don’t take criticism (no matter how lightheartedly given) well at all. I wasn’t lazy. I was spiteful. But if Rain called him spiteful he’d probably react in the same way as being called lazy.

”Can’t.” Become a surgeon that is. “You have to get a doctrine degree to become a surgeon. And that’s about six to eight years of college. Well, four for associates and bachelors. But that’s still a lot. College costs money. Money I havn’t even got enough of to go to one year of community college.” He’s done his homework.

Rain would be looking at thin lips then, lips with a soft, small scar on the right side of the lower lip. Faint, but his lips are pink, his skin pale but defiantly peach, the scar is peach over the lips, white over the skin.

why you want to be a Doctor or surgeon of sorts.

Because I like the feeling of needles moving through flesh as much as I do through cloth. Because I like to watch the skin pull back together, fusing and becoming whole flesh again. Because I’ve spent years cutting. Cutter’s can’t go to doctors. They’d end up in mental wards. I’ve spent years sewing my own cutting. Watching the wounds heal.

He shrugged.

“I dun know.”

While Rain wanted to, he knows how teens are like. Moody...with a case of PMS, doesn't matter if you're male or female. Everyone goes through that stage, even Rain did. Some may think of Rain snapping at people is odd or impossible but no, Rain can still do that if he is pissed. And he was sure Jesse was capable of that. It didn't look though that the all, thin boy could do too much damage to a person's body. He kept that quiet too, he had no reason to go on telling people those things anyways.

”I wasn’t lazy.”

Rain almost winced at the tone of the other. He didn't say he was, he wasn't implying it either. He was just listing the types he knew. Restraining himself from pouting or even frowning he nodded. He didn't expect the boy or some others to understand that though.

”Can’t. “You have to get a doctrine degree to become a surgeon. And that’s about six to eight years of college. Well, four for associates and bachelors. But that’s still a lot. College costs money. Money I havn’t even got enough of to go to one year of community college.”

Done his homework indeed. Rain swears he lost his eyebrows in his hair line but when he relxed he felt them lower back down. Woah, that was a long time. Rain never bothered with how long things will take unless that was really important. He let out a slow whistle.

"Damn..." He winced, he needed to stop swearing. Even an innocent word lke 'damn' could get you a glare from some person on the streets. It was bad enough he swore like a sergent...he really needed to tone down. Some people are really funny about swearing, it kinda annoys him.

“I dun know.”

Jesse could have said those sentences and Rain wouldn't have blinked an eye. In fact, he would have been interested, very much so. Secretly he felt dissapointed that the boy didn't give an explanation but he didn't show it. He simply nodded and gave a small smile.

"Ah...just an interest then?"

Not a comment, a question. He took a few more slurps of his drink. He was asking all the questions, and though he wasn't sure if the teen would really want to ask him questions of his own. He blew at a bit of hair that was in his face, and being the stubborn thing it was, it simply lifted up and fell back into place. He didn't want to move his arms though, so his simply gave it a quick aggravted stare and then (out of habit) returned his eyes to the other's pale pink mouth.

He frowned. An interest. Not really. It was more like a nessecity. But he wasn't going to say that either. The reason he didn't say all of that to Rain's face was not because he couldn't, not because he was worried about Rain thinking him crazy or sending him to a mental ward. He didn't say so because he knows the statistics of suicide. Jumpers always do it. Shooters always do it. Cutter's usually just want attintion. Jesse did not want attintion. He did as little as possible to draw it.

"An interest. I guess."

He looked Rain over again and swept his eyes over to his groups of friends. He leaned casually against the counter, his stomach bitting into the edge of the counter harder then it really looked like it was. Casually pressing away the pain

He frowned again.

"I'm soory." His eyes swept back to Rain. "Am I keeping you?"

That's a shock, most teenagers loved attention. That is why some cut themselves or acted the way the do, becuase they want the attention. It's disgusting to Rain and at first if he found out about Jesse he might not understand but if the former had the patience to explain, the latter would understand. Sort of. Rain never really went through the teen angst period. He, unlike many others, had as normal and ahppy a life as an Innie family could get.

"Mhm. You guess."

A simple tone, not a snooty one or a stuck up one, just a statement void of tone. But not too void to be mistaken as boredom, he's accidently insulted too many people doing that.

Rain frowned too, when the other pressed against the counter. Rain had good eye sight, excellent in fact, that whole thing when one of your senses is bad, another is stronger. He's weak in the hearing department but strong in eye department. The frown turned into a nonchalant expression.

"No, the question is more like, am I bothering you? Really, if you need to do something, let me know please. I'd hate to bother you, but I sometimes need to get away from abusers of my gender."

By abusers of my gender, he obviously meant his group of girl friends. The tone was very much sincere, considering he felt somewhat stung by the other's question. He felt like the other wanted to get rid of him, but then again who could blame him? Some dude you were serving suddenly strikes up a conversation with you and, as a pissed off angsty teen, that is unacceptable. Woah now, the room was spinning and he leaned foreward, breathing in and out quickly. Got too angry too quickly, luckily though the anger quickly died down and he calmed down, a smile back on his face. Wooee, can't do something like that very often, it'll either scare people or get him killed.

He nodded. He guesses is the closest answer that Rain might get to a real answer from Jesse’s lips. Unless he becomes one of the select few that Jesse trusts. Which at this point totals to an amount of one. That one being an angel who nearly killed him by falling from the sky and happens to have no memory. But who knows. Maybe Rain will be lucky. Or unlucky.

“Yeah.” I guess. That’s it.

At his term ‘abusers of my gender’ Jesse nearly smiled. Nearly. That’s a hard trick to perform. *Applauds Rain* Something he needs to do? Who Jesse? Even his boss would agree, Jesse works at his own pace. If something needs done, he gets it done, though it might take him half the day to do it.But currently, the most he had to do at this time of the day was make Rain’s smoothie and stand around twiddling his thumbs.

“Nah. I’ve done all I had to do. Just makin’ sure I was’n being a both...”

He stopped and watched the other lean forward and begin to breath in and out just a little too quickly. Jesse frowned, leaned forward towards him slightly.

“Hey dude?”

He turned it into a question. He leaned back and down at the same time, bringing his face close to the counter, his torso nearly parallel with the surface, his eyes intense.

“Dude. Don’t hyperventilate. I dun no CPR.”

Ok, so he did know CPR but he wasn’t certified and he wasn’t sure he wanted to end up with a guy with breasts lying on his back while giving him mouth to mouth. He didn’t even want to be mouth to mouth with a normal man or woman, excluding the breasts entirely.

Rain took in a deep breath and then blew out, smiling apologtecially. He was even blushing a little from embaressment and he looked younger than Jesse (I suppose it's safe to say that it's not hard to) for a moment.

"Ah, sorry, just got a little dizzy, it happens sometimes..."

He trailed off and took a sip of the smoothie, looking over at the people in the coffee shop. There were a wide variety of people in here, the usual punks and goths, some preppies, a weirdo with a top hat, and a few other interesting people. That's why he loved coffee shops-

"There's always a wide variety of people here."

He looked over at Jesse and nodded at the crowd, "Some are, ahem, normal and others are much more interesting. I guess that is why I love places like this."

He rubbed his forehead and pulled his bangs up as his hand went up to the top of his head. Rubbing it for a moment, he let go and his hair fell back into place...if you could call it place, his hair is never truly perfect. Then again, who's is?

Jesse nodded, straightening back up slowly, as if afraid that one he was standing again, the other would start to hyperventilate again. Once at his full height and the other hadn't started freaking out, he leaned back against the counter again.

It's very safe to say that it isn't hard to look younger then Jesse. His eyes alone made him fifty years old. But worrying about someone, like just now, slapped a few more years in place on his face. Damn it. He hadn't meant to show he cared if someone died.

He let his eyes wander over the customers with Rain's next statment and nodded. There certinally were many different kinds of people. Different types didn't bother him. Who was he to discriminate. He wasn't important enough to say anything judgmental.

"MMM."

It was an agreeing sort of sound but it trailed off with a little flinch in the corner of his eye and a twitch of his fingers on the counter. If he'd twitched from pain, he didn't show it.

"That's why I applied."

Actually, he applied because he needed a job.

Rain chuckled and nodded, he didn't beleive the kid but he wouldn't go on saying that. The boy might take it as an insult and get abgry and abandon poor Rain, and Rain would be stuck with abusers of the male sex for the rest of the day. He simply grinned innocently and nodded.

He finished off the last of his slushie but was now more full and simply aimed and tossed the empty container into the trashcan. It landed in it succesfully and he turned back to Jesse.

"I have worked here for quite a while, and I've seen some of the freakiest people, especially at night near closing time. Who is the freakiest person you've ever seen?"

Don't you dare say me. Rain didn't say that, and while he thought it would be amusing if the other did say he was it would be annoying too becuase Rain knows there are people scarier than him out there. Lovely.

He simply stretched his arms up and curled them around his waist, sort of like a ug and he looked at Jesse with interest.

The interest in the others eye wasn't lost on Jesse. The reason for the interest, however, was completely lost on him. He didn't know what was so interesting about himself, just a kid, working in a coffee house for money to go to a college he doubted he'd ever make it to.

The freakiest? If he weren't intent on hiding everything about himself, he would have said himself, though that wouldn't be quite true. He frowned at the question, seriously giving it some thought and not just blurting out the first answer to come to his mind. Teenagers were freaky. Though that seemed to be the style today and that would merit it normal. Some old people were freaky. But he couldn't blame them. Their minds were rotting away. Actually, he had seen something rather freaky.

"I was working when a blind guy came in one time. He and a blind chick. They were sitting over there," he pointed to a two seat table near the far wall. "He started going into seazures. I've seen it happen before and that wasn't normal. In the end the victim is usually tired and sick. He was rolling around screaming 'no' and freaking out. Telling the chick he'd 'seen' things."

Jesse shook his head. Up until now, that had been his closest encounter with anything innitiate, and he still didn't understand that. Even his family was initiate, but he didn't know about it.

"That was freaky."

Rain raised his eyebrows, "Seen things? Tsch, like a vision, hm? Well that certainly is interesting."

He rubbed his nose and puckered his mouth for a moment, sounds most definetley like someone having a viosion, his mouth formed into a grin. Interesting indeed. He looked at Jesse with a raised eyebrow.

"That is freaky. I think the frekiest person I ever saw was a person who looked like a mummy with grey skin and cat like eyes my Mum invited over to our house, I was terrified, especialy when he cornered me in the hallway and started speaking gibberish while grabbing my face...I think he was trying to pull my eyes out..."

He rubbed his wincing then sighed, "Ah well, Mum started to speak gibberish and dragged him away...Mum had a lot of freaky...friends..."

His wince dissapeared and a nonchalant expression replaced it. A shrug and he bit his lip, thinking for a moment.

Jesse nodded frowning. He'd heard of gibberish but he'd never actually heard anyone say they could speak it. A wash of pain rushed over his abdmon and he flinched, just barly a twitch of fingers or a flick of the eye but his hand moved down towards his stomach anyways, holding tightly to ease the cramps.

The sleeve of his shirt pulled op slightly, revealing little white scars up his arm, white scars not just lines but pictures, words. He yanked the sleeve down.

"I don't think he was seeing any visions. I think he was skitophrenic, but he had a seizure. It was really weird."

So says the uninitiate.