daybreakacademy | Dream on, dream until your dreams come true

Who: TOUR AND A MOVIE PLOT: Ernesto & OTA Mingle + Héctor & OTA
What: Ernesto invites daybreak to join him in the filming process. Héctor attempts more necromancy.
When: March, following the chaos of the Herald. (And probably Dracula too.)
Where: A filming location in Soliel, the Mythril Cages
Warning: N/A for Tour And A Movie Plot. Feral Zombie/vampirish behavior and body horror in the Héctor prompts.

The Show Must Go On

The invitation goes out to Daybreak Academy not too long after the fiasco at the Carnival. Ernesto De La Cruz, the famous musician, has put a hold on his tour to film a few more scenes of his upcoming movie-- and the filming is taking place there in Soliel! The students (and supervising faculty) have been invited to take part in the experience! Every student is welcome, provided that glamor enchantments are worn by those who need it.

Higher Daybreak faculty are encouraging participants to see this as a way of learning to use their magical skills in a way that is discrete and ensures the protection of the Veil. It's spoken of as a chance for students to better learn how to hide their abilities while still putting them to use, disguising them as various other talents. In turn, they'll be credited in the film's production once it's complete, as well as receive extra credits in related courses. And of course, besides the great publicity, what better way to make a hit movie than adding a magical touch to it?

Not to mention, there may be a few happy fans within the school who are eager to meet the musician and acquire autographs. Perhaps a stubborn teacher can be buttered up with a signed photo? Maybe the life of fame and fortune inspires you and you hope to find a mentor in the musician. Or, maybe you'd simply enjoy the chance to work in show business, even if only for a short couple of months, the expected time that film has been projected to take.

The filming is indoors for now. Students are offered the chance to help design and decorate sets, to work with the special effects and sound departments, makeup and costuming, and even to take part in some of the acting as an extra. It's time to make some real Movie Magic!

Just remember not to get caught by any of those people who are meant to be kept in the dark. The filming has notably invited in a swath of hunters to the area. It seems there are a great number of concerns about keeping to the laws of the Veil during this important project. But surely that won't be a problem. Daybreak Academy takes the Veil very seriously, after all.

~~~~~~

A - Ressurection Part One: A Change Of Pace

The Mythril Cage is for warriors. It's for talented mages, rune-workers, candles, people with extraordinary ability. It's for Lycans who, once a month or sometimes more, need a space to unleash their feral halves. It's for anyone but him.

But here he is. He's set himself up in a room, enforced like many of the others down here, and with a solid gate cutting through it. He's got a lock set up and he's got a guard-- Sira, who isn't the most trustworthy but is perhaps the only one who isn't going to judge him for trying this. At least, not in the way everyone else judges him. He gets to work, drawing the circle, setting up the materials on the floor. He speaks the magic, he lets it light, he prays for it work. He needs it to work.

There's a burst of new light from the circle, a force blasting him back against the wall. He feels a pain in him like fire. He thinks he screams. But almost as quickly as it started, it's over.

B - Ressurection Part Two: Hunger

"Let me out," He groans, hanging off the fence with his fingers. Fingers which have become clawed, the flesh wearing away a little around the tips.

"Nope," Answers Sira from the other side, flipping a page of a picture book. They don't look up, even when he breaks into snarls, and then groans again, slumping further down.

"You told me to wait until the timer on the reversal rune undid what was done," They continue. "I'm waiting. Maybe you wouldn't have had this problem if you'd just let me help properly the first time. You know. When you summoned me."

Héctor manages to lift his head just to shoot them a withering (red-eyed) look. He doesn't have the energy to point out he never, ever, intended to summon them. The hunger in him is agonizing. It's been a long time since he's felt hunger this intense. A year ago? No, not as bad as back then but still bad enough.

Of course, not even that can pull his attention away from anyone walking in. And boy are they in for a sight with the flesh half-rotted away from his fangs.

C - Ressurection Three: Rot

It was terrible to look at. The cage inside just wasn't working out for them. They had to go and sit outside the door. It's fine. Boss number two's not really in his head at the moment anyway.

The little doll looks up at anyone pausing at the door and says, "Trust me, you don't want to go in there."

D - Wildcard

[Want to see how he's holding up with Ernesto in town? Ask about tutoring? Something else in mind? Hash it out with me on plurk or PM this account!]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

"Because sometimes it goes right, Tobias." His tone is sharper than he would normal let it be. It doesn't help that his words are catching on fangs. "If I don't try these things long enough, then how would I know if something that seems right in the first two hours is actually terrible later?"

He's slower to answer the second question. His breath is ragged.

"And if I don't do it like this then someone would use that rune trigger to stop me." Because everyone thinks he's going too far, wasting his time, taking too many risks, or otherwise violating a law of the universe. The universe could bite him. "But for your other question, that depends what you mean."

'Fuck the universe' is a sentiment he absolutely understands, especially right here, right now. It hasn't been nice to him or anyone he knows, has it? So. Fuck it.

< ...I wouldn't. > he says, after a long moment. < Gotta do what you gotta do to survive. Anyway... I'm going to take that as a yes. Is there anything I can bring you? >

He goes silent, properly lifting his gaze at the boy. He regrets a lot of things in that moment. It's enough to keep him from snapping about what he really wants right now. His bloody grip shifts on the fence.

"...No. Unless you've got a store of fresh blood nearby, you don't want to help me there." No point in arguing about what pain he did or didn't have. He warns, "I'm not thinking clearly, Tobias. I'm not going to be very good right now."

< Actually... >

He's thinking, you can practically hear the wheels turning. He's also flat out ignoring the latter half of what Héc said. (Yeah, yeah, no point in getting into the role model talk.) < What kind of blood? >

He's less worried about role modeling right now than he is of ripping through the gate in a frenzy. He lifts a brow at Tobias. Or half of one. The rot around his eyes is working up.

"Human. Are you saying to me you have fresh human blood on hand?"

That's certainly disturbing to see on the face of a friend. His feathers are flat with worry...

< No. Maybe. I don't know. Animal blood for sure. You're sure it has to be human blood? >

He's been fantasizing ripping out throats for the past hour. He knows full well where this sort of hunger leads. His red eyes hold the bird's without much blinking.

"Undeniably positive."

Another pause. Hell, where can he get human blood? Who from, besides himself? But there are real vampires around, perfectly friendly people... they must find food without hurting anyone somehow.

< Right. I'll try to figure something out. Just... hang on, dude. >

He doesn't answer there. Instead he goes back to letting his hang, moving only with his breath and the occasional shudder.

Sira takes the time to speak up.

"There's probably someone in town no one would notice went missing if you want to turn into a bobcat or something."

< God. > Somehow he manages to sound like he's muttering bitterly with his bizarre soundless voice. < I really don't like you. No, we can do this without hurting anyone. >

And with that, he's out the door... he'll be back!

Sira's glowing face resolves into a sulk. They call out.

"Geez, it was just a suggestion!"

They huff and go back to their book while Héctor stays where he is.

He returns as quickly as he can, remaining in bird form. Just a hawk dragging a bag along with magical hand projections, opening the door with another. It might have been simpler to go human, but. The chances of being eaten are actually less as a bird tonight.

He empties the bag gently... bags of blood, straws, spoons, a funnel. Looks like he grabbed random kitchen supplies, not having a clue how to get the blood in and not let the man out. < Okay. I think we can do this. Still hungry? >

Héctor is looking notably worse when Tobias comes back. The rot has spread further and his every ragged breath seems to have a growl on it. Sira keeps their head down, an angry and uncomfortable hike to their shoulders as they read.

Héctor stares at the piled bags of blood, expression unreadable and in no small part because of the fact that his mouth is just fangs and teeth by now. Roughly, he tries to force a hand through the fencing. There's a cracking sound, and fresh scratches, but he doesn't seem to notice.

The cracking sound is what gets him more than the rot. It's loud in the silent room to his hawk ears... not that the rot doesn't bother him. The whole picture is horrible to see on someone he cares about. God only knows how shitty it feels.

< Stop that. > he says flatly, disturbed underneath the cool act. < Or I won't give you any. Okay? Stay calm or no food. >

"You don't think this isn't a waste?"

Sira's hooded face is likewise unreadable, mostly because there's no expression there.

"He's going to be normal again eventual. Or whatever you call his state of being." Sira glances at Héctor. "I don't think you're going to get much calm out of him." Though, he has at least stopped moving.

< Says the guy who wanted me to kill people for blood instead. At least it's not being thrown out. >

Which most of the blood around the world would be once it 'expired'. He carefully nibbles a slit in one of the bags, using a spell-hand to work one of the straws on, then holds it up with two more hands, poking the other end of straw through the cage... but a ways away from Héctor, so that he doesn't try for it before the straw's through. If it spills... well, he brought more than one bag. He'll think of something.

< Okay, dude. Drink. >

Sira's hands go up.

"Hey, you're the one who said you didn't want to kill people! I'm just going with it! If I had my way we wouldn't even have this problem."

The doll falls silent, watching the zombie that was Héctor shuffle over. His jaws open and something black spills out, but it's ignored. The straw is taken up in jagged teeth and blood is drawn. Much of it spills between his teeth, but the fence is clung to all the same. Until the pouch is emptied and those sharp eyes turn on the Hawke. The fencing creaks. The metal starts to bend a little.

Dream on, dream until your dreams come true

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject