hieke (
inflictwounds) wrote in
daybreakacademy2019-02-04 07:48 pm
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open;
Who: Hieke & You
What: Infirmary catch-all & a call for help
Where: The infirmary & elsewhere on campus
When: February
Warnings: Potential discussions of injury, probably.
a; the necessities
[The infirmary has seen a lot in the first month of the quarter alone - friends were born here and eventually taken away, people have been sick and injured and that's not even including the injuries people didn't go to the infirmary for. But come February, Hieke is a little bit more prepared for things. The infirmary is kept as tidy as ever, and he's even decorated for the holiday!
There are vases filled with flowers on his desk, and he's awkwardly taped some heart shaped decor to the wall. There was an attempt and that accounts for everything, even if he doesn't know anything about Valentine's Day.
However, the infirmary isn't only for the sick or injured. Students taking Hieke's class are more than welcome to stop by to ask for help or ask general questions - there's an office set aside for him, but he spends all of his hours in the infirmary anyways. It's the best place to catch him.]
b; the network (un: hieke)
Good afternoon.
I'm sorry to bother everyone, but I'm looking for something. A mushroom - native to the Outlands - that's not dangerous or anything, just a little mischievous. It managed to find out how to open the windows in my room, and now it's loose and locate and summoning magic were something I never spent much time studying.
It's about a foot tall, with a pale orange cap, so it should be pretty distinct. If you see it, please let me know! And mind the spores.
c; the wildcard
[If you want anything else or need Hieke for anything, let me know!]
What: Infirmary catch-all & a call for help
Where: The infirmary & elsewhere on campus
When: February
Warnings: Potential discussions of injury, probably.
a; the necessities
[The infirmary has seen a lot in the first month of the quarter alone - friends were born here and eventually taken away, people have been sick and injured and that's not even including the injuries people didn't go to the infirmary for. But come February, Hieke is a little bit more prepared for things. The infirmary is kept as tidy as ever, and he's even decorated for the holiday!
There are vases filled with flowers on his desk, and he's awkwardly taped some heart shaped decor to the wall. There was an attempt and that accounts for everything, even if he doesn't know anything about Valentine's Day.
However, the infirmary isn't only for the sick or injured. Students taking Hieke's class are more than welcome to stop by to ask for help or ask general questions - there's an office set aside for him, but he spends all of his hours in the infirmary anyways. It's the best place to catch him.]
b; the network (un: hieke)
Good afternoon.
I'm sorry to bother everyone, but I'm looking for something. A mushroom - native to the Outlands - that's not dangerous or anything, just a little mischievous. It managed to find out how to open the windows in my room, and now it's loose and locate and summoning magic were something I never spent much time studying.
It's about a foot tall, with a pale orange cap, so it should be pretty distinct. If you see it, please let me know! And mind the spores.
c; the wildcard
[If you want anything else or need Hieke for anything, let me know!]
no subject
His plea reaches her ears anyway. Her jaw clenches, but she can't close off her heart in the same manner. She exhales her frustration--half at herself and half at him. "Fine."
She hauls herself up off her cot, giving herself a moment to test her footing. Feeling seems to have returned to her extremities, so that's at least a bonus... There's a quick glance cast at Kano--though a wordless one. Just checking to make sure he's staying put. Then she looks back up to Héctor again, frowning. "Where to?"
no subject
"Señor Ekkehardt has a private room this way." He points a little with his cane. "He's let me use it for check-ins before, I don't think he'll mind." He kind of hopes his arm isn't still in there but he can cross that bridge when they get to it.
"I... I'll need your help to open the door," He says, a little guiltily. "This one's got a handle and I can't grab it right now."
no subject
The sooner she gets this over with, the sooner she can tell him to leave. With the blanket clutched around her shoulders, she can't cross her arms to show her displeasure, but it's certainly there on her face.
"Alright. Out with it."
no subject
He glances at the door a moment, hoping it blocks out sound, before his eyes go back to her. They're still wide with fear.
"Imelda there is something very, very bad going on. Something terrible, this monster, is attacking people. Dead people. I don't know if you ever dealt with ghosts in your magic but they're real, they're ghosts and this thing is hunting them down and turning them into monsters. And I think making them attack their families." His words come out in a rush, breaths short between his words and eyes darting a little like any minute one of said monsters will burst in and turn this little space inside out. "It got Peter's Tío and he went after us and then the other night that thing went after us both itself, and I heard about Maya and then- then- Orihime's brother. I saw Orihime's brother get torn apart and made one of those things and I have to warn you because--"
His words stop in his throat. He takes too many quick breaths.
"Because I'm afraid for Coco."
no subject
As his voiced concern about Coco.
"What do you mean?" The worry in her tone is immediate. "She's still in Santa Cecilia. She's not anywhere near these things." And even if she was, what reason would they have to go after her?
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No. Imelda would have brought it up. She would've connected the dots herself.
It's just him.
He falls back against a counterside, setting his cane aside so he run his hand through his hair. There's a faint tremble to his pressed lips. And then he breathes deep.
"That's... that's the other part of this I have to tell you. This thing... it wants me too. And I'm afraid if it catches up, then I--" His eyes squeeze shut.
"Imelda, I'm dead."
no subject
He stumbles back against the counter, and it's only surprise that keeps her from reaching for him. There's something else still weighing on him... Something big.
Imelda, I'm dead.
She doesn't understand at first. What kind of joke is this? Whatever it is, it can't be true. He's standing right in front of her, as plain as day.
But she's no stranger to the undead, or the various ways that they can traverse the living world. A cold dread settles into the pit of her stomach, as she reaches out beside her to grasp a hold of the table.
"That's not funny, Hector..." Her voice is nowhere near as strong as it should be.
no subject
It only takes a breath to begin. His markings shine through his skin and his power lights and he lets the flesh around his hand dissolve away. The golden dust dances in a swirl around the moving bones of his fingers. And then, just like that, it all reforms and his hand is normal again, no light in sight.
"I know I'm too late. For everything. I don't expect this to change anything. I just want to make sure Coco's going to be safe. That's all I came to speak to you for."
no subject
His words feel like they're coming from far away, even though he's right here next to her. She knows what he's asking of her is important. It's about Coco. But in that moment, she can't simply move past this like he seems to.
"When?" She asks after a moment. "Was it here? Or...?"
no subject
"No," he says, speaking soft and slow, trying to deliver this as carefully as he can. "No, it wasn't here. It was a while ago now. Ah... about ten years ago."
His eyes dart the between her and the ground. Immediately he wants to add more, take this chance to explain himself, but they've both been over this. It's no excuse. He fights to hold his tongue.
no subject
It hits her harder than she realizes at first, thinking back to that time and how futile all her efforts were in trying to find him. He was never anywhere that she could have reached him. All those months that they had waited for him to come back--for some word of where he was... They were all in vain.
Her gaze drops to the floor and she doesn't look up at him again. Her head follows, slowly dropping into her hands as if she just needs to rub at her face--but it lingers there, hiding her expression from view.
It's a battle to hold all of this in, and one she's losing very slowly. Her eyes sting with tears that she's fighting to keep from falling. But she takes a shaky breath, and her only reply comes muffled: "I'll... talk to my brothers." They'll make sure that Coco stays safe.
no subject
When she speaks his breath rushes out, catching on his relief, on the pain of needing ask this. "Thank you," He just barely manages. "Thank you. They'll... they'll take care of her."
It's not perfect security but at least they'll all be prepared. Oscar and Felipe were clever. They could outsmart a whole lot together. His daughter would be safe. And Imelda...
He sees her, her face still in her hands. His own hand finds his cane and he takes a step towards her. The soft tap of his cane, the shuffle of his feet, and her own breath are the only sounds.
"I'm sorry. For all of this," He says. He never wanted to be a danger. He never wanted a lot of things. "You'll look after yourself too, right? Just in case? You..." His brow furrows with confusion. "Imelda, are you... alright?"
no subject
She exhales something that sounds like a laugh, but she's not so sure that it is. It feels too fragile, too close to a sob to her ears. It scares her, being so vulnerable in front of him. She told herself that after all these years, if she ever saw him again, the one thing she wouldn't do is show him her tears.
"I don't want your apologies." Her throat is tight as she says those words, not answering his question and still not lifting her head. Rather, she drops one hand into her lap so that her voice can reach him clearer, while the other shifts to cover only her eyes, shielding them from his view.
"Just tell me... Was it worth it?" Anger and bitterness catch on in her voice, making it sound stronger than she feels. "Did you get everything you wanted? Was your... música worth dying for?"
no subject
And then just like that, just as he's making those last steps closer, the anger snaps back. He stops. That alone would've been enough, but she's not done. She wants to draw blood and she succeeds.
The room goes quiet. There isn't really anything to say but what single thing.
"...No."
no subject
As angry as she is, she doesn't actually want to draw blood. Not really. Seeing him hurting isn't going to make her happy.
She breaks the silence with an exhale, this one less angry and more tired. More numb. "If you're done, then... Just go." She's not getting up like this. Not when she's half a second from breaking down into tears.
no subject
It's a minute or two trying to balance the cane against the wall so he can do this and watching it fall over time and time again before it stays. Then he gets the door open only to watch the cane slip over out of reach whilst his foot goes through the door. He tries again; cane on wall, door open, foot in door and turning so he can reach out with the one hand he's got. The whole production is noisy and embarrassing and he's almost certain it will annoy Imelda further. But he manages it and slips out of the room.
Only to almost immediately slump against the wall. It's done. Imelda knows. She finally knows after so many years. Her brothers will know-- if only so they know what to guard against. And Coco...
He can't think about this right now. He gets up and starts his way out of the infirmary alone, eyes far away and unaware of any stare he gets on the way out.
no subject
But once he's gone, the annoyance ebbs away again. There's no reason left to restrain herself, so her sobs fill the silence quickly enough. She didn't think anything could hurt this badly again, but he's managed to find a way.
All of the years that he'd been gone, she'd at least found some small solace in the thought that he was still alive somewhere. Even if he didn't want to be a part of their family, the man she loved was still out there. A part of the world somewhere... And she had never wished ill on him. Not even once. And maybe, since the day she'd found him in the banquet hall, some small traitorous part of her still hoped that things could work out... Not that she had ever let herself trust in that part.
But those hopes are all but dashed. If he's been dead all this time, then he must be living on borrowed time. Sooner or later, he would just have to leave again. And this time for good.
no subject
He hides himself, quiets himself, and is grateful for the fact that it's much easier to overlook him when people's emotions are running high and focused on each other rather than their surroundings. He doesn't go inside the room, choosing to stay outside, a single layer of privacy is all he can afford and all he will grant. But hearing about the monster is validating. Hearing about everybody else's encounters, hearing that Héctor is dead-- it makes him wish he had covered his ears and not just shut his eyes to all of this, gut twisting and it's a good thing he doesn't see Héctor letting his body fade and reform, because that's an illusion even more high stakes than all Kano does to hide things about his own body. He hears about Coco- thinks to the photos of the girl in Imelda's room- can hear Imelda fighting back the urge to cry in her voice (what a familiar struggle... one that Kano had always lost, before he learned how to mask even his voice), and hears- feels, winces, even if he doesn't understand, at the anger in her voice.
And he can't be relieved enough when Héctor turns to leave, relieved he's given ample warning to flee back to his bed and pretend he had never left-- only to hop right out after Héctor leaves the infirmary and Imelda still hasn't come back. He pulls his boots on, and this time, when he approaches that back room, he doesn't hide the way his boots fall on the ground, slow and heavy, a courtesy head's up to Imelda that somebody is coming. But that's all he had planned, coming to a stop in front of the door. A distraction is his first inclination- something to make people laugh or get angry and explode- but this is a case where anything he does would be too much, not a welcome distraction, so instead of throwing the door open and bulldozing through the room, he lets it swing open just a crack, half a face peering through the gap. ]
Imelda...? [ ... ] I'm hungry.
[ He'll wing it. He's always been good at thinking on his feet. ]
no subject
[By the time the door opens, she's at least no longer sobbing. The tears have been wiped away, but her eyes are still that telltale red and puffy. The distraction that he offers is a painfully familiar one--but that works in his favor. She immediately, almost instinctively, switches into caretaker mode without suspecting a thing.]
Sorry. I'm coming. [Her blanket is still pooled on the floor where it fell, so she stoops to pick it up before she stands, wrapping it around herself and pulling it a little closer to her chest than necessary. Maybe he won't catch the way that she takes a deeper breath, as if trying to force everything down and back into place. The faint smile that she gives him when she turns towards the door--the way that the smile doesn't quite reach her eyes... That's harder to hide.]
There should be a vending machine around here--or did you want to go to the banquet hall? [That would be a longer walk, but they're probably fine to leave by now. She could check with Hieke, just to be sure.]
no subject
Especially not here, where there's reminders abound— infirmary, injury, death, Héctor— so even though he's sure Imelda would like the time and space to just hide here, it'll be better the further away she is. Somewhere indoors out of the cold, but somewhere without a lot of people because not everybody has the luxury of hiding a crying face like he can. ]
If you're up for a bit of a walk, there's someplace good I can show you~ How 'bout it?
no subject
Alright. Let me check us out with Hieke first. [She's not going to just leave without letting their nurse know where they've gone--but she does keep the exchange brief. Just checking that their clear to leave and returning the blankets they were using.]
[The she turns to Kano at the door and braces herself for the cold.] Alright... Lead the way.
no subject
It's a bit of a secret, so don't peek, alright? Won't you indulge me for a while? I'll hold onto your hand, so you don't have to worry about bumping into anything~
no subject
How far is it? I could just close my eyes, couldn't I?
no subject
Not too far~ Isn't it more interesting, in this way?
[ Also, having her close her eyes while he guides her through campus would raise more questions than her with a black jacket thrown over her head, it has nothing to do with trust, one way or an other. ]
It's less than half an hour, for sure, but I know shortcuts we can take!
no subject
[She hums thoughtfully to herself, weighing her options here. Honestly, having Kano's hand in hers is already weighting her decision. It feels like such a rare gesture that she's not willing to undo it and tell him no. So she sighs a little.]
Alright, I won't peek. But let's walk quickly. I don't want to be out here for very long.
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